The Chinook salmon fishing season on the upper Salmon River will open Saturday, June 23, with a seven-day-a-week season until further notice.
“Flows have dropped considerably over the past two weeks and the river should be in great shape for opening day,” said Greg Schoby, Salmon Region fish manager for Idaho Department of Fish and Game. “We’re starting to see adult Chinook show up throughout the upper Salmon River basin, so I expect a few lucky anglers to catch Chinook on opening day.”
Anglers will be allowed to keep four fish per day, only two of which may be adults. The possession limit is twelve fish, only six may be adults. An adult Chinook salmon is 24 inches or more in length.
The upper Salmon River will be open from the Highway 93 Bridge 0.3 miles south of the junction of Highway 93 and Highway 75 (south of Challis) upstream to the posted boundary 100 yards below the weir and trap at the Sawtooth Hatchery south of Stanley. Fishing hours will be from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight time.
Salmon anglers are restricted to barbless hooks. Only hatchery origin Chinook salmon with a clipped adipose fin, as evidenced by a healed scar, may be kept. Only harvested adult Chinook salmon must be recorded on the salmon permit. Chinook salmon less than 24 inches, referred to as jacks, count against the daily limit but need not be recorded on the salmon permit. Anglers must cease fishing for all Chinook salmon, including jacks, once they have retained their daily, possession or season limit of adult Chinook salmon of any size, whichever comes first. The season limit is 20 adult Chinook salmon for seasons prior to September 1.
Because changes to the seasons, bag limits and boundaries may occur on short notice, salmon anglers are encouraged to visit Fish and Game’s website at https://idfg.idaho.gov/fish/chinook for up-to-date season information before going fishing.