Fishing Closes Friday on South Fork Salmon

Fishing for Chinook salmon on the South Fork of the Salmon River will close at 10:30 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time Friday, July 9. Idaho Department of Fish and Game creel surveys of anglers on the South Fork Salmon indicate 100 percent of the state's share of the fishery will have been taken by Friday night. A closure order has been signed by Fish and Game Director Cal Groen. Idaho's sport fishery on the South Fork Salmon is allowed a harvest of 2,975 adult hatchery Chinook this year. Fisheries Bureau staff note that the harvest came mostly in a few days this year because high water prevented salmon from coming up the river in the early part of the season that began June 12. Once the water cleared just before the July 4 holiday weekend, the fish charged upriver where sport anglers were waiting. Sampled anglers since July 4 have reported the success rate of less than four hours fished per Chinook salmon caught and kept.