South Fork Salmon River Closes

Angler surveys indicate that sport anglers will have harvested the non-tribal share of hatchery Chinook salmon for 2014 in the South Fork Salmon River by Wednesday July 9. Anglers have been catching Chinook salmon in the South Fork since the fishery opened on June 21. The number of salmon harvested each day started to increase the last week of June and the highest numbers of anglers fishing were observed over the fourth of July weekend. Fish and Game Director Virgil Moore has signed an order closing the South Fork Salmon to Chinook fishing at the end of fishing on Wednesday July 9, 2014. Other waters in Idaho remain open to fishing for Chinook salmon and harvest of adult and jack Chinook salmon. The upper Salmon River, from near the town of North Fork upstream to near the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery is currently open to Chinook salmon fishing. Also, the Little Salmon River from the Pollock Bridge on Highway 95 at milepost 190 upstream to the Boulder Creek Road remains open until July 27. Fish and Game releases about 200,000 smolts each year in the upper section of the Little Salmon, so adult fish will return to that area.