Nivelmap
EN

How to read levelsSources and methods

North America

Western Europe

Central Europe

Mediterranean

Nordic countries

Des Moines River at Estherville water level

River gauge, Des Moines River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.31ft Steady over the last 24 hours

0 5 10 15 Highest onrecord 17.94 ft Minor floodstage 10.00 ft

History

35810ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 20Minor flood stage35810ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20Minor flood stage
510ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 20Minor flood stage510ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20Minor flood stage
51015ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage51015ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
51015ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202651015ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

The Des Moines River at Estherville is at 2.31 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 2.12 ft, based on 17 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.19 ft above typical. It is 7.69 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.15 ft, a difference of +0.16 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.29 ft and 2.77 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 17 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.12 ft0.19 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.85 ft – 8.41 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (17 years of records)
Same day last year
2.15 ft+0.16 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.29 ft – 2.77 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.83 ft – 4.82 ft
Highest on record
17.94 ftJune 24, 2024

Floating and fishing near Des Moines River at Estherville

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 10.00 ft, 7.69 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

21.50 ft
An electrical box near the NE corner of Woodys may need to be sandbagged.
20.00 ft
An electrical box at West Central Ave/IA 9 near the NE corner of the intersection with W 1st St N may need to be sandbagged.
19.00 ft
Electrical boxes south of vacant lot at 31 W 1st St S may need to be sandbagged.
18.00 ft
The Power Plant may need to sandbag the west banks.
17.50 ft
Water affects IA 9 just west of the river. IA 9 is closed to thru traffic. The Power Plant may monitor sandbagging operations on the west banks by the power plant. The parking lot west of the VFW is completely flooded. Residents at 39 W 1st St S may need to sandbag. Water overtops St. James Ave/Co Rd A34 by the bridge in Wallingford.
17.00 ft
The intersection of W 1st St S and W 1st Ave S is closed. Valley Dr may need to be closed. Evacuation orders may be needed for the residents in and near Valley Dr. Water overtops Co Rd N26 north of Tom and Jerry’s Bridge. Residents at 502, 503 and 608 on W 1st St S as well as residents at 206 in Valley Dr may need to sandbag their properties. An electrical box on the west side at 105 W 1st Ave N may need to be sandbagged.
16.50 ft
Road closure are expanded from Valley Dr to W 1st Ave S on W 1st St S. On W 1st St N the road closure is expanded north of Woodys parking lot to the residence at 221. Water begins affecting the parking lot west of the VFW. Water affects a residence driveway at 1660 375th Ave. An electrical box may need to be sandbagged at the southwest corner of W 1st St and W 2nd Ave S. Electrical boxes at 115 W 1st St may need to be sandbagged.
16.00 ft
Residents at 215 W 1st St N may need to sandbag their properties. Water affects Valley Dr. Residents may need to be notified of the road possibly being closed due to water over the road. Co Rd A33 (River View Bridge) is closed. The Power Plant may start monitoring the basement for floodwater.
15.50 ft
Road closures expand south of W 1st Ave N intersection to the residence at 215 W 1st St N. Road closures also expand to the residence south of 109 to north of Valley Dr. Residents 122 and 222 on W 1st St N may need sandbag their properties.
15.00 ft
An electrical box on the south property line of 303 W 1st St S may need to be sandbagged.
14.50 ft
Water affects residences along W 1st St north and south of IA 9 as well as along Valley Dr.
14.00 ft
The Estherville wastewater treatment plant may possibly start bypassing water on W 1st St S.
2.31 ft
Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

RankLevelDate
117.94 ftJune 24, 2024
217.68 ftApril 12, 1969
315.61 ftApril 10, 1965
415.53 ftJune 8, 1953
515.38 ftJune 30, 1993
615.24 ftMarch 25, 2019
714.89 ftJuly 9, 2018
814.30 ftApril 14, 1984
912.66 ftJuly 6, 1983
1012.22 ftApril 6, 1962

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 65° 37° – Wind 13 mph
21 Wed 69° 44° – Wind 8 mph
22 Thu 72° 55° – Wind 12 mph
23 Fri 74° 56° 0.01 in Wind 21 mph
24 Sat 68° 57° 0.07 in, 27% Wind 20 mph
25 Sun 56° 41° 0.57 in Wind 12 mph
26 Mon 48° 36° 0.39 in, 21% Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:40 AM Sunset 06:30 PM Daylight 10 hr, 50 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Des Moines River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Des Moines River above WindomRiver gauge, Des Moines River 9.50 ft Below flood stage −0.09 ft 37 mi
Des Moines River at JacksonRiver gauge, Des Moines River 6.90 ft Below flood stage −0.08 ft 17 mi
Des Moines River at EmmetsburgRiver gauge, Des Moines River 1.22 ft Below flood stage −0.10 ft 20 mi
Des Moines River at HumboldtRiver gauge, Des Moines River 4.43 ft Below flood stage −0.17 ft 57 mi
Des Moines River at Fort DodgeRiver gauge, Des Moines River 5.00 ft Below flood stage −0.10 ft 70 mi
Des Moines River near StratfordRiver gauge, Des Moines River 8.26 ft Below flood stage −0.32 ft 90 mi
Des Moines River near SaylorvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River 5,910 cfs High −440.0 cfs 133 mi
Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River 17.19 ft Below flood stage −0.37 ft 138 mi
Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River 17.03 ft Below flood stage −0.94 ft 141 mi
Des Moines River near SwanRiver gauge, Des Moines River 16,700 cfs High −1,200.0 cfs 154 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Spirit Lake near OrleansLake, Spirit Lake 14.21 ft Very high ±0 15 mi
West Okoboji Lake at Lakeside Lab near MilfordLake, West Okoboji Lake 4.14 ft Very high ±0 17 mi
Ocheyedan River near SpencerRiver gauge, Ocheyedan River 2.81 ft Below flood stage −0.07 ft 26 mi
Willow Creek near CornellRiver gauge, Willow Creek 82.11 ft Below flood stage −0.06 ft 33 mi
East Fork Des Moines River near AlgonaRiver gauge, East Fork Des Moines River 7.99 ft Below flood stage −0.15 ft 38 mi
Little Sioux River at Linn GroveRiver gauge, Little Sioux River 6.53 ft Below flood stage −0.15 ft 40 mi
Pilot Creek at County Hwy P15 near RolfeRiver gauge, Pilot Creek 3.66 ft Very high −0.25 ft 45 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Des Moines River at Estherville higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.16 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.15 ft.

What is flood stage for the Des Moines River at Estherville?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 7.69 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Des Moines River at Estherville in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.12 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.85 ft and 8.41 ft, based on 17 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Des Moines River at Estherville today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 AM CDT, the water level was 2.31 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Des Moines River at Estherville rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Des Moines River at Estherville normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 17 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:05476500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
43.39925, -94.84600 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
NAVD88
Update interval
every 15 minutes
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 2.31 ft 2026-10-20 16:15 Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Des Moines River at Estherville (usgs:05476500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/des-moines-river-at-estherville

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer