Lochsa River Fishing Guides
A wild, roadside mountain river in the Idaho backcountry, famous for eager cutthroat and a fall run of steelhead.
Guides on the Lochsa River
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About the Lochsa River
The Lochsa runs for roughly seventy miles through the Bitterroot Mountains without a single dam, town or diversion on it, which is rare enough in the West to be worth stating plainly. US 12 follows the river almost the whole way, so a river that feels remote is in fact reachable at nearly every bend. That combination – genuinely wild water with a paved road beside it – is what makes the Lochsa one of the most approachable big-fish rivers in Idaho.
The fishery is built on westslope cutthroat trout, and they are the reason most anglers come. These are native fish in a native river, protected by catch-and-release rules through most of the drainage, and they have never learned to be careful. A well-drifted attractor dry moved through a seam will bring them up all summer long. Rainbows mix in, mountain whitefish are everywhere, and bull trout hold in the coldest, deepest runs. Bull trout are a protected species here and must be released without being removed from the water.
Snowmelt governs the calendar completely. The Lochsa is a famous whitewater run in May and June for good reason, and it is essentially unfishable at those flows. When the river drops and clears in late June or early July it becomes one of the finest dry-fly rivers in the northern Rockies, and it stays that way until the weather turns. Fall brings a run of B-run steelhead up from the Snake and the Columbia, big fish that draw a dedicated crowd to the lower river below Lowell.
Most anglers fish the Lochsa on foot, working the pocket water and tailouts from the bank, and that is the right approach on all but the highest summer flows. Guided float trips run the bigger water in July and August out of Lowell and Kooskia. Idaho manages the drainage under wild-trout rules, so single barbless hooks and release are the norm for cutthroat, and steelhead anglers need a permit in addition to a license. Check the current rules before a trip, because the steelhead season is set annually and can close on short notice.
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Access
Lowell - the confluence with the Selway and the lower river access.
US 12 corridor pullouts - dozens of marked roadside gravel pullouts along the entire river.
Wilderness Gateway Campground - developed camping with direct river access.
Split Creek Pack Bridge - foot access to a long walk-and-wade stretch.
White Sand Creek and Powell area - the upper river near Lolo Pass.
Knife Edge River Access - a popular boat launch on the middle river.
Fish Creek confluence - a productive tributary mouth reachable from the highway.
Seasons
Spring: high, cold and dangerous with snowmelt; the river belongs to rafters, not anglers.
Summer: the prime season - clear water, dry-fly cutthroat fishing from July through September.
Fall: cooling water, excellent trout fishing, and B-run steelhead entering the lower river.
Winter: cold and quiet, with limited access and very little angling pressure.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Lochsa River?
As of Sep 17, 6:00 am, the USGS gauge LOCHSA RIVER NR LOWELL ID reads 477 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Lochsa River?
Anglers target Brook Trout, Bull Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Rainbow Trout, Steelhead, Westslope Cutthroat Trout on the Lochsa River in Idaho.
Where can you access the Lochsa River?
Lowell - the confluence with the Selway and the lower river access. US 12 corridor pullouts - dozens of marked roadside gravel pullouts along the entire river. Wilderness Gateway Campground - developed camping with direct river access. Split Creek Pack Bridge - foot access to a long walk-and-wade stretch. White Sand Creek and Powell area - the upper river near Lolo Pass. Knife Edge River Access - a popular boat launch on the middle river. Fish Creek confluence - a productive tributary mouth reachable from the highway.
When is the best time to fish the Lochsa River?
Spring: high, cold and dangerous with snowmelt; the river belongs to rafters, not anglers. Summer: the prime season - clear water, dry-fly cutthroat fishing from July through September. Fall: cooling water, excellent trout fishing, and B-run steelhead entering the lower river. Winter: cold and quiet, with limited access and very little angling pressure.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Lochsa River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Idaho agency site: https://idfg.idaho.gov/rules/fish