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Missouri | Missouri Ozarks
Current River
Cedar Grove to Round Spring
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 Cedar Grove and take out at Round Spring for the full NPS-listed 26.2-mile Upper Current continuation. Use the upstream Akers USGS gauge as a conservative route check, with the app keeping the score at a 300 cfs minimum-only floor because the downstream half is not directly gauged.
Put-in
Cedar Grove Boat Launch / accessOpen mapCedar Grove, 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.
Take-out
Round Spring river access / campground areaOpen mapThe Akers gauge is upstream of much of this route. Treat it as a proxy and re-evaluate at Akers or Pulltite instead of forcing the full continuation if water, weather, or fatigue looks wrong.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Cedar Grove, 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 re-evaluate at Akers or Pulltite instead of forcing the full continuation if water, weather, or fatigue looks wrong.
- This route is too long for a casual scenic float. Daylight, pace, weather, and whether the group has a legal overnight plan matter before leaving Cedar Grove.
Watch for
- Shallow riffles, scraping, and dragging when the Akers gauge is near or below the 300 cfs floor, especially over a 26.2-mile route.
- 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, limited cell service, and fatigue from treating a full-river continuation like a routine day float.
- 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.
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 above Akers, 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 | 300 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 Akers gauge trip evidence for full Upper Current continuations |
| 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.
- Official route shape26.2 mi / about 11 hr
NPS Estimated Float Times lists Cedar Grove to Akers at 7.7 miles / 3 hours, Akers to Pulltite at 9.6 miles / 4 hours, and Pulltite to Round Spring at 8.9 miles / 4 hours, which supports this 26.2-mile full Upper Current continuation.
- Upper Current access chainCedar Grove, Akers, Pulltite, and Round Spring
The current park brochure still identifies all four named access areas in the Upper Current district, along with campground and ranger-station context for the middle and downstream stops.
- 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. Because the gauge sits upstream of much of this full route, Paddle Today treats it as a proxy and pairs it with a conservative low-water-only model.
- Low-water floor300 cfs minimum-only
Rivers.MOHERP still ties exact Pulltite-to-Round-Spring reports and nearby lower-Upper-Current trip rows to the Akers gauge, which is the limiting downstream evidence for the full continuation. Paddle Today therefore uses the same conservative 300 cfs floor rather than the lower 230 cfs floor used on the shorter upstream-only routes.
- 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 flood-closure context for the full Upper Current corridor and direct paddlers to check current conditions before launching.
- Camping supportAkers, Pulltite, and Round Spring campgrounds
The current park brochure still lists campgrounds at Akers, Pulltite, and Round Spring, which supports treating this very long continuation as overnight-capable rather than a default one-day float.
- 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.
- Endpoint coordinates37.42238, -91.6083 to 37.27996, -91.40792
Coordinates reuse the practical Cedar Grove and Round Spring access-area anchors already used on adjacent Current River routes. They are route-ready access anchors, not survey-grade ramp corners.
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 Paddle the Upper Current River
- NPS Floating in the Ozarks
- NPS River Levels
- NPS Ozark Superintendent Compendium
- NPS park brochure
- NPS 2025 campground and access repairs
- Rivers.MOHERP Current River Akers gauge
- USGS 07064533 Current River above Akers
- USGS 07064533 instant values
- Mapcarta Cedar Grove Boat Launch
- Mapcarta Round Spring Campground
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
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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 Cedar Grove Boat Launch / access and ends at Round Spring river access / campground area, about 26.2 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.