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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 location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
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
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
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
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
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.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Cataract LandingThe 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 AreaThe current NPS float-times page publishes the exact Cataract-to-Gooseneck trip, its concession operating plan names Cataract and Hawes as authorized Lower Current access points, and the Superintendent's Compendium identifies Gooseneck (Hawes) as a Current River landing. Confirm both signed landings before leaving a vehicle.
Plan this segment
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.
- The current NPS float-times page publishes the exact Cataract-to-Gooseneck trip, its concession operating plan names Cataract and Hawes as authorized Lower Current access points, and the Superintendent's Compendium identifies Gooseneck (Hawes) as a Current River landing. Confirm both signed landings 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, fallen trees, rootwad strainers, 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.
- Cold spring-fed water, private banks, limited cell service, and confusion between Gooseneck and Hawes naming at the take-out. Be ready to self-rescue and use only NPS-owned land for gravel-bar camping.
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.
Score & sources
Why this score
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
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.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
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 |
| Evidence strength 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 contextNPS Gooseneck / Hawes landing and backcountry campground
The current NPS Superintendent's Compendium identifies Gooseneck (Hawes) as both a Current River landing and a Lower Current backcountry campground.
- Lower Current access authorityCataract and Hawes authorized accesses
The current NPS concession operating plan includes both Cataract and Hawes among the authorized Lower Current access points, while the NPS float-times page publishes the exact Cataract-to-Gooseneck trip.
- Live direct gaugeUSGS 07067000
USGS Current River at Van Buren showed provisional same-day July 27, 2026 discharge and gage-height observations, with 924 cfs and 2.79 ft at 9:30 PM CDT during safety 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 USGS-topo-derived Hawes Recreation Area point, corroborated by current NPS Gooseneck / Hawes landing and campground context.
- Route hazardsStrainers, fast rises, and remote self-rescue
NPS says fallen trees and rootwad strainers can occur on any section, storms and floods continually change the river, moderate to heavy rain can raise streams quickly, and help may be hours away.
- Cold-water contextSpring-fed, cold Current River
NPS describes the Current and Jacks Fork as spring-fed, cold, clear rivers.
- Legal-bank checksGravel-bar camping only on NPS-owned land
NPS allows gravel-bar camping only on National Park Service-owned land and requires campers to follow posted restrictions.
- 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.
- NPS Estimated Float Times
- NPS Ozark park brochure
- NPS Ozark Superintendent Compendium
- NPS Lower Current authorized-access operating plan
- NPS Ozark river safety
- NPS Gooseneck Campground
- NPS Ozark National Scenic Riverways overview
- NPS gravel-bar camping rules
- Rivers.MOHERP Current River Van Buren gauge
- USGS 07067000 Current River at Van Buren
- USGS 07067000 legacy current conditions
- Cataract Landing topo coordinate
- Hawes Recreation Area topo coordinate
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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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 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
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.