Chinook Salmon

Fall chinook offer a chance to catch and keep big fish

Fishing season is in full swing, and mid September is the peak period to catch them in the Lewiston area, and October is prime for Hells Canyon. 

Video: Mink chases Chinook at MK Nature Center

Kokanee Salmon Arrive and Chinook Salmon are Spawning

Forty beautiful Kokanee salmon arrived at MK Nature Center yesterday and they have added a "splash" of color in the alpine lake.

Next generation of Chinook get started on the S.F. of the Salmon River

For Chinook at the McCall Fish Hatchery, their lives start (and end) at the South Fork of the Salmon River with the adults returning from the Pacific and Fish and Game crews spawning the fish to produce the next generation of Idaho salmon. 

View Chinook salmon at the Fish and Game MK Nature Center

Visitors to the Fish and Game MK Nature Center now have the opportunity to see one of Idaho's most amazing animals: Chinook salmon.

Despite a down year for salmon, early signs point to improvement

While most of this year’s salmon fishing was disappointing, it should be taken in the context of recent decades.

Fall Chinook fishing to open August 18

Idaho Fish and Game Commission adopted a fall Chinook salmon fishing season to open August 18 on parts of the Snake, Clearwater and Salmon rivers.

Commissioners approved the 2017 fall Chinook fishing seasons during their meeting in Bonners Ferry on Thursday, July 27.

The 2017 fall Chinook forecast is 27,190 hatchery and naturally-produced fall Chinook returning to the Snake River basin. Last year's actual return was 37,400 fall Chinook.

Areas opening for fall Chinook fishing on August 18, 2017 are as follows;

Idaho’s Chinook salmon seasons to end July 30

Chinook salmon seasons on the Snake, Little Salmon and Upper Salmon rivers will close at the end of fishing hours on Sunday, July 30. The closures to these fisheries are occurring because harvest objectives are being met and/or because the Chinook run has ended.

Although the spring/summer Chinook season will close, the Fish and Game Commission will consider a fall Chinook season at their July 27 meeting in Bonners Ferry. More information will be available on Fish and Game’s website at https://idfg.idaho.gov/fish/chinook.

Upper Salmon River Chinook Update (7/24/17)

Chinook anglers had another successful week on the upper Salmon River. Angler effort was almost twice as high as the previous week, and the majority of anglers were observed near the Buckhorn Bridge area. Catch rates were the best of the season to this point, with Chinook anglers averaging 6 hours per Chinook salmon caught, and 9 hours per Chinook salmon harvested. To date, Chinook anglers have harvested 239 hatchery adult Chinook and 266 hatchery jack Chinook from the upper Salmon River.

Clearwater Chinook Update (7/18/17)

I wanted to get a final fishery update out today, even though the Clearwater Region’s spring/summer Chinook fisheries are still winding down for the year. I have included the most recent fishery information from the Little Salmon River and Hell’s Canyon as well as a look toward next year based upon the jack returns we have seen in 2017.  In addition, Joe DuPont is back from his time in Boise so look for future updates from him in the next few months on upcoming Fall Chinook and steelhead seasons as well as an end of season spring Chinook brood stock collection update.