2026 Lochsa and South Fork Clearwater Rivers Spring Chinook Fishery Proposal
Idaho Fish and Game would like your input on how you would like the Lochsa and South Fork Clearwater rivers spring Chinook salmon fishery to be managed.
Comments will be accepted through February 22, 2026.
The 2026 Clearwater Spring Chinook run is forecast to provide a total harvest share of 2,003 adults. The Lochsa and South Fork Clearwater Chinook fisheries have consistently fallen well short of harvest allocation objectives. This lack of harvest is likely attributable to low effort due to the remoteness of these fisheries. Additional harvest opportunity exists for the Lochsa River in 2026 with a forecasted adult harvest share of 174 adult summer Chinook. To increase angler effort and harvest, IDFG recommends the following fishery structure for the 2026 Lochsa and South Fork Clearwater Chinook fisheries.
A 4-day (Thur-Sun) fishery with a daily limit of four (4) salmon with no more than two (2) adults.
Season opens Saturday, April 25, with fishing allowed throughout the Lochsa and South Fork Clearwater rivers.
Should the run come in significantly different than forecasted, our goal would be to follow the guidelines specified in the table below.
Lochsa and South Fork Clearwater River Spring Chinook Season and Limits, Based on the Aggregate Clearwater Basin Harvest Share
*Highlighted row indicates IDFG recommendation to start the 2026 Chinook Fishery in the Lochsa River and South Fork Clearwater River
Idaho Fish and Game would like your input on how you would like the Lochsa and South Fork Clearwater rivers spring Chinook salmon fishery to be managed.
Comments will be accepted through February 22, 2026.
The 2026 Clearwater Spring Chinook run is forecast to provide a total harvest share of 2,003 adults. The Lochsa and South Fork Clearwater Chinook fisheries have consistently fallen well short of harvest allocation objectives. This lack of harvest is likely attributable to low effort due to the remoteness of these fisheries. Additional harvest opportunity exists for the Lochsa River in 2026 with a forecasted adult harvest share of 174 adult summer Chinook. To increase angler effort and harvest, IDFG recommends the following fishery structure for the 2026 Lochsa and South Fork Clearwater Chinook fisheries.
Should the run come in significantly different than forecasted, our goal would be to follow the guidelines specified in the table below.
Lochsa and South Fork Clearwater River Spring Chinook Season and Limits, Based on the Aggregate Clearwater Basin Harvest Share
*Highlighted row indicates IDFG recommendation to start the 2026 Chinook Fishery in the Lochsa River and South Fork Clearwater River
Total Clearwater Adult Harvest Share
Days Per Week
Limit
River Sections and Expectations
<200
4 Days
(Thur-Sun)
Jacks only
No Closures
200-1,000
4 Days
(Thur-Sun)
2 adults
No Closures
>1,000
7 Days
2 adults
No Closures