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Idaho opens some Chinook salmon fisheries

A young chinook salmon moves through the fish ladder at the Lower Granite Dam in 2016. (Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review)
By Eli Francovich elif@spokesman.com(509) 459-5508

On June 3 the Idaho Department of Fish and Game Commission opened or reopened some Chinook salmon fisheries.

Here are the details from Joe DuPont, IDFG’s regional fisheries manager.

Clearwater River Basin jacks-only fishery

  • This jacks-only fishery opened Friday.
  • After opening on Friday, the fishery will run four days a week (Thursday through Sunday).
  • The daily limit will be four jacks. All adults must be immediately released.
  • The river reaches that will open include:
    • Clearwater River - from Pink House Boat Ramp to Greer Bridge.
    • North Fork Clearwater River – from the mouth upstream to Dworshak Dam.
    • Middle Fork Clearwater River – from the confluence with the South Fork Clearwater River upstream to the Nez Perce Tribal Reservation boundary.
    • South Fork Clearwater River – from the Nez Perce Tribal Reservation boundary upstream to the posted sign at the hole just upstream of the Mount Idaho Grade Bridge.

Lower Salmon River

The lower Salmon River from Time Zone Bridge to Shorts Creek opened for two more days – June 5 and June 6.

The rest of the lower Salmon River will remain closed to protect depleted Chinook returns destined for places upstream of Riggins.

South Fork Salmon River

This fishery will open on June 26. For more details on this fishery, read this blog from Jordan Messner (idfg.idaho.gov/blog/2021/06/chinook-fishing-updates-6321)

For details on where any of the open Chinook Salmon fisheries will occur and what the daily, possession, and seasons limits are, please visit https://idfg.idaho.gov/fish/chinook/rules