Chinook Salmon Fishing Closed Statewide

All rivers that were open to Chinook salmon fishing in Idaho are now closed. The final closure took effect on Sunday August 7, at 7 p.m. when the fishery on the upper Salmon River closed. The closure was necessary under the federal permit issued by NOAA Fisheries. The fishery downstream from the mouth of the Pahsimeroi River marked the first time in 27 years that recreational anglers were legally able to harvest salmon from the Salmon River upstream from the confluence of the South Fork Salmon River. Fishing was never red hot on this stretch of the Salmon River, but many anglers said they were happy just being able to resume the tradition of salmon fishing in this region. All told, anglers caught 256 Chinook in the fishery. Of those, 152 made it to a grill, smoker or freezer. Anglers released 104 Chinook, including 67 that had an adipose fin, signifying that they were naturally produced or were part of a hatchery supplementation program. Statewide, anglers in Idaho harvested fewer salmon this year than in the past few years, after a disappointing return of Snake River spring and summer Chinook. According to fisheries managers, numbers were down throughout the Columbia River Basin. Biologists believe poor ocean conditions may have contributed to the shortcoming. In addition, return rates of Chinook to rivers in Idaho were incrementally lower than those returning to most rivers below the complex of dams on the Lower Snake River in Washington.