A message from Ian Fodor-Davis, owner of Zoo Town Surfers, as we kick off the 2025 Lochsa whitewater rafting season. If you’re planning Lochsa rafting trips in 2025 this blog is for you!
Lochsa Rafting trips in 2025 are projected to be at optimal flows. Here’s what to expect, insider info from owner of Zoo Town Surfers Ian Fodor-Davis.
A message from Ian Fodor-Davis, owner of Zoo Town Surfers, as we kick off the 2025 Lochsa whitewater rafting season. If you’re planning Lochsa rafting trips in 2025 this blog is for you!
Perfect Flows Projected For Whitewater Rafting The Lochsa
The Lochsa River in Idaho is my favorite roadside day trip in America. There is so much to love about this Idaho Whitewater Gem. Towering waves, back to back class III-IV rapids, stunning scenery, and a wide variety of camping options. In the past few years, snowpack has been either very low or very high. Our 2025 Snowpack looks like we will be seeing perfect flows on the Lochsa, all season long.
How Weather And Snowpack Shape The Lochsa Rafting Season
Lochsa rafting trips in 2025 should take weather into consideration. There are some important factors to consider here, however. Weather conditions are largely responsible for how much water we get, and how fast we get it. If we have a cold Spring, we can expect to see the Lochsa in fine form for most if not all of its incredible, yet quite short season.
If we have a warm Spring, some of our snowpack could be lost early, which would effect the river levels for the primary season of May-mid June. How much and what kind of moisture we continue to receive will also have an effect on the snowpack. Hot, rainy days are not the best thing in regards to the Lochsa season if we see those happening early. But, if we see hot and rainy days mid season, you can expect the river levels to bump up, perhaps drastically.
Lochsa rafting trips in 2025 will be fun at all levels by the way! That is the beauty of this river during it’s sesaon.
Ideal Water Levels For Lochsa Rafting Trips
So what are perfect conditions on the Lochsa? That tends to vary depending on who you speak with, but I would put my money level right around 12,000 cfs. The waves and features are huge, but you still have a somewhat friendly feeling river. As you get into the 15,000 and higher range, expect that friendly feeling to dissipate, replaced with “holy cow, this is enormous”.
As we see the river climb higher, time between rapids diminishes, and currents get far stronger. While that is not necessarily a bad thing, it is always good to keep in mind that high water means a higher standard of safety should be kept, heads should be on a swivel, and we should all be looking out for each other on the water.
Safety On The Lochsa: What To Wear, What To Expect
Separation from your boat and hypothermia are the main safety concerns when on the Lochsa, so you should always have strong self rescue skills and always dress for the swim, not for the weather. On the Lochsa, that means always, always, always dressing warm. Drysuits with plenty of non-cotton layers are preferred, whereas thicker wetsuits can certainly get you by and will keep you protected in the event of a swim.
When we see flows start ticking up above 12,000 and higher, you can count on high water conditions, which means you should double down on your safety standards.
As far as low water is concerned, I have a feeling that we will not be seeing much of that this season. It is always possible that we get some really hot, really rainy days too early in the season, but so far our Montana and Idaho weather seems to be cooperating with what is shaping up to be an absolutely epic Lochsa season. Cross your fingers, I am certainly crossing mine.
When To Book Your 2025 Lochsa Rafting Trip
So when is the best time to get on the water? If snowpack holds through April, my guess is that we see great river levels for the entirety of the May-June main season. Weekends (especially towards the end of May and in early June) tend to be quite busy, so if you are looking to skip the crowds, earlier in May is a better bet, and weekdays are far and away the best time. If you are looking for a more social experience on the Lochsa, Memorial day madness and the following weekends have got you covered, but make sure you get your camp set early.
Here at Zoo Town Surfers, we offer mid week and weekend Halfday trips, and weekend Riverside Lunch trips. You really cannot go wrong with either of these options, our primary concern is safety, while of course showing our customers how spectacular the Lochsa is.
Book A Rafting Trip On The Lochsa With Zoo Town Surfers
Whether you book your Lochsa rafting trip with us, or you are a competent enough river rat to enjoy the Lochsa on it’s own, it sure is time to start getting very stoked for what could be one of the best seasons we have seen on the Lochsa river in a good while. Lochsa rafting trips in 2025 are going to deliver high energy thrills!
Stay safe and have fun out there, and hopefully I will see you on the river. I can either be found driving our big green bus “Wild Bill”, or paddling whatever boat I can on the water, and I always love chatting about the river.
Your friend and Zoo Town Surfers owner – Ian Fodor-Davis