Idahoans Like Their Salmon Fishing

When the salmon are in Idaho's rivers, anglers are right there with them. Sales of salmon tags through the end of June nearly doubled numbers from the same time last year, 39,902 over 22,147. Those increased sales were spurred by news of the best chinook fishing in Idaho since the 1970s. The dramatic increase in the chinook run came as a result of high runoff in the river system in the years when this year's adults went to the ocean as juveniles and better ocean conditions when they arrived at sea. Extra water helped the young salmon clear the eight concrete hurdles on the lower Snake River and the Columbia. The vast majority of the run is made up of unlisted hatchery-reared fish, allowing a rare opportunity for salmon fisheries in several locations in Idaho. Although last year's run of hatchery chinook provided considerable fishing opportunity compared to recent years, this year's return so far is almost five times that of last year and 10 times the current 10-year average. The popular fisheries on the South Fork of the Salmon River and the mainstem Salmon have been closed but salmon fishing remains open on the Snake River below Hells Canyon Dam, the North Fork of the Payette River, the Clearwater River and the Little Salmon River, the Boise river and Panther Creek near Salmon. More information on this year's salmon fishing season will be available after an angler survey is completed.