If you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to grab your rod and hit the upper Salmon River, your window of opportunity is officially slamming shut, according to Idaho Fish and Game.
Anglers had a killer weekend on the water, with catch rates hitting their highest peak of the entire season. But while the fishing was hot, the clock has run out. Idaho Fish and Game has announced that the upper Salmon River Chinook fishery will officially close at the end of fishing hours on Wednesday, July 15th.
Essentially, local anglers did too good of a job. Over the course of the season, folks reeled in a whopping 191 adult Chinook. While that might just sound like a lot of great dinners, it actually represents 94% of the sport fishery’s total harvest share.
With a few days of data lagging and lines still in the water, officials know that final 6% buffer will vanish by Wednesday night.
“Catch rates really picked up over the past week, with this past weekend delivering the best fishing we’ve seen all season,” said Greg Schoby with Idaho Fish and Game. “This sudden surge in harvest pushed us right up to our limit, meaning we have to wrap things up a bit earlier than some might have hoped.”
What’s Next?
While the sudden closure might sting for anyone who had weekend plans, it’s actually a sign of a highly successful, fast-paced season.
“We anticipate we will fully reach our harvest share by the time the closure goes into effect,” Schoby added. “We want to give a massive thanks to everyone who participated this year and made it such a memorable season.”
So, if you want one last crack at a Chinook, you’ve got until Wednesday evening to make it happen. After that, it’s time to pack up the gear, swap stories, and start looking forward to next year.
Do you have any ideas on what you’d like to see in future weekly updates from the field? Idaho Fish and Game is all ears—let them know what data or insights you want tracked next season!
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