Frequently Asked Questions
We get a lot of questions. We post here answers to questions we're being asked frequently. If you have a question not answered here, please contact us. Urgent questions should be directed to your nearest office. Some answers change over time; please take note of the "answered" date.
Displaying 26 - 50 of 3507 questionsA:
Steelhead spawn in streams from mid-April to late June. They use areas of gravel or small cobble depending on the size of the fish. Often the best spawning areas are in pool tail-outs. When a female finds a suitable place to spawn, she displaces the gravel with her body and tail, and the male fertilizes the eggs as they are deposited.
The eggs hatch in early to midsummer. The young fish live in the stream and then migrate to the ocean, usually after two years of rearing in the stream. The juvenile fish will grow rapidly after they reach the ocean. When they mature and are ready to spawn, steelhead migrate back to the place they were born. They enter the lower river drainages in the fall and winter-over to spawn the following spring, which allows a fall and spring fishing season to occur. Most wild steelhead take 4 to 6 years to mature.
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Steelhead anglers fish use a variety of techniques such as plunking, bobber and jig, fly fishing, side planer, back trolling, and side drifting. Since steelhead typically are not feeding as they wait to spawn, anglers like to use a variety lures, beads, yarn and/or flies that stimulate the steelhead to bite. Sometimes steelhead are aggressive and will take about anything put in front of them, and other times it requires more finesse. Many anglers believe that using bait or scent will increase the likelihood that a steelhead will bite. Popular baits include shrimp, sand shrimp, and cured eggs, and there are about as many different types of scents that anglers use as you can imagine.
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One bighorn sheep tag in Unit 11 is offered every year. How you might acquire it alternates between a raffle and an auction. For example, one year the tag is auctioned to the highest bidder and the next year it is drawn through a raffle. This allows every hunter the chance to pursue the Unit 11 bighorn tag. The money raised through these special tags is dedicated to bighorn sheep management and disease investigations.
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In banner years for returning steelhead, Fish and Game often bring adult hatchery steelhead to the Boise River to create an additional fishing opportunity. This generally happens in mid-November, depending on the counts and timing of steelhead returning to the trap at Hells Canyon Dam.
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Drawing results will be posted to the Fish and Game website in early June. All applicants will receive either a tag or a refund check by mail no later than June 10.
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Hunters are asked to choose between a trophy species (moose, mountain goat, or bighorn sheep) or deer, elk, and pronghorn when applying for controlled hunt tags. This rule was implemented to improve the drawing odds for moose, mountain goat, pronghorn and bighorn sheep. However, hunters who apply and don’t draw a trophy tag can submit an application for deer, elk or pronghorn in the second application period.
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Steelhead are native rainbow trout which migrate to the ocean as juvenile fish and return to fresh water as adults to spawn. In Idaho these ocean-going trout are often classified into two groups, A-run and B-run based on their size and ocean life history.
Idaho’s A-run are usually found in the Snake and Salmon rivers. They return from the ocean earlier in the year (usually June through August) and they most often return after spending one year in the ocean. Because of their early return and short stay in the ocean they usually weigh 4 to 6 pounds and are generally 23 to 26 inches in length.
B-run steelhead most often return to the Clearwater River, but some return to tributaries in the Salmon River. These fish usually spend two years in the ocean and start their migration to Idaho later in the summer or fall of the year (usually late August or September.) Because of the extra year and the extra summer of growing in the ocean, they return as much bigger fish. Average B-run steelhead weigh between 10 to 13 pounds and are 31 to 34 inches long.
Steelhead grow even larger when they spend a third year in the ocean before they return to Idaho to spawn. These steelhead are usually larger than 37 inches and can weigh more than 20 pounds.
The Idaho state record steelhead was 30 pounds and 2 ounces and was caught in the Clearwater River in 1973.
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Chinook salmon are often classified into three different groupings or “runs” – spring, summer or fall based on when they enter fresh water. Spring Chinook salmon migrating to Idaho tend to enter the Columbia River from March through May, summer Chinook Salmon enter the Columbia June through July, and fall Chinook Salmon enter August through November.
In Idaho, most spring and summer Chinook salmon spawn from late August through September. Fall Chinook salmon tend to spawn from late October through early December. When spawning, the female will dig a hole in the gravel to lay her eggs. This hole is referred to as a “redd” and the female will lay anywhere from 4,000 to 15,000 eggs depending on her size. While the female lays her eggs, a male will simultaneously fertilize them with milt. When done spawning, the female will cover up the hole with gravel to help insure the eggs are protected from predators. When spawning is complete, both the male and female die.
The eggs hatch in the spring and the juvenile fish will live the next year in fresh water before migrating to the ocean. The exception is fall Chinook salmon that only live a months or two in fresh water before beginning their migration to the ocean. Chinook salmon from Idaho tend to spend one to five years in the ocean before returning to fresh water to spawn, with two years being the most common. Chinook salmon, like other salmon species, have the ability to find their way back to the same stream and often the exact same place to spawn that their parents spawned.
Young salmon eat both aquatic and terrestrial insects when in fresh water. They turn to a diet of fish once they reach salt water. Adults retuning to spawn do not eat once they enter fresh water; they live off their fat reserves.
