Index
The runs listed in the following sections match the order in the Dreamflows
daily report. Please select from the following:
- General Information
- Idaho Rivers
- List of Composite Maps
- Idaho Links
Special Symbols
Symbol | Meaning |
| Click for weather information local to the gauge site. |
| Click for the gauge location, shown as on the displayed map. |
| Click for the corresponding entry on the river flows page. |
| Click for color-coded flow (high/good/low) trigger level information. |
| Click for the rating table (gauge height to river flow conversion chart). |
| Click for the graph of recent flows. |
| Flow on this run is likely to differ markedly from reported flow - see second paragraph below. |
| Click for a map showing put-in, take-out, and rapid locations (if available). |
| Click for a composite map showing the relationship of this run to other nearby runs. |
General Information
The following lists the various Idaho flow sites reported by Dreamflows, and some whitewater runs associated with those sites.
This list isn't by any means exhaustive, but should provide a useful cross-listing.
Sites reported by Dreamflows appear against the left-hand margin in bold, while associated runs appear indented underneath.
Where available, gauge location and other pertinent information appear beneath the site name.
The terms "above" and "below" mean "upstream from" and "downstream from", respectively, and distances are in river miles.
In general, the flow on any given run will differ to some extent from the reported flow for its gauge.
For example, the flow on the Chamberlain Falls run of the North Fork American is lower than the inflow at Clementine,
since the run starts many miles upstream from Clementine (side creeks make up the difference).
For runs marked the difference is likely to be radical.
Please consult a good white-water guidebook for information on how to estimate the actual flow on any given run.
Click on the icon, when present, for run-specific put-in, take-out and/or rapid location information.
Click on the icon, when present, for a composite view showing gauges and runs in the same drainage or general area.
The terms "run" and "reach" are used interchangeably;
both mean a specific section of some river or stream that is typically paddled during a single trip.
Of course you're not necessarily limited to these access points and may choose others,
though be sure to consider the legal and logistical aspects first.
Also, be aware that access points may not be accurately measured or displayed,
and in any case can change over time, so please don't take the published access points too literally.
In particular, many access points are shown as the middle of a bridge;
this doesn't mean you should seal launch off, but rather scout around for the best river-side access.
Information on the runs listed below was taken from one (or more) of the following sources:
Tag | Title and Author |
AllAbout | All About Rivers (an online guide, no longer operational) - Brad Goettemoeller. |
AWA | American Whitewater. |
AWetState | A Wet State (an online guide) - Daniel Brasuell. |
Amaral | Idaho, The Whitewater State - Grant Amaral. |
BlueRiverExp | Blue River Expeditions. |
Creekin' | California Creeks (an online guide) - Bill Tuthill. |
Fernald | The Playboater's Guide To Idaho - Rick Fernald and Colby Blewett. |
Hinds | Paddling Pacific Northwest Whitewater - Nick Hinds, Ryan Scott, Jacob Cruser, and Scott Waidelich. |
IdahoWW | Idaho Whitewater - Greg Moore and Don McClaren. |
IntoTheOutside | Into The Outside (blog). |
OregonKayaking | Oregon Kayaking - Jason Rackley. |
Stuebner | Paddling The Payette, Second Edition/Printing - Stephen Stuebner. |
Soggy4 | Soggy Sneakers, Fourth Edition - Pete Giordano and the Willamette Kayak and Canoe Club (2004). |
Turner | Montana Surf - Nick Turner, Matt Wilson, Russ Fry. |
WWGuidebook | Whitewater Guidebook. |
WWW | Western Whitewater - Cassady, Cross and Calhoun. |
Almost all of the runs below have some basic information about the run: the length,
the class, and a tag indicating which guidebook the information was taken from
(see the above table for a list of tags).
The page numbers (where given) are for the specified edition of the guide.
The class ratings listed here never include all the nuances in the guidebook.
Note very carefully that the information supplied here is intended only as an aid
to selecting runs which might appeal to you.
Different authors rate runs differently, some runs have significant rapids and
hazards not covered by the ratings given here, and ratings change with flow.
Also, only a fraction of the information in the guidebooks is presented here.
PLEASE CONSULT AN APPLICABLE GUIDEBOOK before selecting a run to paddle.
Note also that the class rating will sometimes have a qualifier appended in parentheses.
If the rating (for example) were given as III to IV, then this means the run is generally considered Class III to IV at normal flows.
