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Fish and Game Commission approves
Chinook salmon season for this spring |
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March 2, 2015 |
The Fish and Game Commission has approved
seasons and rules for the earliest of Idaho's
Chinook salmon fishing. The rules are designed
around four major objectives:
- Providing protection of ESA (Environmental
Species Act) protected fish
- Providing harvest opportunity
- Providing diversity of opportunity
- Allow a flexible, adaptive and responsive
approach to in-season changes
The rules are based on a projected spring
Chinook run size that is similar to 2014. As of
March 22, almost 500 Chinook salmon were counted
at Bonneville Dam, the first of eight dams
salmon pass on their journey to Idaho. While
this number is larger than for the same date
since 2004, it is a small fraction of the number
of spring Chinook salmon expected in Idaho. The
seasons and rules approved by the Commission are
based on a projected sport harvest of
approximately 11,700 adipose clipped Chinook
salmon in the Clearwater, Snake, lower Salmon
and Little Salmon rivers.
The Commission approved an April 25 opening
date, with closures to be made as harvest
dictates.
In the Clearwater Basin, except for the South
Fork Clearwater River, limits are set at four
fish per day, only one of which may be an adult.
The possession limit in these parts of the
Clearwater River drainage will be twelve fish,
only three of which may be adults.
In the South Fork Clearwater, lower Salmon,
Little Salmon and Snake River fisheries, anglers
will be allowed to keep four fish per day, only
two of which may be adults. The possession limit
in these fisheries will be twelve fish, of which
only six may be adults.
The season limit will be 20 adult Chinook salmon
for seasons prior to September 1. Adult Chinook
salmon are defined as those 24 inches and
longer.
Other rules and special restrictions for the
Chinook salmon fishery will be available in the
2015 spring Chinook salmon brochure. These
seasons and rules for spring Chinook salmon
fishing in Idaho will be available at Fish and
Game offices and vendors prior to the April 25
season opener. They will also be posted on the
Fish and Game website prior to April 25.
The Commission is tentatively set to consider
Chinook salmon fisheries on the South Fork
Salmon and upper Salmon Rivers at its May
meeting. Fish return to those areas later than
to the Clearwater River and Rapid River
Hatcheries, giving managers more
time to develop fishery proposals for those
areas.
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