This update is to let you know about Chinook fishing closures in the Clearwater River drainage. The following sections which were open for jack harvest, will not re-open this coming Thursday.
- Clearwater River Mainstem - From the Camas Prairie Railroad Bridge upstream to the Highway 12 Bridge below the Potlatch River (Arrow Bridge)
- Clearwater Mainstem – From the Orofino Bridge upstream to Five Mile Boat Ramp
- Middle Fork Clearwater River – From its confluence with the South Fork Clearwater River upstream to the confluence of the Lochsa and Selway rivers
- South Fork Clearwater River – From the Highway 13 Bridge (about 300 yards downstream of where Highway 14 and the Harpster Grade Road merge) upstream to a posted sign about 300 yards upstream of the Mt Idaho Grade Road bridge.
Since we are shutting down the sections listed above to spring Chinook fishing, that also means they are closed to summer Chinook fishing, which was scheduled to start June 22nd.
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, Chinook survival of Clearwater River fish as they migrate from Bonneville Dam to Lower Granite Dam has been below average this year. Unfortunately, the survival rates have not improved over the past few weeks. Because of this lower survival rate, fewer fish are making it to the Clearwater and our harvest share declined to the point we have to close down this fishery.
The adult returns to the Clearwater River this year have fell well short of pre-season predictions and that has limited the fishery. We were able to have a jacks only fishery for two weeks which did provide some additional opportunity. Anglers harvested 77 jacks and caught and released another 170 adults. However, I think we can all agree that this is a far cry from what we all desire. Current jack returns are already better than last year’s return which hopefully signals better years to come.
The Lochsa River is still scheduled to open for summer Chinook fishing on June 22nd. Hopefully some of you will find time to explore this new fishery.
I will send out an update soon on the regions other Chinook fisheries on the Salmon River around Riggins and Hell’s Canyon. Talk to you then. - Brett Bowersox, Fisheries Biologist, Clearwater Region