If the rating were III to IV (V) instead, then that would mean the run was class III to IV overall, but that it contained class V rapid(s).
If the rating were III to IV (P) instead, then that would mean the run was class III to IV overall, but that it contained portage(s).
Note: for various reasons (e.g. qualifier omissions in guidebooks, or the river's changed), some entries that should have a qualifier might not show one.
So, if you don't see a qualifier for a given run, then don't assume that one doesn't apply.
Many of the runs listed below have links to web pages that describe the run and associated logistics.
Many also provide interesting photos.
Note: these are third-party web sites, though, and as such Dreamflows cannot vouch for the accuracy or completeness of the information provided;
nor are the opinions expressed necessarily shared by Dreamflows.
Note also that for many runs, the logistical information is taken from a hardcopy book, plus there are one or more links to online pages as well.
This offers the reader more sources of run information.
Return to Index.
Idaho Rivers
Bear - Below Grace Dam
Gauge located 900 feet below N Main Street bridge, 0.3 miles below Grace Dam. Gauge elevation 5515 feet.
Bear River - Grace Dam Bridge to Grace Powerhouse (Black Canyon) (5.7 miles, IV (V), AWA)
AWA
Snake - Near Irwin
Gauge located at Palisades, 1.5 miles below Palisades Dam, 2 miles above Palisades Creek. Gauge elevation 5353 feet.
Henrys Fork - Below Coffee Pot Rapids
Gauge located at footbridge, 0.9 miles below Coffee Pot Rapids, 2 miles above McCrea Bridge Campground. Gauge elevation 6310 feet.
Henrys Fork - Near Ashton
Gauge located 0.8 miles below powerplant, 0.4 miles above Atchley Rd bridge West of Ashton. Gauge elevation 5090 feet.
Fall River - Near Squirrel
Gauge located 0.2 miles above road bridge, 0.5 miles below Marysville Dam, 6 miles below Boone Creek. Gauge elevation 5589 feet.
Teton - Near Driggs
Gauge located at Packsaddle Rd, 2 miles above South Leigh Creek. Gauge elevation 5953 feet.
Teton - Near St. Anthony
Gauge located 0.5 miles above railroad bridge, 4 miles above South Fork confluence at Teton, 5 miles below Teton Dam. Gauge elevation 4974 feet.
Blackfoot - Near Shelley
Gauge located 1.1 miles below Wolverine Creek, 7.1 miles below Cedar Creek. Gauge elevation 4650 feet.
Snake - At Milner River Only
Gauge located 200 feet below highway bridge at Milner, 0.4 miles below Milner Dam. Gauge elevation 4020 feet.
Snake - At Milner Total Flow
Computed flow site located at Murtaugh Bridge, on Murtaugh Rd/1900 East Rd near Murtaugh, 8 miles below Milner Dam. Gauge elevation 3886 feet.
Camas Creek - Near Blaine
Gauge located 0.2 miles below Willow Creek, 6.5 miles above Moonstone Landing. Gauge elevation 4870 feet.
Camas Creek - Blain Bridge to Moonstone Landing (9 miles, III, Amaral p240)
Snake - Below Lower Salmon Falls
Gauge located at Fish Hatchery, 0.5 miles below Lower Salmon Falls Dam. Gauge elevation 2728 feet.
Malad - Near Bliss
Gauge located 300 feet above the East 2300 road bridge, 0.2 miles above the Snake River confluence. Gauge elevation 2750 feet.
Bruneau - At Rowland
Gauge located 1000 feet above Rowland, 1.5 miles above McDonald Creek, 5.2 miles above Nevada-Idaho border. Gauge elevation 4500 feet.
Jarbidge - Below Jarbidge
Gauge located at Mahoney Ranger Station, 1.2 miles below Jarbidge town. Gauge elevation 6050 feet.
Bruneau - Near Hot Springs
Gauge located 1 mile below Hot Creek, 1.6 miles above Hot Creek Rd bridge at Hot Springs, 16 miles below East Fork. Gauge elevation 2599 feet.
Snake - Below Swan Falls Dam
Gauge located 0.7 miles below Swan Falls Dam. Gauge elevation 2260 feet.
Owyhee - At Crutcher Crossing
Gauge located 500 feet above Crutcher Crossing, 3.0 miles above the South Fork confluence. Gauge elevation 4265 feet.
