Fall chinook salmon season to open on Snake River

Fall chinook salmon fishing is set to open on parts of the Snake River later this month and to expand in September.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced this week that fall chinook season would begin on sections from below West Evans Road to the Washington-Idaho state line and from the state line to the Oregon border will be open daily with a limit of three adult chinook.

Then, starting Sept. 4, the Lyons Ferry Bubble Fishery will be open Thursdays through Sundays from Sept. 4 to Oct. 26 with a limit of two adults, including no more than one wild adult. That fishery will be open from the red river marker on the south shore of the Snake upstream to the Highway 261 bridge.

Forecasters predict a return of 313,400 fall chinook to the Columbia River this year with a significant portion of those fish bound for the Snake, according to WDFW.

In 2024, a total of 318,089 fall chinook returned to the Columbia, besting forecasters’ initial prediction of 258,300.

Chris Donley, WDFW’s eastern region fish program manager, said the forecast looks pretty good for fall chinook, and that he expects 35,000 or 40,000 of the fish that return to the Columbia will be bound for the Snake River.

But he did say anglers ought to be aware that fishing might be tough on the opener.

As of Wednesday, just 67 fall chinook had passed Ice Harbor Dam, the lowermost dam on the Snake, according to the Fish Passage Center.

“It will get good after Labor Day,” Donley said.

There is no limit on jack chinook salmon in either fishery, with a minimum size of 12 inches. Adults are considered fish larger than 24 inches in length.

Anglers targeting salmon are required to stop fishing for salmon once the adult portion of their daily limit is filled.

No two-pole fishing is allowed during the fall chinook season, and barbless hooks are required.

Idaho’s fall chinook seasons on the Snake and Clearwater rivers are scheduled to open Aug. 18.