|
|
For the first time in recent history, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will open the upper Snake River for fall chinook harvest on September 1.
The chinook fishery will open to sport fishing seven days a week, running with the annual Hell’s Canyon steelhead fishery. The river will be open from the Oregon / Washington border to the deadline below Hells Canyon Dam and will remain open until Oct. 31, or until a closure is announced.
The daily bag limit is two adipose fin-clipped fall chinook salmon per day, only one of which can be an adult salmon longer than 24 inches. Regulations call for only using barbless hooks when fishing; be sure to consult the 2010 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations for other applicable regulations.
Fishery managers predict Continue reading Snake River Fall Chinook Season Starts Sept 1 in Oregon
The Imnaha and Wallowa rivers in Northeast Oregon will remain open to hatchery spring chinook fishing until further notice, fishery managers announced today.
“So far this year, unseasonably high water has really limited fishing opportunities,” said Jeff Yanke, ODFW district fish biologist in Enterprise. “This means we’re able to extend the season so anglers and local communities can benefit from this strong salmon run.”
With local runs complete at Bonneville Dam, ODFW biologists now estimate 8,000 adult spring chinook will return to both the Imnaha and Wallowa Rivers. Approximately 75 percent of the total return to each river will be marked hatchery fish available for harvest.
Current fishery regulations will apply through the extension period. Anglers are reminded to ask permission before entering private property to fish, and to pick up trash when leaving. In addition, anglers are asked to respect tribal members that may also be fishing for spring chinook using traditional methods.
“The duration of the fishery will depend on environmental conditions and angler success, both of which we will be monitoring carefully”, said Yanke. “Our goal is to optimize the fishing opportunity while meeting our conservation responsibility”.
The Chinook season is now open on several Idaho rivers, according to the Idaho Fish and Game Division. All seasons continue until further notice.
The upper Salmon and South Fork Salmon rivers opened on June 12.
Upper Salmon
- Ellis Area – from the cable car crossing at the USGS flow gauging station about 150 yards downstream of Island Park in Salmon, upstream to the posted boundary about 20 yards above the mouth of the Pahsimeroi River in Ellis.
South Fork Salmon River
- Lower – from the U.S. Forest Service bridge on Forest Service Road 48 – East Fork South Fork Road-Lick Creek Road – that crosses just upstream from the confluence with the East Fork South Fork Salmon River – upstream about 16 miles to a posted boundary about one mile upstream from Fourmile Campground. (About two miles downstream from Poverty Flat Campground).
- Upper – from a posted boundary about one mile from Fourmile Campground, upstream about 17 miles to a posted boundary about 100 yards downstream from the Idaho Fish and Game South Fork Salmon River weir and trap.
On these waters, the daily limit is five Chinook salmon, only three of which may be adults, and the possession limit is 15 Chinook only nine of which may be adults. Adult Chinook salmon are 24 inches or more long, jacks are less than 24 inches in length.
The following are also open:
Clearwater River, mainstem:
- Upper – from the Orofino Bridge upstream to the South Fork Clearwater River.
South Fork Clearwater: From its mouth to the confluence of the American and Red rivers.
Middle Fork Clearwater: From the South Fork upstream to the confluence of the Lochsa and Selway rivers.
On the Clearwater, the daily limit is three salmon per day, no more than one of which may be an adult; the possession limit is nine, no more than three may be adults.
Lower Salmon River
- Pine Bar – From the Rice Creek Bridge upstream to the posted boundary about 200 yards downstream of the Hammer Creek boat ramp. This is a new section added this year.
- Hammer Creek – From a posted boundary about 200 yards downstream from the Hammer Creek boat ramp upstream to the U.S. Highway 95 Time Zone Bridge.
- Park Hole – From the Time Zone Bridge upstream 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:
- Lower – From the mouth to a posted boundary about 200 yards upstream of the mouth of the Rapid River.
- Upper – from the posted boundary about 200 yards upstream of the Rapid River upstream to the U.S. Highway 95 Bridge near Smokey Boulder Road.
On the Lower Salmon and Little Salmon, the daily limit is five salmon, only three of which may be adults; the possession limit is 15, only nine may be adults.
Snake River: From the Dug Bar boat ramp upstream to Hells Canyon Dam.
The daily limit is four salmon per day, no more than two of which may be adults; the possession limit is 12 salmon, no more than six may be adults.
Lochsa River: From its mouth to the Twin Bridges immediately upstream from the confluence of Crooked Fork and Colt Killed Creeks. The daily limit is three salmon per day, no more than one of which may be an adult; the possession limit is nine, no more than three may be adults.
Other Chinook Season Openers
Opening June 19:
Lower Salmon:
- Vinegar Creek – From posted boundary at the mouth of Shorts’ Creek upstream to the uppermost boat ramp at Vinegar Creek. The daily limit is five salmon, only three of which may be adults; the possession limit is 15, only nine may be adults.
Opening July 3 through July 5:
Upper Salmon: from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Stanley reach – on July 3 and close July 5 from the posted boundary about 20 yards upstream of Valley Creek in Stanley, upstream to the posted boundary 100 yards downstream of the weir at Sawtooth Hatchery. The daily limit is three Chinook salmon, only one of which may be an adult; the possession limit is nine Chinook, only three of which may be adults.
