Accidents occur often. Use caution whenever you float. Information on flow rates and additional caution areas are posted at river landings, visitor centers, the Rockefeller Parkway Ranger Station and the Buffalo Fork Ranger Station. Reports are updated weekly or whenever significant change in river conditions occur. Even boaters frequently floating the Snake should check conditions before every trip, as the river can change overnight.
River flow varies greatly throughout the summer.
Water depths average 2 to 3 feet, but exceed 10 feet in a few locations. Boulders and bottom irregularities cause standing waves up to 3 feet high. Typically, spring flows will be muddy, extremely cold, and very high, increasing the difficulty of all river sections. As snowmelt diminishes, volume decreases and waters clear. In spite of reduced flow, the current stays deceptively strong.