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The Chinook salmon is the largest species of salmon and is native to the Pacific Ocean and rivers that flow into it. Chinook salmon are anadromous fish, meaning they are born in fresh water, migrate to the ocean where they grow and mature, and then return back to fresh water to spawn. When Chinook are in the ocean they are silvery in color with black spots on the upper half of their body. When Chinook salmon return to spawn, they begin changing colors. The longer they are in fresh water the more they change. In Idaho, by the time they spawn they can range anywhere from a yellowish-olive color to greyish-black. In states like Alaska, Chinook salmon will turn a reddish color before they spawn. One characteristic that anglers can use to identify a Chinook salmon from other salmon species is the entire inside of their mouth is black.
The size that Chinook salmon will obtain is largely dependent on how long they spend in the ocean. Chinook that spend one year in the ocean before returning to spawn are commonly referred to as “jacks” and average about 3-5 pounds in size. After two years in the ocean they average around 10-15 pounds, in three years 15-22 pounds, and after four years 25-35 pounds. The Idaho State record caught Chinook salmon weighed 54 pounds.
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Chinook anglers use a variety of techniques to catch salmon. The most common techniques that shore anglers use includes plunking, bobber and jig, and side drifting. Most boat anglers will back troll, plunk, and back bounce. Since Chinook salmon are not feeding when they are in fresh water, anglers use a variety lures, beads, jigs, and yarn that stimulate them to bite. Sometimes Chinook salmon are aggressive and will take about anything put in front of them, and other times it requires more finesse. Many anglers believe that using bait or scent will increase the likelihood that a Chinook salmon will bite. Popular baits include shrimp, herring, tuna, and cured fish eggs; and there are about as many different types of scents that anglers use as you can imagine. There are many different sources of information on how to fish for salmon on websites. You should always feel free to contact Fish and Game for tips on how to catch Chinook salmon.
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Avid anglers will follow salmon returns by checking the dam counts at Bonneville Dam (first Dam on the Columbia River). A general rule of thumb is it takes about 14 to 17 days for salmon to travel up the Columbia River to Lower Granite Dam, the last of the eight dams they must pass over to reach Idaho. The travel time can vary based on run of Chinook salmon you are following and what flows are like. For the most part, those fish migrating in higher flows will take longer than fish traveling in lower flows.
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Because Chinook Salmon return to so many places in the state, it’s hard to say there is a best place to fish. Much of this has to do with an angler’s preference in how they like to fish and how far they are willing to travel.
If you want to fish where the best catch rates occur consider fishing closer to where the fish are released. Recognize that these locations are also the most crowded and it is not unusual to fish shoulder to shoulder in these areas. You can learn where these release locations are by calling the Clearwater or Salmon Fish and Game offices. If you don’t like crowds, there are many places where one doesn’t have to fish right next to another person. However, these places tend to have lower catch rates. If one does enough searching, at times you can find good fishing with little competition from other anglers.
Some people like to fish from boats whereas others like to fish from shore. In general, the smaller rivers tend to provide the most shore fishing opportunities, and the larger rivers tend to provide more boat fishing opportunities. If you like shore fishing consider the South Fork Clearwater, Little Salmon, South Fork Salmon, and upper Salmon rivers. If you want to fish from a boat consider the Clearwater and lower Salmon rivers.
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There are three different runs of Chinook Salmon that enter Idaho, each provide fishing opportunities at different times of the year.
Spring Chinook Salmon: Hatchery spring Chinook salmon tend to start entering Idaho around the end of April or Beginning of May with the peak of the run entering Idaho around early to mid-May. These fish are destined for the Clearwater River basin, the Snake River (up to Hells Canyon Dam), the lower Salmon River and the Little Salmon River. On most years the fishing season for spring Chinook salmon opens around the end of April and may last as short as a couple weeks or as long as four months depending on the number of fish returning.
The best time to fish can vary considerably depending on where you want to fish, the timing of the run, and weather and flow conditions. The general rule of thumb is the closer you are to the Idaho-Washington border, the earlier you will want to fish. If you want to fish in the lower Clearwater and the Snake rivers, consider fishing in May. If you want to fish near the town of Riggins, late May to mid-June tends to be the best times. If in doubt, feel free to call the Clearwater Fish and Game office.
Summer Chinook Salmon: Hatchery summer Chinook salmon tend to start entering Idaho around mid to late June with the peak of the run occurring around late June to early July. These fish are destined for the South Fork Salmon River, and the upper Salmon River. On most years the fishing season for summer Chinook salmon opens around the end of June and may last as short as a couple weeks or as long as three months depending on the number of fish returning. The best time to fish can vary considerably but often the best time to fish is in July. If in doubt, feel free to call the Clearwater Fish and Game office.
Fall Chinook Salmon: Hatchery fall Chinook Salmon tend to starting enter Idaho around late August to early September with the peak of the run occurring around mid to late September. These fish are destined for the Snake River and Clearwater River. On most years the fishing season for fall Chinook Salmon opens on September 1 and ends on October 31. The best time to fish can vary considerably, but often mid-September to early October are the times when most like to fish for fall Chinook Salmon.