Chinook anglers get another chance to catch one of Idaho’s most prized fish as the fall run is heading toward Idaho and the fishing season opens in many areas on Aug. 18. See full details in the Idaho Fishing Seasons and Rules booklet.
“Although it is early, the current run of fall Chinook at Bonneville Dam (on the Columbia River) is tracking ahead of the 10-year average,” Fish and Game’s Salmon/Steelhead Coordinator Chris Sullivan said. “Based on PIT tags, we have about twice as many Idaho-bound fish this year over Bonneville Dam than we had at this time last year. The run could be early, or it could be larger than the average, and we will know more in the next few weeks.”
A few fall Chinook have already been counted at Lower Granite Dam, and more will follow. Anglers typically fish for fall Chinook as soon as possible because unlike spring Chinook that spend months in Idaho before spawning, fall Chinook arrive almost ready to spawn. The quality of the meat starts degrading as the fish get closer to spawning time.
With future fall Chinook returns expected to be large enough to support fishing, the Fish and Game Commission set three-year fall Chinook seasons and rules for consistency and predictability.