LEWISTON, ID – The Idaho Fish and Game Commission held a conference call Friday morning to set the fishing seasons for Chinook Salmon on several rivers and to announce an increase in the season limit for adult Chinook Salmon.
The commission approved fishing seasons for the Upper Salmon River, the Lochsa River, and the South Fork Salmon River. In addition, based on a larger-than-expected return of adult Chinook Salmon, the commission decided to raise the season limit from 10 adults to 20 adults.
Upper Salmon River Fishery
The Upper Salmon River fishery will open on Thursday, June 19, and will run seven days a week. Anglers will be allowed a daily limit of four Chinook Salmon, with a maximum of two adults per day.
Lochsa River Fishery
The Lochsa River fishery will open on Saturday, June 14, also operating seven days per week. As with the Upper Salmon River, the daily limit is four Chinook Salmon, with no more than two adults per day.
South Fork Salmon River Fishery
The South Fork Salmon River fishery will open on Thursday, June 19, operating seven days per week. The daily limit will be four Chinook Salmon, but only one may be an adult.
Despite the fact that South Fork Salmon are still migrating over Bonneville Dam, the estimated harvest share for this fishery is approximately 800 adults. However, this number may change as more fish are counted at Lower Granite Dam. Fish and Game officials will provide weekly updates on harvest estimates and may adjust the fishery if the number of returning fish decreases significantly.
The initial forecast for the South Fork Salmon run was much lower, with an estimated 530 adults expected. However, with a higher-than-forecasted run, the commission authorized a seven-day-per-week fishery. If the harvest share estimate drops to below 750 adults, the number of fishing days may be reduced to four per week.
Timing and Boundaries
According to Idaho Fish and Game, the first PIT-tagged South Fork adult Chinook crossed Lower Granite Dam on May 19, and since then, 1,542 adults destined for the South Fork have passed through. It typically takes 2 to 3 weeks for these fish to reach the fishing areas, so a few hundred should be present when the season opens on June 19.
Changes to the South Fork Salmon River fishing boundaries will also be implemented this year. The lower boundary has been adjusted approximately 50 yards downstream from Jakie Creek Bridge to allow anglers to fish an additional area that was previously inaccessible. The updated fishing boundaries are now from the posted boundary 50 yards below Jakie Creek Bridge upstream to approximately 23 miles, ending near the South Fork Salmon River weir and trap.
Season Limit Increase
In a significant update, the season limit for adult Chinook Salmon has been increased from 10 to 20. Initially, the limit was set at 10 due to forecasts of 32,000 Chinook Salmon returning to Idaho. However, with the actual return being stronger than expected, the commission decided to raise the limit to 20. Anglers who have already reached the 10-fish limit are now eligible to catch up to 20 adults.
Little Salmon River Fishery
The Little Salmon River fishery, which operates four days a week (Thursday to Sunday), has also seen a significant increase in activity. There are currently about 600 adult Chinook Salmon remaining in the harvest share, and Rapid River Hatchery personnel are expected to begin recycling jacks into the fishery this weekend.
Fishing on the Little Salmon River is expected to continue until the harvest share is reached. Fish and Game officials will evaluate harvest estimates weekly to ensure they do not exceed the allocated share.
With Chinook Salmon populations returning better than expected in many rivers across Idaho, anglers have more opportunities to participate in the fisheries. Fish and Game officials are advising fishermen to stay informed through the website and in-season updates.
