From the Field: 2009 Chinook Salmon Fishery

By Jim Lukens, Idaho Department of Fish and Game Last summer, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission opened 130 miles of the Salmon River from Island Park in Salmon City upstream to the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery for Chinook salmon fishing. This was the first time in more than 30 years that salmon fishing had been opened on this much of the Salmon River. The season was open from June 20 through July 26. Initially fishing was quite difficult, mainly because of river conditions. Salmon River flows on opening day were 7,030 cubic feet per second, which is 40 percent greater than the 10-year average on that date making fishing challenging. The first recorded Chinook kept was on June 28 near Sunbeam Dam. Throughout the season a total of 3,519 Chinook were harvested, of which 2,918 were adults (fish remaining in the ocean at least two years) and 601 were jacks (fish remaining in the ocean for only one year). The peak of fishing success from Salmon City to the Pahsimeroi River occurred during the weekend of July 18 and 19. The peak of the fishery above the Pahsimeroi River occurred during the Fourth of July weekend. Anglers fished for more than 60,000 hours and averaged a salmon caught for every 12 hours of fishing. A recently released pre-season forecast for the 2010 run of Snake River spring and summer Chinook salmon returning to Idaho indicates that fishing in 2010 should be every bit as good as it was in 2009 for Pahsimeroi Hatchery stocks. However, adult returns to Sawtooth Hatchery near Stanley are not expected to be adequate to provide a fishery above Ellis next summer. As adult Chinook begin returning this spring, Fish and Game biologists will monitor returns closely and plan fishing seasons based on actual count numbers. Jim Lukens is the regional supervisor in the Salmon Region.