The Boone River is a tributary of the Des Moines River

Des Moines River

The Des Moines River is a tributary river of the Mississippi River, approximately long to its farther headwaters, in the upper Midwestern United States...

 in north-central Iowa

Iowa

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is 111 miles (178.6 km) long and drains an area of 895 square miles (2,318 km²). Via the Des Moines River, it is part of the watershed

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

 of the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

.

The Boone River rises near Britt

Britt, Iowa

Britt is a city in Hancock County, Iowa, United States, and is the home of the National Hobo Convention. The population was 2,052 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Britt is located at ....

 in western Hancock County

Hancock County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 11,341 in the county, with a population density of . There were 5,330 housing units, of which 4,741 were occupied.-2000 census:...

 and flows generally southwardly through Wright

Wright County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 13,229 in the county, with a population density of . There were 6,529 housing units, of which 5,625 were occupied.-2000 census:...

, Hamilton

Hamilton County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 15,673 in the county, with a population density of . There were 7,219 housing units, of which 6,540 were occupied.-2000 census:...

 and Webster

Webster County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 38,013 in the county, with a population density of . There were 17,035 housing units, of which 15,580 were occupied.-2000 census:...

 counties, past Goldfield

Goldfield, Iowa

Goldfield is a city in Wright County, Iowa, United States. The population was 680 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Goldfield's longitude and latitude coordinatesin decimal form are 42.734708, -93.920163...

 and Webster City

Webster City, Iowa

Webster City is a city in Hamilton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 8,070 at the United States 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Hamilton County. Webster City is known as 'Boone River Country' with the Boone River meandering along the east side of the city from north to south...

. It flows into the Des Moines River 17 miles (27.4 km) north of Boone

Boone, Iowa

Boone is a city in and the county seat of Des Moines Township, Boone County, Iowa, United States. It is the principal city of the 'Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area', which encompasses all of Boone County. This micropolitan statistical area, along with the 'Ames, Iowa Metropolitan...

.

Tributaries of the Boone River also drain portions of Kossuth

Kossuth County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 15,543 in the county, with a population density of . There were 7,486 housing units, of which 6,697 were occupied.-2000 census:...

 and Humboldt

Humboldt County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 9,815 in the county, with a population density of . There were 4,684 housing units, of which 4,209 were occupied.-2000 census:...

 counties. Two headwaters

Source (river or stream)

The source or headwaters of a river or stream is the place from which the water in the river or stream originates.-Definition:There is no universally agreed upon definition for determining a stream's source...

 tributaries are known as the East Branch Boone River and the Middle Branch Boone River.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has designated the lower 26 miles (41.8 km) of the Boone River from Webster City to its mouth as a "Protected Water Area". This stretch of the river cuts through a wooded valley and allows canoeing

Canoeing

Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....

 and fishing for smallmouth bass

Smallmouth bass

The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...

, channel catfish

Channel catfish

Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...

, walleye

Walleye

Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...

, northern pike

Northern Pike

The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...

 and flathead catfish

Flathead catfish

The flathead catfish , also called the yellow cat, opelousas, and shovelhead cat, are large North American freshwater catfish. This is the only species of the genus Pylodictis...

.