Chinook Salmon Seasons and Rules

Fish and Game fisheries managers are considering expanding fall Chinook salmon fishing in the Clearwater River, and they're gathering public comments about the proposal. Deadline to comment is Aug. 18 at 6 p.m. MDT. 

Idaho Fish and Game will close fishing for Chinook salmon on the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River effective at the end of fishing hours on July 28, 2019. Fishing hours are  4:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.  Fish and Game fisheries managers are currently monitoring the returns of fall Chinook and may propose a fishing season later this summer. 

Attend a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. (PDT) on July 30 at 3316 16th St. in Lewiston to learn about a potentially new fall Chinook salmon fishing opportunity in the Clearwater River.

After monitoring low Chinook counts over the Columbia and Snake River dams, Idaho Fish and Game fisheries managers have decided to not propose a summer Chinook fishing season on the South Fork of the Salmon River and due to a lack of harvestable hatchery fish.

Fish and Game Commissioners on June 13 opened Chinook salmon fishing effective immediately on the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River to allow anglers the opportunity to harvest hatchery fish bound for the Selway River that are normally caught in the Lower Clearwater River, which did not have a Chinook season during spring. 

Chinook salmon fishing in the Lower Salmon and Little Salmon rivers has met harvest objectives and Fish and Game is closing the season effective June 4. The last four-day opener was completed on Sunday, June 2. 

Spring Chinook returns to the Clearwater River hatcheries are below forecast and no fish are available for sport harvest, so fishing on the Clearwater, Middle Fork Clearwater, North Fork Clearwater and South Fork Clearwater rivers will remain closed effective May 24, 2019 and will not reopen for the spring season.