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Spring chinook numbers on the rise

Travis Wendt of Lewiston traveled to the lower Columbia River in April to catch this bright spring Chinook salmon before upstream seasons would open. Photo by Jeff Holmes (SR)
Associated Press

LEWISTON, Idaho – Spring chinook counts at Snake and Columbia river dams are improving, but fisheries managers are unsure how strong the run will be.

The Lewiston Tribune reports that the fish are late, but depending just how tardy they end up being could make a big difference to anglers.

Joe DuPont, with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, says the state’s harvest share for the Clearwater and its tributaries could range between 1,000 and 2,500.

Likewise, the harvest share projection on the lower Salmon and Little Salmon rivers ranges between 363 and 1,200.

Ryan Lothrup, Columbia River policy coordinator for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the cumulative fish counts at Bonneville Dam need to hit about 80,000 to 85,000 to account for harvest that has already taken place and harvest projected on the Snake River.