Here is our weekly message from Greg Schoby of Idaho Fish & Game regarding the Upper Salmon River Chinook fishery:
All,
Here’s the first update on the upper Salmon River chinook fishery after opening weekend.
Harvest report from Jon Hansen and Brent Beller:
Angler effort during the opening weekend was relatively low, and the majority of anglers were observed fishing downstream of the Yankee Fork Salmon River. An estimated 2 adult Chinook were harvested downstream of the East Fork Salmon River in location code 18 and an estimated 4 adult Chinook were harvested upstream of the East Fork Salmon River in location code 19. Interviewed anglers did not report releasing any Chinook. Estimated harvest rates were 133 hours per Chinook caught or kept in location code 18, and 86 hours per Chinook caught or kept in location code 19.
Conditions on the upper Salmon River are currently good. The river is flowing at 1,930 cfs just downstream of the Yankee Fork Salmon River in location code 19, which is 74% of average for today’s date. Morning river temperatures were in the mid-50s over the weekend. Additionally, the river had clear visibility throughout the boundaries of the fishery, but visibility downstream of the East Fork was slightly less than upstream of the East Fork.
Currently our harvest share for the fishery is around 300 fish – this number will bounce around a little bit, but likely won’t vary too much from here on out.
Also, we have worked with NOAA fisheries to get approval to potentially offer additional angling opportunity below the Pahsimeroi River. We are expecting enough Chinook returning to the Pahsimeroi this year to meet broodstock and provide enough excess fish for harvest, but we weren’t able to propose a season in this reach of the Salmon River earlier due to wild fish concerns. We have worked with NOAA to look at wild fish migration timing and minimize impacts to wild fish by proposing an opening of a short stretch of the Salmon River.
The IDFG commission will be meeting this Friday to review our proposal to open the Upper Salmon River from Colston Corner boat ramp to the mouth of the Pahsimeroi River to Chinook angling. The proposed opening date would be July 7th, 2018. This is still pending IDFG commission approval. Currently we are forecasting a harvest share of approximately 300 fish for this fishery.
I will send an email out as soon as I have more information. Also, keep an eye on our website for updates.
Thanks everyone,
Greg
