Jacks Only Salmon Season on Lower Clearwater and North Fork

After Sunday, June 26, anglers on the lower Clearwater River and on the North Fork Clearwater River will be allowed to catch and keep only jack salmon less than 24 inches long. The change takes effect at the close of fishing on Sunday, June 26 in the North Fork Clearwater and the Clearwater downstream of the Orofino Bridge. The new bag limits for these waters are six jack Chinook salmon per day and 18 in possession. No adult Chinook may be kept. Anglers may not fish in these sections if they have adult Chinook in possession, even if they were legally caught in other river sections. Idaho Fish and Game fishery managers estimate that by the end of fishing on June 26, anglers will have taken about 80 percent of the nontribal harvest share of the adult Chinook returning to the Clearwater drainage. Most of this harvest has occurred in the Clearwater River downstream of the Orofino Bridge and in the North Fork Clearwater River. To ensure opportunities for upstream anglers in communities including Orofino, Kamiah, Kooskia and Grangeville to fish for adult salmon, Fish and Game recommended this jacks-only season in the downstream areas. The bag limits on the upstream portion of the Clearwater, the Middle Fork and South Fork rivers remain unchanged.