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Missouri | Missouri Ozarks
Current River
Big Spring Upper River Landing to Gooseneck / Hawes Recreation Area
Check current paddling conditions for this Current River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Best window today
Checking weather.
Today by hour
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Quick facts
Plan
Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.
Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.
Access plan
Access, shuttle, and map
Launch at the Big Spring upper river landing and take out at Gooseneck / Hawes for the final long lower Current River section. Use the Van Buren gauge as a conservative low-water check and plan for motorboats, private banks, limited exits, and end-of-river logistics.
Put-in
Big Spring Upper River LandingOpen mapNPS materials use both Gooseneck and Hawes naming for the lower-river endpoint. Confirm the signed Gooseneck / Hawes river access before leaving a vehicle.
Take-out
Gooseneck / Hawes Recreation AreaOpen mapThe Gooseneck coordinate is a USGS-topo-derived Hawes Recreation Area point, not an NPS GIS landing table. Use current NPS signs and the actual river landing on arrival.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- NPS materials use both Gooseneck and Hawes naming for the lower-river endpoint. Confirm the signed Gooseneck / Hawes river access before leaving a vehicle.
- The Gooseneck coordinate is a USGS-topo-derived Hawes Recreation Area point, not an NPS GIS landing table. Use current NPS signs and the actual river landing on arrival.
- NPS distinguishes Big Spring (upper) as a Current River landing from Big Spring Boat Ramp (lower), which is trailered boats only with no floater access. Start from the signed upper landing.
- This route ends near the Current River mouth. Do not continue onto the Black River or downstream big-river water without a separate plan.
Watch for
- Shallow shoals, scraping, and a slower six-hour day when the Van Buren gauge is near or below the 700 cfs conservative floor.
- Motorboat wakes, long pool sections, wind, summer crowds, tubes, slick landings, swimmers, fishing lines, and crowded access areas.
- High or rising water, floating wood, stronger current, and NPS non-motorized closure levels after storms. The compendium lists Van Buren Bridge at a 5.00 ft closed level.
- Private banks, limited cell service, few easy exits, and confusion between Gooseneck and Hawes naming at the take-out.
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.
Sources
Check the data behind today's call.
Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.
Why this scoreToday's data confidence is checking
Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking data confidence notes.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
OutlookTomorrow and weekend
This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Current River at Van Buren, MO |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 700 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Rivers.MOHERP Van Buren gauge rating and Big-Spring-to-Gooseneck trip evidence |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
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.
- NPS route shapeBig Spring to Gooseneck, 6 hr
NPS Paddle the Lower Current River lists Big Spring to Gooseneck as an estimated six-hour lower Current float and names Gooseneck as the end of the lower Current route sequence.
- Park brochure contextLower Current river mile 16 to 0
The NPS park brochure places Big Spring at lower Current river mile 16 and Gooseneck / Hawes at river mile 0, with Gooseneck / Hawes marked for primitive camping, picnic area, river access, and boat access.
- Gooseneck access contextHawes / Gooseneck NPS campground and river access
Recreation.gov describes Hawes Campground as near the Current River on the lower Current, with access to the river and four primitive sites. This corroborates the NPS brochure and lower-Current route endpoint.
- Live direct gaugeUSGS 07067000
USGS Current River at Van Buren showed same-day May 31, 2026 discharge and gage-height observations during review. The gauge is upstream of Big Spring but remains the same lower-Current gauge used by adjacent implemented routes.
- Low-water floor700 cfs minimum-only
Rivers.MOHERP rates the Van Buren gauge Good beginning around 700 cfs and includes exact Big Spring-to-Gooseneck trip evidence marked Good at 1,190 cfs. Paddle Today uses only the conservative 700 cfs floor and does not infer an ideal range.
- Endpoint coordinates36.9475519, -90.9901267 to 36.8194989, -90.9470707
The Big Spring put-in uses the existing USGS-topo-derived Big Spring River Access point. The Gooseneck take-out uses the USGS-topo-derived Hawes Recreation Area point, corroborated by NPS Gooseneck / Hawes access naming and Recreation.gov campground context.
- High-water closure contextVan Buren Bridge 5.00 ft closed level
The NPS Superintendent Compendium says the Current and Jacks Fork close to non-motorized vessels during flood conditions and lists Van Buren Bridge at 3.00 ft average and 5.00 ft closed level. Use this as high-water caution, not a scoring high cutoff.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
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More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Current River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Current River?
Paddle Today watches Current River at Van Buren, MO and uses 700 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 Big Spring Upper River Landing and ends at Gooseneck / Hawes Recreation Area, about About 16 mi on the water.
Is this Current River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.