It looks like Idaho will have a spring Chinook salmon fishing season in the Clearwater, Snake and Salmon rivers.
Seasons open April 25 on the Clearwater, the lower Salmon, Little Salmon and the Snake rivers. A season opens May 23 on the Lochsa River, and a season opens June 20 on the Salmon River from Shorts' Creek upstream about 25 miles to the boat ramp at Vinegar Creek.
"We still anticipate enough Chinook salmon coming back to Idaho to justify a fishing season," anadromous fish manager Pete Hassemer told commissioners.
Hassemer expects to return to the commission in May with proposals for summer Chinook fishing in the upper Salmon River and the South Fork Salmon River.
The forecast is for about 105,600 hatchery fish and almost 23,000 wild Chinook returning to Idaho. That translates into estimates of 13,341 fish available for nontribal anglers in the Clearwater River, 9,700 in the lower Salmon and Little Salmon, and 1,365 in the Snake River.
The daily limit is four Chinook salmon, no more than two may be 24 inches or more in total length. Anglers must stop fishing for salmon - including catch-and-release - when they have caught and kept two salmon 24 or more inches long or four salmon, whichever comes first. The possession limit is 12 fish, but not more than six may be 24 inches or more in total length. The statewide limit is 40 Chinook 24 or more inches long during 2009. Salmon less than 24 inches are included in the limits but are not recorded on the permit.
Only Chinook with a clipped adipose fin - the small fin between the dorsal fin and tail - as evidenced by a healed scar, may be kept.
Anglers may use only barbless hooks no more than five-eighths of an inch from point to shank. In the Lochsa, only artificial flies and lures - no bait - with one barbless hook per fly or lure may be used. A single hook may have up to three points.
Fishing hours were simplified this year by establishing set fishing hours for weekly periods. The hours will be presented in a table in the rules brochure.
Anglers must have a valid 2009 fishing license and salmon permit, except youths under 14. Children under 14 may fish for salmon without a license or permit only if accompanied by a license and permit holder; any Chinook salmon harvested counts on the permit holder's limits.
A new rule prohibits fishing from any watercraft within 30 yards of the west shoreline of the Salmon River from the Riggins City Park boat ramp upstream to a posted boundary about 200 yards upstream of the mouth of the Little Salmon River, and the lower 200 yards of the Little Salmon.
Though fishing from a boat has been restricted near Riggins, additional fishing will open June 20 on 25 miles of the Salmon River just upstream from Riggins this year.
Please refer to the 2009 Idaho Fish and Game spring Chinook season and rule brochure for details. The brochure will be available to the public before the season opens.
Waters that open April 25 are:
Clearwater River, mainstem:
- Lower - from the Camas Prairie Railroad Bridge at Lewiston upstream to the Cherrylane Bridge
- Middle - from the Cherrylane Bridge upstream to the Orofino Bridge.
- Upper - from the Orofino Bridge upstream to the South Fork Clearwater River.
North Fork Clearwater:
- From the mouth to the Dworshak Dam.
South Fork Clearwater:
- From its mouth to the confluence of the American and Red rivers.
Middle Fork Clearwater:
- From its confluence with the South Fork upstream to the confluence of the Lochsa and Selway rivers.
Lower Salmon River:
- Hammer Creek - From a posted boundary about 200 yards downstream from the Hammer Creek boat ramp upstream to the U.S. Highway 95 Time Zone Bridge.
- Park Hole - From the Time Zone Bridge upstream to a posted boundary at the mouth of Short's Creek, about 1.4 miles upstream of the mouth of the Little Salmon River.
Little Salmon:
- Lower - from the mouth to a posted boundary about 200 yards upstream of the mouth of the Rapid River.
- Upper - from the posted boundary about 200 yards upstream of the Rapid River upstream to the U.S. Highway 95 Bridge near Smoky Boulder Road.
Snake River:
- From the Dug Bar boat ramp upstream to Hells Canyon Dam.
Waters that open May 23 are:
Lochsa River:
- From its mouth to the Twin Bridges, immediately upstream of the confluence of Crooked Fork and Colt Killed Creek.
Waters that open June 20 are:
Lower Salmon River:
- Vinegar Creek - From the posted boundary at Short's Creek upstream to the uppermost boat ramp at Vinegar Creek, about 25 miles upstream of the mouth of the Little Salmon.
All these waters will remain open until further notice.
