by Jordan Messner - Regional Fisheries Manager
That's a Wrap on Spring Chinook
Hi everyone,
It was a busy weekend on the Little Salmon River. With the remainder of the Rapid River harvest share caught over the weekend, we've now issued a closure order for that fishery. Spring Chinook fisheries in the Salmon River Basin are officially closed for the season.
As you can see in the table below, the two-day fishery this weekend generated nearly as much effort as the previous four-day interval—it was very busy out there.
Catch rates slipped slightly, averaging about 13 hours per fish caught compared to 11 hours per fish during the previous interval. With flows on the Little Salmon River dropping below 1,000 cfs, fish tend to move upriver more quickly and spend less time hanging out in the holding water. I suspect that contributed to the lower catch rates.
At least that's the excuse I'm using for why I didn't catch any fish this weekend.
Season Recap
The final harvest share target for the Rapid River run this year was 694 adults.
As most of you know, our goal is generally to allocate about 55% of the harvest share to the Lower Salmon River fishery and 45% to the Little Salmon River fishery. In years with strong returns, that balance can be challenging enough. In a year with such a small harvest share, it becomes even more difficult.
In the end, anglers harvested approximately 46% of the share in the Lower Salmon River and 54% in the Little Salmon River this year. Considering the circumstances, I'm actually quite pleased with that outcome. The difference between the two fisheries amounted to only about 80 fish, which is remarkably close to our target.
Altogether, Lower Salmon anglers received about eight days of decent fishing opportunity, while Little Salmon anglers saw roughly six days.
And honestly, "decent" is about the best anyone in Idaho got this year.
There's no way around it—the 2026 spring Chinook return was disappointing. I know many anglers were unable to harvest a fish, and some didn't get much opportunity to fish at all before closures occurred. It's frustrating for anglers, and it's frustrating for those of us who manage these fisheries.
Both tribal and non-tribal fisheries targeting the Rapid River run are now closed. The remaining fish will contribute toward broodstock needs at Rapid River Hatchery and help support future returns.
South Fork Salmon River Opens June 18
Now for the good news.
The South Fork Salmon River fishery opens Thursday, June 18, and I'm guessing many of you are nearly as excited as I am.
The fishery will be open four days per week (Thursday through Sunday) with a daily limit of four Chinook salmon, only one of which may be an adult.
As of June 9, we estimate that 2,295 adipose-clipped adult Chinook destined for the South Fork Salmon River have passed Bonneville Dam. Of those fish, approximately 700 have already crossed Lower Granite Dam.
I would expect most of those 700 fish to be available to anglers during the opening weekend.
Current Harvest Share Outlook
Over the past five years, the average conversion rate from Bonneville Dam to Lower Granite Dam has been approximately 74%.
If we see a similar conversion rate this year, the fish that have already passed Bonneville would translate to roughly 1,700 adipose-clipped adults arriving in Idaho. After accounting for broodstock needs and dividing the harvestable surplus between tribal and non-tribal fisheries, that would result in a harvest share of approximately 383 adults.
(See calculations below.)
At this point, assuming conversion rates remain near or above average, I think it's reasonable to view a harvest share of around 350 adults as a conservative minimum expectation for the South Fork fishery.
Additional PIT-tag detections passing Bonneville Dam could increase that estimate further.
So go ahead and start rooting for every PIT-tagged fish making its way upstream.
What to Expect This Year
Overall, I expect fishing to be good during the opening four-day interval.
Run timing this year is tracking similarly to 2015, when the fishery opened at nearly the same time and anglers experienced excellent catch rates right out of the gate. Based on current information, there should be plenty of fish in the system to provide good opportunity during the opener.
That said, our harvest share is relatively modest this year, and unique river conditions may come into play during this year’s fishery.
The low snowpack and early runoff we've experienced this spring are already influencing lower than normal flows.
That likely means:
Fish will migrate more quickly and arrive in the South Fork earlier than normal.
Water temperatures will increase sooner, potentially reducing midday fishing success and affecting flesh quality later in the season.
I'm hopeful we'll make it through at least two four-day fishing intervals, but the duration of the fishery will ultimately depend on the final harvest share and how much harvest occurs during the opener.
At this point, I would not plan on fishing over the Fourth of July weekend. If the South Fork is on your summer fishing calendar, I'd encourage you to make your trip plans early.
Looking Ahead
I'll provide another update next Tuesday with revised harvest share estimates and the latest fish detection numbers from throughout the South Fork system.
Until then, start tying leaders, curing bait, and checking your camping gear.
After a tough spring season, it's finally almost time to go fish the South Fork Salmon!
