Anglers May Get Rare Spring Season Strong Hatchery Salmon Return Prompts Move By Idaho Officials

A rare season for spring chinook salmon fishing was approved Thursday by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission.

Pending approval by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the season will begin May 17 on portions of the Clearwater, South Fork Clearwater, North Fork Clearwater and Little Salmon rivers. A proposal for fishing on the South Fork of the Salmon River was rejected because it is a major staging area for wild chinook salmon, which are listed as an endangered species.

Approval for the season is required from the National Marine Fisheries Service because the hatchery salmon will be running upstream with endangered wild spring chinooks.

Anglers will be able to identify hatchery fish by the missing adipose fin, which was clipped off before the young salmon were released from the hatchery several years ago to migrate to the ocean.

The daily fishing limit will be two hatchery fish. The season limit will be four. All wild chinooks hooked by anglers must be immediately released.

The season is possible because of unusually strong returns of hatchery salmon. Counts at Columbia River dams confirm that about 15,000 adult chinooks will be returning to Idaho hatcheries, more than enough to provide eggs for next year’s releases.

The last year a season was approved was 1993. Biologists see no indications that another season will be possible this century.

Seasons were approved for:

The Little Salmon River from the main Salmon River Road Bridge, one-half mile above the confluence with the Salmon River, upstream to the mouth of Hazard Creek.

Clearwater River on the mainstem Clearwater from Cherrylane Bridge to Orofino Bridge.

North Fork Clearwater from the Mouth to Dworshak Dam.

South Fork Clearwater from its mouth to Hungry Ridge Bridge at Meadow Creek.

Preliminary quotas are 400 fish on the Little Salmon, 500 in the Clearwater. The season will run until July 6 or until those quotas are reached.

Fishing will be allowed from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Little Salmon and 5 a.m.-9 p.m. on the Clearwater and its two forks.

Anglers will be required to buy a salmon permit, available from license dealers in Lewiston, Orofino, Riggins and Grangeville. Only barbless hooks can be used in the areas open to salmon fishing.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: 1997 salmon fishing areas