Owyhee - Near Rome
Gauge located 0.5 miles below Jordan Creek, 2.6 miles below Rome, Oregon. Gauge elevation 3344 feet.
North Fork Owyhee River - North Fork Campground to Three Forks (13.6 miles, IV, WWGuidebook)
AWA WWGuidebook
Deep Creek - Mud Flat Rd to Rickard Crossing (39 miles, I to II (Fence), Amaral p216)
South Fork Owyhee River - El Paso Crossing to Crutcher Crossing (36 miles, II to III, Amaral p214)
AWA Creekin'
Owyhee River - Duck Valley Indian Reservation to Crutcher Crossing (65.1 miles, III to IV (P), IdahoWW p100)
AWA
Owyhee River - Crutcher Crossing to Three Forks (36 miles, II (IV), Amaral p208)
AWA
Owyhee River - Three Forks to Rome (35 miles, III to IV (V), Amaral p204)
AWA OregonKayaking WWGuidebook
Owyhee River - Rome to Leslie Gulch (66.5 miles, III (IV), Soggy4 p353)
AWA Creekin' OregonKayaking WWGuidebook
Succor Creek - Near Homedale
Gauge located at Highway 19 bridge west of Homedale. Gauge elevation 2240 feet.
Succor Creek - Pole Creek to Succor Creek State Recreational Area (8 miles, IV to V, Hinds p408)
Article
Boise - Near Twin Springs
Gauge located 1.5 miles below Badger Creek, 1.8 miles above Arrowrock Reservoir, 3.2 miles below Twin Springs. Gauge elevation 3310 feet.
So. Boise - Below Anderson Ranch Dam
Gauge located 1.8 miles below Anderson Ranch Dam. Gauge elevation 3830 feet.
Boise - At Glenwood Bridge
Gauge located 100 feet upstream of the Glenwood Road Bridge in Boise. Gauge elevation 2600 feet.
No. Payette - At McCall
Gauge located at McCall, 0.4 miles below Payette Lake. Gauge elevation 4968 feet.
No. Payette - At Cascade
Gauge located 1.3 miles below Cascade Reservoir. Gauge elevation 4730 feet.
No. Payette - At Otters Run
Gauge located 400 feet below Hwy-55 bridge, 600 feet above Otters Run rapid. Gauge elevation 3081 feet.
North Fork Payette River - Smiths Ferry to Banks (16 miles, IV to VI, Amaral p160):
Mi. Payette - Near Crouch
Gauge located 0.3 miles below Anderson Creek, 2 miles above South Fork confluence. Gauge elevation 3040 feet.
Deadwood - Below Deadwood Dam
Gauge located at Scott Mountain Rd bridge, 0.2 miles below Deadwood Dam. Gauge elevation 5181 feet.
So. Payette - At Lowman
Gauge located 0.3 miles below Hwy-21 bridge, 1.1 miles below Clear Creek, 2.7 miles above Deadwood River. Gauge elevation 3790 feet.
South Fork Payette River - Grandjean Run (30 miles, III to IV, Amaral p176)
AWA Creekin'
South Fork Payette River - Canyon Run (10 miles, III to IV (P), Amaral p172)
AWA Creekin' OregonKayaking
South Fork Payette River - Danskin to Alder Creek Bridge (Swirly Canyon) (9 miles, II to II+, Amaral p171)
AWA Creekin'
South Fork Payette River - Garden Valley Scenic Tour (Alder Creek Bridge to Deer Creek) (6 miles, I to II, Stuebner p128)
Creekin'
South Fork Payette River - Staircase Run (5 miles, III to IV, Amaral p168)
AWetState AWA Creekin' WWGuidebook
So. Payette - Near Garden Valley
Estimated flow site located at Garden Valley Ranger Station, 1.4 miles above Alder Creek, 5.5 miles above Middle Fork confluence. Virtual gauge elevation 3080 feet.
So. Payette - Below Deer Creek
Estimated flow site located 0.8 miles above North Fork confluence, 1.1 miles above Banks, 4.0 miles below Deer Creek. Virtual gauge elevation 2815 feet.
Payette - Near Horseshoe Bend
Gauge located 0.4 miles below Porter Creek, 0.6 miles above Hwy-55 bridge. Gauge elevation 2626 feet.
Snake - Below Hells Canyon Dam
Gauge located 0.4 miles below Oxbow Creek, 0.6 miles below Hells Canyon Dam. Gauge elevation 1435 feet.
