How to get in01 pathLottery
Main Salmon River
Private multi-day floats on the Wild Main Salmon are allocated by the Four Rivers lottery on Recreation.gov — same family as the Middle Fork.
Multi-day
RiverCampTechnicalPhysical effort · Estimate
Technical — Skills or exposure beyond a standard hike — canyoneering, scrambling, etc.
Multi-day Wild Salmon float with class III–IV water and camping.
Editorial estimate of the typical trip — not lottery hardness, and not an Official agency grade.
Photo by Jason Buscema
Good fitRiver teams who can enter the winter Four Rivers lottery and stage a multi-day Main Salmon float.
Usually notPowerboat-only travelers (that is a separate Rec.gov product) or short day floats.
Lottery type
Four Rivers Lottery
How you get in
No % yet
Agency has not published odds
One application per person for this river; duplicate applications can trigger multi-year restrictions (Official). Float product — not the Main Salmon powerboat permit.
When to apply
Not open yet
Dec 1 – Jan 31
Lottery application window · Official dates
Apply December 1 – January 31. Results about February 14; winners must confirm by March 15. Unconfirmed / declined launches release March 16 at 8:00 a.m. MT first-come (Official USFS / Rec.gov).
We checked 2026-09-23
The managing agency (and Recreation.gov when the product lives there) is authoritative for dates, fees, and whether registration is open. We summarize — always confirm on the official page before you apply.
If you miss this window, try these instead:
- Middle Fork of the Salmon (Rec.gov 234623)
- Selway (Rec.gov 234624)
- Snake–Hells Canyon (Rec.gov 234625)
Backup options
Nearby or alternate ways in if these draws miss.
- Middle Fork / Selway / Snake–Hells Canyon in the same Four Rivers lottery family
- Shoulder-season launches outside lottery control dates when posted
- Middle Fork of the Salmon (Rec.gov 234623)
- Selway (Rec.gov 234624)
- Snake–Hells Canyon (Rec.gov 234625)
Field notes
All field notesPlaybooks for the confusing parts of applying — not live calendars.
Dates, group rules, a backup, entry day — the apply checklist is under Before you go
The managing agency (and Recreation.gov when the product lives there) is authoritative for dates, fees, and whether registration is open. We summarize — always confirm on the official page before you apply. Rec.gov permit 234622 (Salmon River / 4 Rivers). Lottery control season roughly late June – early September; Dec–Jan application window (Official USFS / Rec.gov). About Official / Estimate / Not confirmed yet