Some Salmon Seasons Reopened

During a June 23 conference call, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission approved reopening the salmon fishery on portions of the mainstem Clearwater River and Middle Fork Clearwater River and approved a new salmon season on the South Fork Clearwater and Lochsa rivers. The Commission reopened, effective immediately, the Clearwater River and Middle Fork Clearwater rivers from the Kamiah Bridge upstream to a posted boundary on the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River, about 1/2 mile upstream of Clear Creek. All other spring chinook salmon fishing rules previously approved by the Commission at its April 24 meeting for this fishery will remain in effect, except that the season will last until August 3. Sufficient broodstock has been collected for program continuation at Kooskia National Fish Hatchery. The Commission felt that there were no biological constraints to reopening fishing opportunity. New seasons on the Lochsa and the South Fork Clearwater rivers seasons are open immediately and will continue until August 3. Both fisheries have limits of 2 per day, 6 in possession and 20 for the season. All other regulations printed in the existing 2003 spring chinook fishing seasons and rules brochure apply. The Lochsa River is open from the mouth upstream to the Twin Bridges immediately upstream from the confluence of Crooked Fork and Colt Killed (White Sands) Creeks. Special rule: in the Lochsa River, salmon may only be taken with artificial flies and lures with one barbless hook per fly or lure (no bait). The South Fork Clearwater River is open from the mouth upstream to the confluence of Red and American Rivers. It is unknown how many additional hatchery salmon may be available for harvest, but with hatchery broodstock needs being met at hatchery traps in both the Lochsa and South Fork Clearwater Rivers, there is no biological reason not to open the season. Although the Department has opened relatively large sections of river, it is likely that salmon will be concentrated near hatchery trapping sites at Kooskia, Powell and theUpper South Fork Clearwater River. The bulk of the Clearwater hatchery salmon run has occurred and been accounted for with the hatchery brood needs and the prior fisheries harvest. The Commission did not reopen salmon fishing in the Clearwater River downstream from the Orofino Bridge, including the North Fork Clearwater River. However, the Commission adopted a framework for the Department to possibly reopen these river sections in 2003. The framework recognizes that the Nez Perce Tribe has not achieved its harvest target for this fishery. The framework should help achieve a balance between the sport and tribal fisheries. To ensure that a preseason target is met, the framework calls for salmon trapped at Dworshak Hatchery in excess of broodstock needs to be utilized by the tribe as part of the tribal harvest target. When the combination of tribal harvest and excess brood collection total the preseason harvest target of 1,700 salmon, the Department will reopen the sport fishery. This framework recognizes the tribal harvest share, using the hatchery trap to help achieve that tribal share, and is responsive to reopening the season if possible. If the tribal share is not met, the sport fishery will not reopen in 2003 in the lower mainstem Clearwater or North Fork.