Des Moines River at Fort Dodge water level

Name: Des Moines River at Fort Dodge water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Des Moines River, Iowa, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.05ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 2,120 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Des Moines River at Fort Dodge reads 5.05 ft, a normal level.

It is 5.45 ft below the flood stage of 10.50 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.96 ft and 5.27 ft.

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

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 20.28 ftJune 23, 1947

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 10.50 ft, still 5.45 ft away.

What happens at each level

17.00 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the railroad trestle approach. Extensive sandbagging also occurs along the river.
16.00 ft: Water threatens the Phinney Park riverside trail along the west bank.
15.00 ft: Water affects some residences in Lehigh and may affect Riverside Dr in northern Webster County.
14.00 ft: Water affects some access roads along the river in Fort Dodge as well as in Lehigh.
13.00 ft: Water affects residences along the west bank of the river in Lehigh and threatens industries near Phinney Park.
12.00 ft: Water affects campgrounds in the downstream parks between Fort Dodge and Lehigh.
11.00 ft: Water affects lowland areas near the river and threatens residences along the river in Fort Dodge.
10.00 ft: Water affects roads to residences in Fort Dodge along the river and limits access to some subdivisions.
5.05 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 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	20.28 ft	June 23, 1947
2	19.94 ft	June 21, 1954
3	18.45 ft	April 8, 1965
4	17.12 ft	June 27, 2024
5	16.83 ft	June 27, 2010
6	16.47 ft	April 1, 1993
7	16.39 ft	June 8, 2008
8	15.60 ft	June 19, 1984
9	15.31 ft	June 19, 2014
10	15.27 ft	March 14, 2019

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.79 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 60° 31° – Wind 16 mph

18 Sun 64° 40° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 65° 41° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 68° 47° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 72° 51° 0.05 in Wind 14 mph

22 Thu 74° 55° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 76° 58° – Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:36 AM Sunset 06:28 PM Daylight 10 hr, 52 min First quarter 65%

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	9.59 ft	Below flood stage	+0.18 ft	107 mi
Des Moines River at JacksonRiver gauge, Des Moines River	6.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	86 mi
Des Moines River at EsthervilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	2.30 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	70 mi
Des Moines River at EmmetsburgRiver gauge, Des Moines River	1.28 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	50 mi
Des Moines River at HumboldtRiver gauge, Des Moines River	4.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	15 mi
Des Moines River near StratfordRiver gauge, Des Moines River	8.40 ft	Below flood stage	−0.35 ft	21 mi
Des Moines River near SaylorvilleRiver gauge, Des Moines River	5,940 cfs	High	−1,130.0 cfs	63 mi
Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.42 ft	69 mi
Des Moines River below Raccoon River at Des MoinesRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17.29 ft	Below flood stage	−0.95 ft	71 mi
Des Moines River near SwanRiver gauge, Des Moines River	17,400 cfs	High	−800.0 cfs	85 mi
Des Moines River near PellaRiver gauge, Des Moines River	18,600 cfs	Very high	−3,200.0 cfs	101 mi
Des Moines River near TracyRiver gauge, Des Moines River	8.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.87 ft	109 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lizard Creek near Fort DodgeRiver gauge, Lizard Creek	6.13 ft	Very high	−0.20 ft	3.1 mi
East Fork Des Moines River at Dakota CityRiver gauge, East Fork Des Moines River	9.65 ft	Below flood stage	+0.18 ft	15 mi
Boone River near GoldfieldRiver gauge, Boone River	145 cfs	Normal	−18.0 cfs	20 mi
Boone River near Webster CityRiver gauge, Boone River	3.53 ft	Below flood stage	−0.22 ft	21 mi
Pilot Creek at County Hwy P15 near RolfeRiver gauge, Pilot Creek	3.75 ft	Very high	−0.31 ft	24 mi
South Fork Iowa River near BlairsburgRiver gauge, South Fork Iowa River	5.38 ft	Very high	−0.16 ft	31 mi
Iowa River near RowanRiver gauge, Iowa River	4.28 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	34 mi
North Raccoon River near LanesboroRiver gauge, North Raccoon River	11.14 ft	Very high	−0.45 ft	36 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Des Moines River at Fort Dodge?

The official flood stage is 10.50 ft. The level is currently 5.45 ft below it.

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 Fort Dodge today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:00 PM CDT, the water level was 5.05 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Des Moines River at Fort Dodge rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Des Moines River at Fort Dodge normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Des Moines River at Fort Dodge?

The highest level on record is 20.28 ft on June 23, 1947.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05480500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.50833, -94.20333 (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

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	5.05 ft	2026-10-20 04:00	Provisional
Flow	2,120 cfs	2026-10-20 04:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Des Moines River at Fort Dodge (usgs:05480500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/iowa/des-moines-river-at-fort-dodge

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