Daily Steelhead Limit Hits Five

Idaho steelhead anglers now have a chance at something they have never seenãoa five-fish daily limit. The Idaho Fish and Game Commission approved the new limits at its Boise meeting March 13-15. The new limits apply through the end of this spring steelhead fishing season, April 30, only in the Salmon and Little Salmon rivers. The current forecast calls for a total run count of about 271,000 fish. The 10-year average is 84,700 steelhead. Last yearÁ_s count was 115,000. About 72 percent of the run is made up of hatchery A-run fish. About 12,000 fish are headed back to the Pahsimeroi and Sawtooth hatcheries while only 2,500 are needed for hatchery programs. Besides hatchery broodstock, 1,000,000 steelhead eggs will go to the tribal egg box program. Excess adults will be outplanted to tributaries of the Salmon River for steelhead supplementation research for other sites approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service. The Commission changed limits to five per day, 15 in possession, and 60 per season. A second and third permit would be required to take 60 fish in the season. Fishing boundaries were changed to open the Salmon River from Redfish Lake Creek to a posted boundary 100 yards downstream from the Sawtooth hatchery weir (about two miles). The Clearwater and Snake River drainages have limits of three steelhead per day, nine in possession and 40 for the season.