See all 18 routes on Des Moines River
Iowa | North-Central Iowa
Des Moines River
Lehigh Access to Deception Hollow
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
Launch at Lehigh and paddle the short intermediate water-trail split to Deception Hollow. The route is useful as a low-commitment downstream continuation below the existing Fort Dodge-to-Lehigh card, with the Stratford gauge used as the downstream corridor check.
Put-in
Lehigh AccessOpen mapLehigh and Deception Hollow are practical access anchors from Iowa DNR / Webster County water-trail mapping; confirm the exact signed landing from land.
Take-out
Deception Hollow carry-down accessOpen mapThe Stratford gauge is downstream of this short reach. It is same-river and current, but it cannot replace a visual check for local wood, bank condition, or launch depth.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Lehigh and Deception Hollow are practical access anchors from Iowa DNR / Webster County water-trail mapping; confirm the exact signed landing from land.
- The Stratford gauge is downstream of this short reach. It is same-river and current, but it cannot replace a visual check for local wood, bank condition, or launch depth.
- Do not continue into the long Deception-to-Skillet reach unless the group has planned that separate 15.5-mile day.
Watch for
- Boulders, old bridge debris, woody strainers, and riffles that scrape at lower flows.
- Fast current, covered beaches, floating debris, and harder exits during high or rising water.
- Private uplands above legal river beaches and limited public exits between named accesses.
Route gallery
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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 near Stratford, 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 | 400 cfs to 8,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 400 cfs |
| High threshold | 8,000 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | CanWePaddle Fort Dodge-to-Lehigh estimated range, applied conservatively to the same DNR Webster County corridor |
| 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 routeLehigh to Deception Hollow, about 3 miles
Iowa DNR names this Webster County Des Moines River Water Trail reach and rates it intermediate.
- Access mapLehigh Access and Deception Hollow carry-down access
The Webster County map labels Lehigh Access and Deception Hollow on the designated Des Moines River water-trail corridor.
- Current gauge checkUSGS 05481300 at 1,080 cfs / 5.83 ft
USGS Water Services returned current Des Moines River near Stratford data at 2026-07-23 09:00 CDT during this run.
- Threshold posture400-8,000 cfs corridor range
The existing route-specific Fort Dodge-to-Lehigh CanWePaddle range is applied conservatively to this adjacent DNR water-trail split and disclosed as corridor-level support.
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
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Reports
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Quick answers
Des Moines River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Des Moines River?
Paddle Today watches Des Moines River near Stratford, IA and treats 400 cfs to 8,000 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 Lehigh Access and ends at Deception Hollow carry-down access, about About 3 mi on the water.
Is this Des Moines 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.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.