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Fall Chinook and Coho Salmon forecasts look
good;
Steelhead run delayed |
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August 19, 2015 |
If the Fall Chinook, coho and steelhead returns
hold up to the early season forecasts, anglers
can anticipate another exciting fall. Warm
temperatures and low flows have affected salmon
migrations this summer and managers don't know
what conditions will persist into fall.
"We expect a good fall season, but it's too soon
to tell how many fish will actually show up,"
said Joe DuPont, Fish and Game fisheries manager
based in Lewiston.
Fall Chinook: Over 40,000 adult fall Chinook
salmon are forecasted to return to Idaho this
fall, compared to almost 60,000 adults passing
over Lower Granite Dam last year.
While fewer fall Chinook are expected, the good
news is Idaho Fish and Game expects a good
number of these fish to be older, larger fish
approaching 20 pounds. However like last year,
anglers are reminded that many of these fish
will have intact adipose fins and must be
released.
These fish have just started passing over
Bonneville Dam and counts are looking good.
While it's early in the run and a lot can
change, current numbers suggests this fall will
be exciting.
Coho Salmon: Anglers can enjoy the second
consecutive coho salmon season in over 30 years
this fall. Last year, over 18,000 coho passed
over Lower Granite Dam, with the previous high
around 5,000 fish. This year, fisheries managers
predict the run to be somewhere between these
two numbers.
Coho returns to the Snake River are difficult to
predict, mainly because the run is so new. Based
on forecasts for Columbia River coho salmon,
sufficient numbers of coho are anticipated to
return to the Clearwater River to allow some
sport fishing opportunity and meet hatchery
brood goals.
The season is a result from the work of the Nez
Perce Tribe, which initiated a hatchery program
to restore coho to the Clearwater River basin.
Anglers can expect most coho to arrive in Idaho
in late September and early October.
Because anglers may keep coho salmon with an
intact adipose fin, while fall Chinook salmon
with an adipose fin must be released unharmed,
it's important for anglers to carefully identify
their catch before harvest. Color fish
illustrations are printed in the general fishing
seasons and rules brochure and online at:
http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/fish/knowCatch.pdf.
Steelhead: The preseason outlook is for a season
similar to last year's, when around 70,000 Idaho
bound hatchery steelhead passed over Lower
Granite Dam. This is about average when compared
to the last six runs. While most of these fish
will be destined for the Salmon River, anglers
fishing the Clearwater River for the larger
B-run fish can also expect similar numbers as
last year.
Unfortunately, steelhead counts over Lower
Granite Dam for this time of year are the lowest
observed since 2006. Fisheries managers believe
the slow start is largely due to high water
temperatures.
"We suspect many of the fish are holding out in
the ocean waiting for temperatures to cool, and
those entering the Columbia seem to be taking
their time getting to Idaho," DuPont said. "The
counts should really pick up as water
temperatures cool in the Columbia."
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