Spring Chinook season opens Saturday
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May 1, 2013 |
The Idaho Fish and Game Commission approved a
spring Chinook salmon fishing season to start
Saturday, May 4, on parts of the Clearwater,
Salmon and Snake rivers.
Fish counts from Bonneville Dam suggest that the
2013 return of Chinook salmon to Idaho may be
significantly lower than forecast but large
enough to support fisheries. Projected returns
for the Clearwater River are farther below
forecast levels than returns to the Salmon and
Snake rivers.
Fish and Game tailored the 2013 fisheries
proposals to meet hatchery broodstock needs,
focus fishing efforts in areas where hatchery
fish are most abundant, and still allow fishing
in river reaches that anglers have grown
accustomed to fishing in recent years.
The proposal for the Clearwater River approved
by the commission achieves these goals by
limiting fishing to four days per week and
reducing the length of river open to fishing in
each of the recently fished sections.
Only the Lochsa River is closed entirely to
fishing.
Salmon returns to the Salmon and Snake rivers do
not appear to be as far below forecast levels as
those to the Clearwater. Fisheries in the Lower
Salmon, Little Salmon and Snake rivers are
similar to fisheries in recent years. These
areas will be open seven days a week, and river
sections recently fished will not be shortened –
except the Shorts Bar to Vinegar Creek stretch
of the lower Salmon River, which is closed.
River sections open to fishing are:
Clearwater River drainage: Friday, Saturday,
Sunday and Monday only.
· Clearwater River – lower main stem: From the
Camas Prairie Railroad Bridge upstream to the
Highway 12 (Arrow) Bridge
· Clearwater River – middle main stem: From the
posted boundary near the confluence of the North
Fork and Clearwater rivers upstream to the
Orofino bridge.
· Clearwater River – upper main stem: From
Orofino Bridge upstream to the Highway 11 Greer
Bridge.
· North Fork Clearwater: From the mouth upstream
to Dworshak Dam excluding the perimeter of the
Dworshak National Hatchery at Ahsahka.
Fishing from any watercraft is prohibited.
· South Fork Clearwater River: From the Highway
13 bridge approximately 0.2 miles downstream of
the Harpster Grade Road upstream to the Highway
14 bridge at Mount Idaho Grade.
· Middle Fork Clearwater River: From the mouth
of the South Fork Clearwater River upstream to
the confluence of the Lochsa and Selway rivers.
Salmon River drainage:
· Lower Salmon River: From the Rice Creek Bridge
upstream to the to a posted boundary at the
mouth of Short’s Creek (about 1.4 miles upstream
of the mouth of the Little Salmon River).
· Little Salmon River: From the mouth upstream
to the US Highway 95 Bridge near Smokey Boulder
Road.
Snake River:
· Snake River: From the Dug Bar boat ramp
upstream to Hells Canyon Dam.
Fishing hours: Consistent with hours fished in
recent years. See the Idaho Fish and Game 2013
Chinook Salmon Seasons and Rules pamphlet for
daily start and end times.
Limits:
· On the Clearwater and Snake rivers the daily
limit is four Chinook, only one may be an adult,
and the possession limit is 12 Chinook, only
three may be adults.
· On the lower Salmon and Little Salmon rivers,
the daily limit is four, only two may be adults,
and the possession limit is 12 Chinook, only six
of which may be adults.
· Season limit statewide: 10 adult Chinook
during the 2013 seasons occurring before
September 1.
Only Chinook salmon with a clipped adipose fin,
as evidenced by a healed scar, may be kept.
An angler must cease fishing for Chinook salmon
once they have retained their daily, possession,
or season limit of adult Chinook salmon or their
overall (fish of any size) daily or possession
limit of Chinook salmon, whichever comes first.
Only adult Chinook salmon must be recorded on
the salmon permit. An adult Chinook is any
adipose fin-clipped Chinook 24 or more inches
from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail.
Chinook salmon less than 24 inches (jacks) count
against the daily limit but need not be recorded
on the salmon permit. |
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