Salmon - Near Clayton
Gauge located 700 feet below Yankee Fork at Sunbeam, 18 miles above Clayton. Gauge elevation 5900 feet.
Salmon - Near Shoup
Gauge located 0.8 miles below Cove Creek, 2.2 miles below Panther Creek, 10.5 miles below Shoup. Gauge elevation 3154 feet.
Mi. Salmon - At Middle Fork Lodge
Gauge located 300 feet above Middle Fork Lodge bridge, 1.8 miles below Marble Creek, 5 miles above Little Loon Creek. Gauge elevation 4380 feet.
Mi. Salmon - At Mouth
Gauge located 1500 feet above the Main Salmon confluence. Gauge elevation 3040 feet.
Salmon - Above Corn Creek
Gauge located 1.5 miles below Cache Bar, 3.6 miles above Corn Creek. Gauge elevation 3000 feet.
E. Fk So. Salmon - Above Sugar Creek
Gauge located 1200 feet above Sugar Creek, 11.0 miles above Yellow Pine, 11.4 miles above Johnson Creek. Gauge elevation 5944 feet.
Johnson Creek - At Yellow Pine
Gauge located 700 feet above East Fork South Fork Salmon confluence. Gauge elevation 4656 feet.
So. Salmon - At Krassel
Gauge located 0.9 miles above Fitsum Creek, 2.2 miles above East Fork South Fork Salmon confluence. Gauge elevation 3750 feet.
Little Salmon - At Riggins
Gauge located at road bridge 0.5 miles below Squaw Creek, 0.6 miles above Main Salmon confluence. Gauge elevation 1760 feet.
Salmon - At White Bird
Gauge located 600 feet above White Bird Creek, 0.6 miles below Canfield-Joseph highway bridge. Gauge elevation 1413 feet.
No. Clearwater - Near Canyon Ranger Stn
Gauge located at FR247 bridge, 400 feet above Beaver Creek, 1.7 miles below Canyon Ranger Station. Gauge elevation 1660 feet.
North Fork Clearwater River - Headwaters to Hidden Creek Campground (17 miles, III to V, AWA)
AWA
North Fork Clearwater River - Black Canyon (11 miles, III to IV, Amaral p14)
North Fork Clearwater River - Kelly Creek to Weitas Creek (14 miles, III-, AllAbout)
North Fork Clearwater River - Bungalow Run (20 miles, III (V), Amaral p12)
North Fork Clearwater River - Quartz Creek Run (9 miles, III, Amaral p10)
Lochsa - Near Lowell
Gauge located 0.7 miles above Lowell, 0.9 miles above Selway confluence, 1.2 miles below Pete King Creek. Gauge elevation 1453 feet.
Moose Creek - Above Selway River
Estimated flow site located 0.2 miles above the Selway River confluence. Virtual gauge elevation 2190 feet.
Selway - Near Lowell
Gauge located 0.2 miles above O'Hara Creek, 7.6 miles above Lochsa confluence. Gauge elevation 1540 feet.
So. Clearwater - At Stites
Gauge located 0.4 miles above county road bridge at Stites, 0.4 miles below Cottonwood Creek. Gauge elevation 1312 feet.
Lolo Creek - Near Greer
Gauge located 100 feet below Lower Lolo Creek Road Bridge, 0.35 miles above Clearwater confluence. Gauge elevation 1080 feet.
Saint Joe - At Red Ives Ranger Stn
Gauge located 100 feet below Red Ives Creek, 1.2 miles above Copper Creek. Gauge elevation 3710 feet.
Saint Joe - At Calder
Gauge located 125 feet downstream from road bridge at Calder, 4 miles below Big Creek. Gauge elevation 2172 feet.
Pack - Near Colburn
Gauge located at the Highway 2 bridge between the towns of Samuels and Colburn. Gauge elevation 2080 feet.
Boundary Creek - Near Porthill
Gauge located 800 feet below Road 2450 bridge (take-out). Gauge elevation 1770 feet.
Boundary Creek - Near Canadian Border to Road 2450 (10 miles, V, AWA)
AWA
Moyie - At Eastport
Gauge located 250 feet above the Highway 95 bridge at Eastport. Gauge elevation 2620 feet.
Return to Index.
List of Composite Maps
Return to Index.
Idaho Links
Idaho DWR River Flow Information
USGS - Idaho Real-Time Flow Index