Commission Opens Spring Salmon Season

Contact: Niels Nokkentved, 208-334-3746 For Immediate Release Idaho anglers will have a spring Chinook salmon season this year. The Idaho Fish and Game Commission, meeting this week in Coeur dÕAlene, Thursday approved a limited spring Chinook salmon season, opening Saturday May 20 on the Upper Snake River in Hells Canyon, Lower Salmon River, Clearwater River, including the North and South forks, and the Little Salmon River. Fishing will be open Friday through Monday until July 31 Ð closing earlier if Fish and Game sees a biological need Ð except the on Upper Snake River, which closes June 19, and on the Lower Salmon River, which closes June 26. Though the season starts Saturday, the fish may not be there in great numbers. As of Friday, 4,778 Chinook had passed Lower Granite, with more on the way. But with area rivers at dangerous levels, turbid water and fast moving debris, conditions are less than ideal. The Snake River is running about 31,000 cubic feet per second in Hells Canyon above the Salmon River and about 126,000 cfs at Anatone, Wash. The Lower Salmon is running at more than 80,000 cfs at White Bird, and the Little Salmon is running about 5,000 cfs at Riggins. The Clearwater River is about 61,000 cfs just above Lewiston. The last time Idaho had no spring season was in 1999, and for a while it looked that would happen again this year. But the arrival of more fish in the lower Columbia River over the past two weeks, led Fish and Game biologists to recommend a proposed Idaho salmon season to the commission. Though late, a recent surge in salmon numbers pushed it past last yearÕs return for mid-May. By this time last year, 60,337 adult Chinook had passed Bonneville Dam on the lower Columbia; this year nearly 88,678 fish had crossed the dam by May 18. The fish still havenÕt reached Lower Granite Dam Ð the last obstacle the salmon must cross before entering Idaho Ðin large numbers. Last year, 12,776 fish passed Lower Granite Ð this year, as of Thursday, May 18, 4,778 Chinook had crossed the last barrier before entering Idaho. PIT tag data from fish passage facility at Bonneville Dam give Idaho Fish and Game fish managers confidence that many more are coming. Nearly 16,000 salmon have passed Ice Harbor Dam on their way up the Snake River. But all those fish wonÕt be available to anglers. The Rapid River hatchery near Riggins needs about 2,500 Chinook and the Dworshak National Fish Hatchery near Orofino needs a return of 1,200 fish for broodstock for the next generation of salmon. Any fishery this year would be based the number of fish returning beyond the needs of the hatcheries and that would be split with tribal anglers. Based on PIT tag detections, officials estimate that the returning numbers will exceed hatchery needs. The arrival of greater numbers of salmon comes as no surprise to Idaho fish managers. Earlier this week, Pacific Northwest fishery managers in Washington and Oregon had upped their estimate of Chinook salmon return to about 100,000. Earlier this year they had predicted up to a little more than 88,000 returning. The result is this yearÕs season in Idaho, though starting a little late, will be similar to last year with a few exceptions. There is no season on the Lower Snake or the Lochsa rivers. Fishing hours will be a half hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset, local time. Chinook anglers will be allowed to keep one fish daily, have three in their possession and keep 10 for the season. Only hatchery salmon marked with a missing adipose fin may be kept. Anglers may use only barbless hooks no larger than five-eights of an inch from point to shank, and they must stop fishing when they have reached daily, possession or season limits. It is unlawful to take or attempt to take salmon by snagging. The salmon season brochure with further details is available at Fish and Game offices and license vendors in the area. Fishing boundaries are:

• Upper Snake River: From the Dug Bar boat ramp upstream to Hells Canyon Dam.
• Clearwater River: From the Camas Prairie Railroad Bridge at Lewiston upstream to the mouth of the South Fork Clearwater River, excluding the perimeter of Dworshak National Fish Hatchery at Ahsahka, and excluding the ladder to the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery as delineated by posted boundaries about 100 yards upstream and downstream from the ladder, and to a boundary about 50 yards into the river channel.
• North Fork Clearwater River: From its mouth upstream to Dworshak Dam, excluding the perimeter of Dworshak National Fish Hatchery at Ahsahka.
• South Fork Clearwater River: From its mouth upstream to the confluence of American and Red rivers.
• Lower Salmon River: From the Hammer Creek boat ramp upstream to a posted boundary at the mouth of the Little Salmon River.
• Little Salmon River: From a posted boundary at the mouth of the Little Salmon River upstream to U. S. Highway 95 bridge near Smokey Boulder Road.