Victor Moses fired the Latics ahead after cutting in from the left flank.
Will Atkinson levelled on his Hull debut, heading in Kevin Kilbane's cross after the Wigan defence hesitated when the linesman flagged for offside.
Mark Cullen nodded in George Boateng's cross to put the Tigers ahead but Gohouri smashed in an overhead kick from close range to make it 2-2.
Gohouri's acrobatic goal meant that instead of celebrating a first away Premier League victory since March 2009, the travelling Hull fans were left to mourn the end of their two-year top-flight adventure - not that many would have arrived at the DW Stadium expecting their team to get the sort of heavy-scoring win that would have given them hope of an unlikely survival.
The draw means the Tigers can no longer match West Ham's points tally, but they were effectively down in any case because their goal difference is vastly inferior to that of the Hammers, who lie one place above them in 17th.
606: DEBATE
Doesn't matter what division Hull City play in, we need to learn that football matches last 90+ minutes.
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Things could soon get a lot worse for Hull, who have estimated debts of about £35m ahead of their return to the Championship, with the club forced to deny rumours sweeping around the ground at half-time that they have gone into administration.
Iain Dowie's long-term future as Tigers manager is also uncertain and his hopes of keeping the job will not have been helped by his side's failure to close out what would have been only their second win under his command.
Not that Hull particularly deserved the three points. Wigan, who only secured their own safety last week, out-passed them for most of the game and had enough chances to run out easy winners.
The Latics were on top for the opening half-hour but were let down by that lack of cutting edge until Moses broke the deadlock in style for his first goal since joining from Crystal Palace in January.
A Hull counter-attack broke down and, after the ball was fed out to Moses out on the left flank, he cut inside before beating Matt Duke with a superb low drive which went in off the far post.
Moses could have had a second minutes later when he mis-kicked with the goal gaping after Maynor Figueroa knocked Ben Watson's cross into his path, but instead Hull were quickly level.
The Latics defence played to the linesman's flag, not referee Phil Dowd's whistle, when Vladimir Stojkovic failed to deal with a hopeful ball into the area and Atkinson, who has spent most of this season on loan at League Two side Rochdale, ran from an onside position to head home Kilbane's cross.
Wigan's players were clearly frustrated by the decision to let the goal stand but responded well and peppered Duke's goal with shots at the start of the second half.
The Latics travel to Stamford Bridge next week with Manchester United needing them to get at least a draw against Chelsea to keep Sir Alex Ferguson's title hopes alive.
United boss Ferguson will have been encouraged by the spirit they showed here, but not by the defending that allowed Cullen to put Hull ahead after 64 minutes.
Gohouri inexplicably allowed Boateng's cross to fly over his head and Cullen, who turned 18 last month, was on hand at the back post to turn in the bouncing ball.
Wigan continued to press forward but their search for an equaliser in their final home game of the season became more and more desperate.
Hull looked capable of soaking up everything the home side could throw at them until substitute Scharner knocked down a deep cross into the area in the third minute of stoppage time, and Gohouri turned the ball in.
The Tigers' Premier League exit was confirmed in chaotic fashion, with a pitch invasion needing to be cleared before the last minute of the match could be played, but their fate is now officially sealed.
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez:
"It's a performance which leaves me with mixed feelings.
"They were well-organised and working hard and I thought for spells, we showed very good moments.
"I felt we would kick on after scoring first but we conceded two soft goals and that is a clear area that we have to improve for next season.
"But what we don't lack is character and the desire to carry on doing the right things until the end. The second goal was the reward we deserved."
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