The statewide limit for adult Chinook has been raised to 40 for the year.
For additional rules and restrictions, please refer to the 2010 Spring Chinook Salmon Seasons and Rules brochure, or check the Fish and Game Website at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov. All salmon anglers 14 years old and older must have a 2010 Idaho fishing license and salmon permit.
Idaho Fish and Game, in cooperation with the Panhandle Bass Club, has planned youth fishing clinics at Rose Lake for Saturday, June 19.
For safety, Fish and Game wants all anglers not involved in the clinic to know that the main boat launch at Rose Lake will have limited availability before 5 p.m. on June 19.
The Fish and Game Department is encouraging anglers to avoid Rose Lake before 5 p.m. on Saturday if they plan to use the main boat launch. Fish and Game suggests anglers use the Medimont launch on other nearby lakes such as Cave and Medicine. Nearby Killarney Lake is also recommended to avoid long waits for boat ramp access. After 5 p.m., boat access to Rose Lake should return to normal.
While Fish and Game holds numerous hunting and fishing events, this is the first time Fish and Game has offered this particular clinic. The focus is to encourage youngsters to participate in outdoor activities and perhaps choose fishing as a lifetime sport.
“We are very excited with the response,” Fish and Game Regional Conservation Officer Craig Walker said. “Within a couple of days of announcing the event in the local media, all 60 spaces were full.”
The number of participants in the event is limited, as the Panhandle Bass Club will be providing boats and individual instruction for young anglers. All spaces are taken. The clinics are full and there is a waiting list. No additional registrations are being accepted.
Fish and Game hopes this will become an annual event and hope they will be able to provide this opportunity to additional new, young anglers every year.
Fishing continues to be a solid sport for children and something that anglers cherish. Programs like this show that it’s still working.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) announced that it is dropping the higher trout bag limit implemented at Thief Valley Reservoir because of recent rains. Effective June 11, 2010 the trout bag limit at Thief Valley Reservoir will return to the regular daily bag limit of five, with an 8-inch minimum length. All other regulations for Thief Valley Reservoir are unchanged.
In early May, Oregon’s Division liberalized the bag limit at Thief Valley Reservoir because they though that the summer reservoir levels would be low due to below average snowpack. The heavy rains in recent weeks have changed the water outlook for the summer, meaning that the reservoir will likely not reach ritically low levels which could lead to high losses of the trout. The Department is returning the daily bag limit to 5 trout to protect the crop of large trout from over-harvest. This should provide excellent fishing for large trout through next spring, according to the Division.
Thief Valley Reservoir is located on the Powder River near Baker City in the Southeast Oregon fishing zone.
Idaho’s Fish & Game announced that the chinook salmon seasons open Saturday, June 12, on the South Fork Salmon River and on parts of the Upper Salmon River. A short season will open over the 4th of July weekend in the Stanley area.
The South Fork Salmon River will be open from 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. starting Saturday, until further notice. However, much of the river is unfishable because of recent rains and runoff.
The lower South Fork Salmon River will be open from the U.S. Forest Service bridge on Forest Service Road 48 – East Fork South Fork Road-Lick Creek Road – that crosses just upstream from the confluence with the East Fork South Fork Salmon River – upstream about 16 miles to a posted boundary about one mile upstream from Fourmile Campground. (About two miles downstream from Poverty Flat Campground).
The upper South Fork Salmon River will be open from a posted boundary about one mile from Fourmile Campground, upstream about 17 miles to a posted boundary about 100 yards downstream from the Idaho Fish and Game South Fork Salmon River weir and trap.
Limits are five Chinook per day, only three of which may be adults; the possession limit is 15 in possession, only nine of which may be adults.
Adult Chinook salmon are 24 inches or more long, jacks are less than 24 inches in length.
The Upper Salmon in the river section referred to as the Ellis Area will be open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. MST starting June 12 until further notice. The Ellis area is open from the cable car crossing at the USGS flow gauging station, about 150 yards downstream of Island Park in Salmon, upstream to the posted boundary about 20 yards above the mouth of the Pahsimeroi River in Ellis.
The daily limit is five Chinook salmon, only three of which may be adults; the possession limit is 15 Chinook, only nine of which may be adults.
The upper Salmon near Stanley will open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. only on July 3, 4 and 5. It will be open from the posted boundary about 20 yards upstream of Valley Creek in Stanley, upstream to the posted boundary 100 yards downstream of the weir at Sawtooth Hatchery.
The Fish and Game Division has stated that the season is short in this reach because of the small number of harvestable fish returning to the upper Salmon River. The daily limit is three Chinook, only one of which may be an adult, and the possession limit is nine Chinook, only three of which may be adults.
Other Chinook salmon stocks are returning to Idaho hatcheries in significant numbers. In typical years, more than 1 million smolts are released from Sawtooth Hatchery.
The Fish and Game Division has indicated that this year’s fishery is mainly supported by four-year-old fish returning from the 2008 release when only 174,000 smolts were released. To get the most out of the fish returning to the hatchery, none were marked for harvest. Therefore, this upper river fishery will be supported exclusively by a few five-year-old fish and jacks.
The statewide limit for adult Chinook is 40 for the season.
|
|
