For the seventh year in a row, Idaho will have a spring salmon season.
The Idaho Fish and Game Commission set a limited spring Chinook salmon season starting Friday on the Clearwater River, Upper Snake River in Hells Canyon, Lower Salmon River and the Little Salmon River, and opening May 26 on the Lochsa River.
Fishing will be open Friday through Monday until July 16-closing earlier if F&G sees a biological need-except on the Little Salmon where the season will be open through Aug. 5 or until further notice, and on the Lower Salmon River which closes June 25 or on further notice.
This year the preseason expectation is for 27,700 adult Chinook crossing Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River in southeastern Washington, the last of the eight federal dams on the returning salmon's way up the Snake River to Idaho, an F&G news release said. That's only slightly fewer than the 2006 run of 32,664.
As of May 3, 1,449 adult fish had crossed Lower Granite. The 10-year average is about 17,000 fish by that date.
The run this year is late at Bonneville and in the upper basin, but not as late as 2006. Current in-season forecast suggests the run may be slightly over the preseason expectation.
Nearly 11,000 of the forecast returning Chinook are wild fish that must be left in the river, and nearly 17,000 are marked hatchery fish.
It is still too early to estimate this year's final state share for spring Chinook fisheries, but the forecast is good enough to initiate fishing, the F&G release said.
The number of fish available to anglers this year will be based on the numbers returning beyond the needs of hatcheries, and that surplus would be split between tribal and non tribal fisheries.
Fishing will be permitted only a half hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset, local time. Chinook anglers will be allowed to keep one fish daily, have three in their possession and keep 10 for the season.
Anglers must stop fishing when they have reached daily, possession or season limits. It is unlawful to take or attempt to take salmon by snagging. They may use only barbless hooks no larger than five-eights of an inch from point to shank.
Only Chinook marked with a scar from a clipped adipose fin may be kept. Fishing boundaries are:
Lower Salmon River-Hammer Creek: From the Hammer Creek boat ramp upstream to the Time Zone Bridge.
• Little Salmon River: From a posted boundary at the mouth of the Little Salmon River upstream to U. S. 95 bridge near Smokey Boulder Road.
• Upper Snake River: From the Dug Bar boat ramp upstream to Hells Canyon Dam.
