Hi everybody.
We have been getting some reports that kokanee are being flushed through Dworshak Dam, and flows are supposed to pick up again next week which could increase this entrainment. As such, our Director has approved the opening of a kokanee salvage season in the North Fork Clearwater River downstream of Dworshak Dam and in the Clearwater River downstream of the North Fork Clearwater River starting now (February 15, 2018).
What this means is you can do the following:
Keep as many kokanee as you want (you still need a fishing license though)
Collect them through rod and reel, dip net, or by hand
You can not target other species using a dip net or your hands
This salvage season will remain in effect until May 31, 2018
For those of you who want to take advantage of this, please be aware that entrainment of kokanee can occur in spurts meaning that sometimes there may be a bunch of fish available to scoop up and other times there may be none. I guess what I’m saying is don’t expect to rush up there and fill buckets full of fish. However, if you are in the area you may want to check it out. Often a good indicator that a lot of kokanee are being entrained is when you see a bunch of seagulls flying around over the water. Another thing to check out is the back eddies. This is often where dead kokanee will stack up.
If you do go out there be safe, as the flows are high for this time of year.