See all 16 routes on Current River
Missouri | Missouri Ozarks
Current River
Cataract 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 Cataract and finish at Gooseneck / Hawes for the last public lower Current section. Use the Van Buren gauge as a conservative low-water check and expect lower-river motorboats, private-bank constraints, and end-of-river logistics.
Put-in
Cataract LandingOpen mapThe Cataract coordinate is a topo-derived landing point, not an official NPS GIS table. Follow the signed landing, parking, and turnaround layout on arrival.
Take-out
Gooseneck / Hawes Recreation AreaOpen mapNPS materials use both Gooseneck and Hawes naming for the downstream endpoint. Confirm the signed river landing before leaving a vehicle.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The Cataract coordinate is a topo-derived landing point, not an official NPS GIS table. Follow the signed landing, parking, and turnaround layout on arrival.
- NPS materials use both Gooseneck and Hawes naming for the downstream endpoint. Confirm the signed river landing before leaving a vehicle.
- This route ends near the Current River mouth. Do not continue onto the Black River or other downstream big-river water without a separate plan.
Watch for
- Shallow shoals, scraping, and slower travel when the Van Buren gauge is near or below the 700 cfs conservative floor.
- Motorboat wakes, summer crowds, tubes, slick landings, swimmers, fishing lines, and wind on the lower-river pools.
- 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, 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 adjacent lower-Current 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 shapeCataract to Gooseneck, 6.2 mi / 3 hr
The current NPS Estimated Float Times page lists Cataract to Gooseneck as a 6.2-mile lower Current float that typically takes about 3 hours.
- Gooseneck access contextLower Current river mile 0 with primitive camping
The current NPS park brochure places Gooseneck at lower Current river mile 0 and lists a picnic area plus primitive camping area in the Lower Current District.
- Live direct gaugeUSGS 07067000
USGS Current River at Van Buren showed same-day July 11, 2026 discharge and gage-height observations, with 1,080 cfs and 3.01 ft at 12:30 CDT during review. The gauge is upstream but remains the same lower-Current gauge used by adjacent implemented routes.
- Low-water floor700 cfs minimum-only
Rivers.MOHERP still supports the same conservative Van Buren floor already used on adjacent lower-Current routes. Paddle Today keeps only the 700 cfs minimum-only floor and does not infer an ideal range.
- Endpoint coordinates36.8964418, -90.9073471 to 36.8194989, -90.9470707
The put-in uses the topo-derived Cataract Landing point published by AnyplaceAmerica. The take-out reuses the implemented Gooseneck / Hawes point already used by adjacent lower-Current routes.
- 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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Keep exploring
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 Cataract Landing and ends at Gooseneck / Hawes Recreation Area, about About 6.2 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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.