South Fork Salmon River Chinook summer 2024 salmon seasons and limits
Idaho Fish and Game would like your input on seasons and limits for 2024 summer Chinook salmon on the South Fork Salmon River.
Comments will be accepted through March 3.
Seasons and limits table adjustment
Seasons and limits tables like the ones shown below have been developed for many of your Chinook fisheries in Idaho. These were developed with angler input and are used as a guideline for developing proposals to the IDFG Commission as predicted harvest shares change. In general, at very large harvest shares we propose fisheries to operate 7 days per week with larger daily limits, and as harvest shares decline, we adjust the tables in the following order:
Decrease daily bag limits
Decrease number of fishing days per week
The previously used table for the South Fork Salmon River did not follow this order, and looked like this:
OLD seasons and rules table for the South Fork Salmon River summer Chinook fishery
Adult Harvest Share
Season
Limit
<150
--
--
151-300
2 days a week
1 adult
301-750
4 days a week
1 adult
751-1,200
4 days a week
2 adults
1,201 - 3,000
7 days a week
2 adults
3,001+
7 days a week
3+ adults
We are adjusting the above highlighted row in the seasons and rules table for the South Fork Salmon River. In addition to wanting to provide consistency in how these tables are developed, there are some other significant reasons this adjustment is being made. In 2022, the lower sport fishing boundary was changed in order to provide opportunity for tribal anglers to access their share of fish while the sport fishery is operating. This change has proven successful at meeting objectives, and will not change in the near future. Now that the sport fishing area has been reduced, this further warrants adjustment to the highlighted row in the seasons and rules table. Fishing 4 days per week with a 2 adult limit results in increased congestion in the sport fishing area, compared to a 7 day per week fishery with a 1 adult limit.
4 days per week/ 2 adults per day
Concentrates all effort in a shorter period
Anglers keep fishing after harvesting 1 adult, resulting in increased daily effort/more crowding
7 days per week/ 1 adult per day
Spreads effort across the entire week
Anglers cease fishing after harvesting 1 adult, resulting in reduced daily effort/less crowding
For the reasons laid out above, the seasons and rules table for the South Fork Salmon River will now look like this:
NEW seasons and rules table for the South Fork Salmon River summer Chinook fishery
Adult Harvest Share
Season
Limit
<150
--
--
151-300
2 days a week
1 adult
301-750
4 days a week
1 adult
751-1,200
7 days a week
1 adult
1,201 - 3,000
7 days a week
2 adults
3,001+
7 days a week
3+ adults
2024 Forecast
The 2024 summer Chinook Salmon run to the South Fork Salmon River is forecasted to provide a harvest share of between 300 and 500 adults. Using this forecast and the summer Chinook seasons and limits proposal table developed with angler input (see table below), we would recommend to the commission the following:
Fishing 4 days a week (Thursday through Sunday)
A daily limit of four (4) salmon per day with no more than one (1) being an adult.
If the run comes in different than forecast, we would adjust the season and limit accordingly, based on the table below.
Seasons and rules table for the South Fork Salmon River summer Chinook fishery
Idaho Fish and Game would like your input on seasons and limits for 2024 summer Chinook salmon on the South Fork Salmon River.
Comments will be accepted through March 3.
Seasons and limits table adjustment
Seasons and limits tables like the ones shown below have been developed for many of your Chinook fisheries in Idaho. These were developed with angler input and are used as a guideline for developing proposals to the IDFG Commission as predicted harvest shares change. In general, at very large harvest shares we propose fisheries to operate 7 days per week with larger daily limits, and as harvest shares decline, we adjust the tables in the following order:
The previously used table for the South Fork Salmon River did not follow this order, and looked like this:
OLD seasons and rules table for the South Fork Salmon River summer Chinook fishery
We are adjusting the above highlighted row in the seasons and rules table for the South Fork Salmon River. In addition to wanting to provide consistency in how these tables are developed, there are some other significant reasons this adjustment is being made. In 2022, the lower sport fishing boundary was changed in order to provide opportunity for tribal anglers to access their share of fish while the sport fishery is operating. This change has proven successful at meeting objectives, and will not change in the near future. Now that the sport fishing area has been reduced, this further warrants adjustment to the highlighted row in the seasons and rules table. Fishing 4 days per week with a 2 adult limit results in increased congestion in the sport fishing area, compared to a 7 day per week fishery with a 1 adult limit.
4 days per week/ 2 adults per day
7 days per week/ 1 adult per day
For the reasons laid out above, the seasons and rules table for the South Fork Salmon River will now look like this:
NEW seasons and rules table for the South Fork Salmon River summer Chinook fishery
2024 Forecast
The 2024 summer Chinook Salmon run to the South Fork Salmon River is forecasted to provide a harvest share of between 300 and 500 adults. Using this forecast and the summer Chinook seasons and limits proposal table developed with angler input (see table below), we would recommend to the commission the following:
Seasons and rules table for the South Fork Salmon River summer Chinook fishery