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See all 16 routes on Current River

Missouri | Missouri Ozarks

Current River

Akers Ferry to Round Spring

Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.

Route location

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Distance18.5 mi
DifficultyEasy
Typical timeLong day
ShuttleCar shuttle
The clear Current River flows below wooded Ozark hills with gravel bars along the Upper Current corridor.
Route photoUpper Current River corridor near Welch SpringPhoto by Kbh3rd via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
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Conditions

Gauge history and hourly forecast

Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.

Gauge detail

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Gauge

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Weather

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Route overview

Quick facts and what's next

Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.

Quick facts

On-water distance18.5 miAkers Ferry to Round Spring
DifficultyeasyNPS treats both component segments as standard easy Upper Current floats, but combining them into an 8-hour route makes pace, weather, and exit discipline much more important. Cold spring water, outfitter traffic, and limited cell service matter more over the longer day.
ShuttleCar shuttleUse a two-car or authorized outfitter shuttle between Akers Ferry and Round Spring. Cell service is limited in the park, so stage the take-out and confirm the pickup plan before launching.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific private-vessel paddling fee is known inside Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Follow NPS rules, posted signs, designated access layouts, parking limits, no-glass/no-polystyrene rules, and any current river closure notices.
CampingOptions nearbyThis continuation is long enough that many groups should treat it as an overnight-capable route rather than a casual day float. Pulltite and Round Spring have NPS campground support, and gravel-bar camping has park rules and location limits; do not assume any bank is public just because it is reachable from the river.
SeasonMar-NovThe Upper Current is spring-fed and floatable well beyond spring runoff, but this 18.5-mile continuation is still sensitive to low-water drag and storm-driven debris. Heavy rain can raise the river quickly and push the park toward flood closures.

Plan ahead

Upcoming outlook

These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.

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Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

Launch at Akers Ferry and take out at Round Spring for the combined NPS-listed 18.5-mile Upper Current continuation. Use the upstream Akers USGS gauge as a conservative same-day route check, with the app keeping the score at a 300 cfs minimum-only floor.

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Prepare this trip

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Start

Put-in

Akers Lower / Akers Ferry access
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Akers, Pulltite, and Round Spring are standard Ozark National Scenic Riverways access areas, but flood repairs, construction zones, parking, outfitter traffic, and temporary closure notices can change the practical launch or landing.

Finish

Take-out

Round Spring river access / campground area
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The Akers gauge is upstream of much of this route. Treat it as a proxy and pair it with a visual check at Akers and again at Pulltite if conditions look questionable.

Plan this segment

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Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • Akers, Pulltite, and Round Spring are standard Ozark National Scenic Riverways access areas, but flood repairs, construction zones, parking, outfitter traffic, and temporary closure notices can change the practical launch or landing.
  • The Akers gauge is upstream of much of this route. Treat it as a proxy and pair it with a visual check at Akers and again at Pulltite if conditions look questionable.
  • This route is much longer than the standard NPS day segments. Daylight, weather, and a realistic bailout plan at Pulltite matter more than on a short easy float.

Watch for

  • Shallow riffles, scraping, and dragging when the Akers gauge is near or below the 300 cfs floor, especially over an 18.5-mile day.
  • High or rising water, fresh wood, cloudy water, and faster current after rain. NPS lists Akers at 4.00 ft, Pulltite at 4.20 ft, and Round Spring Bridge at 5.20 ft as flood-closure markers.
  • Cold spring-fed water, crowding on warm weekends, motorized-boat interactions under park horsepower rules, and limited cell service.
  • Federal river rules: PFD requirements, children under 7 wearing PFDs, no glass or polystyrene, no vessel lashing, cave closures, and leash rules for dogs when on land.

Route gallery

See this route on the water

Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.

The clear Current River flows below wooded Ozark hills with gravel bars along the Upper Current corridor.
Upper Current River corridor near Welch SpringPhoto by Kbh3rd via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons: CC BY-SA 3.0

Score & sources

Data and sources

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

Read quality
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Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking

Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.

Why
  • Checking evidence-strength notes.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge siteCurrent River above Akers, MO
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Ideal rangeNeeds paddler reports
Known low-water floor300 cfs
High thresholdNot calibrated yet
Evidence strength behind the rangeLocal route guidance
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreRivers.MOHERP Akers gauge trip evidence for lower Upper Current continuations
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
NotesWhat to know before you go

These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.

  • Official route shape18.5 mi / about 8 hr

    NPS Estimated Float Times lists Akers to Pulltite at 9.6 miles / 4 hours and Pulltite to Round Spring at 8.9 miles / 4 hours, which supports this combined 18.5-mile continuation.

    Source

  • Upper Current access contextAkers, Pulltite, and Round Spring named by NPS

    The current park brochure still lists Akers, Pulltite, and Round Spring as Upper Current river access points with ranger-station and campground context.

    Source

  • Live proxy gaugeUSGS 07064533 at 269 cfs / 1.00 ft

    USGS Current River above Akers returned same-day discharge and gage height at 2026-07-10 15:30 CDT. The gauge is at the upstream end of this continuation, so Paddle Today treats it as a proxy for the full Akers-to-Round-Spring route.

    Source

  • Low-water floor300 cfs minimum-only

    Rivers.MOHERP still ties exact Pulltite-to-Round-Spring Good reports to the Akers gauge, with nearby lower-Upper-Current reports around the same floor. Paddle Today keeps the longer continuation on the same conservative 300 cfs minimum-only model used for Pulltite to Round Spring.

    Source

  • NPS high-water closure contextAkers 4.00 ft / Pulltite 4.20 ft / Round Spring Bridge 5.20 ft

    The NPS river-level guidance and Superintendent Compendium still provide the flood-closure context for the Upper Current landings used on this continuation. Treat those as high-water caution and closure support, not as an ideal gauge band.

    Source

  • Flood-repair caveatPulltite remains partly repaired

    NPS said in March 2025 that Akers and Round Spring group sites were expected to reopen by Memorial Day while Pulltite would partially reopen with fewer family sites and ongoing repairs. Inspect Pulltite and Round Spring before leaving a vehicle.

    Source

  • Access rulesDesignated river access points only

    NPS private-vessel guidance still tells paddlers to use designated river access points, unload promptly, and park only in designated areas.

    Source

  • NPS route-hazard guidanceFast rises, strainers, and delayed rescue

    NPS warns that local rivers can quickly reach unsafe levels after moderate to heavy rain, identifies rootwad strainers on every river section, and says floaters must be ready to self-rescue because phone service and help can be hours away.

    Source

  • Cold-water contextNPS describes the Upper Current as cold

    The current NPS Dee Murray page describes the Upper Current River immediately upstream of Akers as cold, clear water, supporting an explicit cold-water caution.

    Source

  • Legal overnight stopsCamp only on NPS-owned gravel bars

    NPS allows float-in gravel-bar camping only on NPS-owned land, so every reachable bank is not a legal public stop.

    Source

  • Endpoint coordinates37.37591, -91.55148 to 37.27996, -91.40792

    Coordinates reuse the practical Akers and Round Spring access-area anchors already used on adjacent Current River routes. They are route-ready access anchors, not survey-grade ramp corners.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

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Reports

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Keep exploring

More routes to check next

Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.

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Quick answers

Current River paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Current River?

Paddle Today watches Current River above Akers, MO and uses 300 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.

Where does this Current River route start and end?

This route starts at Akers Lower / Akers Ferry access and ends at Round Spring river access / campground area, about 18.5 mi on the water.

Is this Current River route good for beginners?

This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.

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