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Iowa | Southeast Iowa
Des Moines River
Des Moines River Access to Farmington Access
Check current paddling conditions for this Des Moines 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
Finish the Van Buren County Lower Des Moines water-trail chain by paddling from Des Moines River Access to Farmington Access. It is a short, straight reach, but high releases, debris, private banks, and missing the town take-out can still turn it into a bigger problem.
Put-in
Des Moines River AccessOpen mapDes Moines River Access and Farmington Access are named public water-trail launches; saved coordinates are practical launch records and should be verified against posted signs.
Take-out
Farmington AccessOpen mapFarmington Access is below the Highway 2 bridge on river left/east side in the Iowa DNR guide.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Des Moines River Access and Farmington Access are named public water-trail launches; saved coordinates are practical launch records and should be verified against posted signs.
- Farmington Access is below the Highway 2 bridge on river left/east side in the Iowa DNR guide.
- Treat adjacent residential and agricultural banks as private unless clearly posted public.
Watch for
- High, fast, or debris-laden water from Red Rock release management or upstream storms.
- Strainers, bridge current near Farmington, cold-water exposure, wind, motorboats, and jumping silver carp.
- Drifting past Farmington without a downstream shuttle or Missouri/Lee County access plan.
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.
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Start the gallery with shots of the access, river character, or any detail that helps paddlers know what this run actually looks like.
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 | Des Moines River at Keosauqua, IA |
| 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 |
| Target band | 3,000 cfs to 4,500 cfs |
| Low threshold | 800 cfs |
| High threshold | 6,000 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Outdoor Adventures Made Easy lower Des Moines Keosauqua-gauge notes |
| 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 routeDes Moines River Access to Farmington, 3 mi
Iowa DNR names this exact reach, describes it as a straight short section, and places Farmington Access on the east side below the Highway 2 bridge.
- Access and campingCounty access primitive camping; Farmington access/camping
Villages of Van Buren lists Des Moines River Access with primitive camping and boat ramp, and Farmington with boat access, restroom, water, food, kiosk, camping, cabins, and shelter.
- Access coordinatesDes Moines River Access 40.67130, -91.75801; Farmington 40.63880, -91.74389
Snoflo launch records publish practical coordinates for the named Des Moines River Access and Farmington Access boat launches; confirm exact ramp approach from posted signs.
- Current gauge checkUSGS 05490500 8,110 cfs / 12.87 ft at 2026-07-23 13:15 CDT
USGS Water Services returned current Keosauqua data during this run, above the selected conservative high-water ceiling.
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
Des Moines River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Des Moines River?
Paddle Today watches Des Moines River at Keosauqua, IA and treats 3,000 cfs to 4,500 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Des Moines River route start and end?
This route starts at Des Moines River Access and ends at Farmington Access, about About 3 mi on the water.
Is this Des Moines 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.