New Water Opened for Salmon June 21

Beginning June 21, fishing for hatchery chinook salmon will be allowed on the Salmon River from Hammer Creek upstream to a posted line at the uppermost Vinegar Creek boat ramp, adding 25 miles to the existing fishery. All limits and rules that apply to the current chinook salmon fishery on the mainstem Salmon river will apply, so limits remain at three per day, nine in possession and 20 for the season, statewide. Only adipose fin-clipped chinook salmon may be harvested and barbless hooks are required. Hours will remain the same as the current fishery - one-half hour before sunrise until one hour after sunset. Anglers can review all current rules in the Idaho 2004 spring chinook salmon seasons and rules brochure, available at local vendors and department offices. There also will be regulation fliers available explaining the new boundary and fishery dates for the mainstem Salmon River. Rule brochures for the fishery in the South Fork of the Salmon River are also available at local vendors. The fishery will provide additional opportunity for anglers to fish for hatchery summer chinook that are bound for the upper South Fork of the Salmon River. Anglers will also have this opportunity in the South Fork Salmon River fishery, which also opened June 21. The entire mainstem Salmon River will close to all chinook salmon fishing on July 5 or prior if necessary for biological reasons, such as hitting limits of listed chinook passing through the fishery area. Because of the presence of Endangered Species Act-listed chinook salmon during the fishery, agreement from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries was necessary to move forward with implementing the fishery, which was adopted by the Fish and Game Commission in late May. Anadromous Fishery Manager Sharon Kiefer said "NOAA has informed the department that they have no objection to this fishery proceeding. The department has a federal permit for incidental take of listed chinook, which is why we are able to move ahead to implement this new opportunity. "No one has fished for chinook salmon in this river section for a long time. I think we will learn a lot about timing and fish movement, which will help us better meet future fishery and conservation needs," Kiefer said. Regulations are also available via the department's website at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov. Catch information from chinook fisheries around the state is posted weekly.