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Fishing for Kings:
Chinook Salmon Head to Idaho in May
This year, Idaho is expecting a robust spring Chinook salmon run on Idaho's Clearwater and Salmon rivers in May and June.. The run is predicted to be among the top five in the last 30 years and perhaps the second-highest run in this
decade.
 "It's going to be awesome – we're getting booked up pretty fast already," says Stephanie Sweener, a licensed
guide at
The Guide Shop in Orofino, Idaho, 30 miles east of Lewiston. "Be sure to reserve your hotel room well in advance or you might not be able to find a place to stay."
The
Idaho Department of Fish and Game is predicting that approximately 100,000 spring Chinook will enter Idaho waters from the Columbia and Snake rivers, compared to 29,240 last year. The fishing season opens on Saturday, April 26,
but because of cool weather, good fishing is not expected to begin until about May 10, when more fish have made it upstream. This will give anglers time to plan their trips. The season is expected to close in late June.
The opportunity to fish for Chinook salmon, known as "kings," puts the spotlight on Idaho and the Pacific Northwest when big fish runs occur. In a couple of weeks, when the fish move upriver from the Pacific Ocean into Idaho in a couple
weeks, Idaho will be THE place to be to catch these sporting fish. Anglers will be flocking to Idaho for their opportunity them.
Because of the size of the forecasted salmon run, anglers will be permitted to catch and keep more fish than usual – two per day, six in possession and 40 for the season on the Clearwater, and three per day, nine in possession or 40 for
the season on the Snake, Salmon and Little Salmon rivers. In lean years, bag limits are smaller.
Chinook salmon are the largest of all ocean-going salmon species. Highly prized by anglers, they put up a big fight when hooked, and they are delicious to eat as well. Hatchery fish (with clipped adipose fins) can be kept for a wonderful
tasty meal. Wild fish must be returned to the river. The average fish size is expected to run in the range of 15 pounds.
While Salmon River guides in Riggins are excited about the large fish run, their enthusiasm is tempered by big rushing whitewater expected on the Salmon River at the same time the salmon are swimming upstream.
"We may have a small window in early May before the high flows come, but our best shot will be after the river starts dropping in later June," says Kerry Brennan, owner of
Rapid River Outfitters in Riggins. "It's always kind of a scramble to fish for spring Chinook because of the potential for high water. This year, we know we're going to have high water because of deep snowpack, and so far, the
snow hasn't really begun melting yet in the high country."
Flows on the Clearwater River are mediated by an upstream dam, and the gradient of the Clearwater makes it easier to fish in high water conditions.
Idaho fishing outfitters can book a guided salmon fishing trip via jet boat, which can go upstream or downstream, or drift boat, which are highly maneuverable in an out of river currents. To find a licensed Idaho fishing guide for your
Chinook salmon fishing experience, check visit the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association online at www.ioga.org. For more information on the latest fish counts visit the Idaho Department of Fish and Game at
http://fishandgame.idaho.gov.
For more information on guided Idaho vacations, visit us on the Web at
www.ioga.org
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Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association
Visit
www.ioga.org or email us for your free guide to outfitted vacations in Idaho.
For a complete list of IOGA's licensed outfitters, visit
www.ioga.org.
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Fishing:
Idaho's
Way of Life
Idaho is renowned for great fishing in its many great lakes and rivers. Idaho-born steelhead trout and salmon make on the of the longet spawining runs of any androgynous fish in the world.
In addition to steelhead and "king" Chinook salmon, Idaho's waters offer opportunities for Kamloops, Macinaw, native cutthroat trout, sturgeon, large and small mouth bass, catfish, croppie and perch.
Get the most out of your fishing trip by hiring a licensed outfitter--they know how to land the really big ones.
For more information on licensed fishing outfitters in Idaho, visit us at
http://www.ioga.org.
photo: view along the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.
IOGA
OUR MISSION
IOGA is committed to the conservation and enhancement of quality outdoor experiences on Idaho's lands and waters.
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