There's still time to hook a chinook

Idaho's salmon anglers will have at least a few more days to hook spring and summer chinook.

Fisheries managers from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game said Monday that fishing on the Little Salmon and Lochsa rivers will stay open at least through Friday.

The Lochsa River is open seven days a week for summer chinook, and the Little Salmon River is open Thursdays through Sundays for spring chinook. Fisheries biologist Brett Bowersox at Lewiston said the future of the Little Salmon season will be determined by Wednesday and will depend largely on the number of fish that return to Rapid River Hatchery. The future of the Lochsa season will be determined by harvest rates.

"We want to get a few more days of information and take that and make a decision on the future of those seasons with the most up-to-date information we can get," he said. "We are very aware that folks want to be able to make plans, so we will get that information out as quickly as we can."

Fishing on the lower Salmon River near Riggins is now closed for the season, and the season on the Snake River between Dug Bar and Hells Canyon Dam remains open.

Anglers caught 127 adults and 52 jacks from the short section of the lower Salmon River last week. On the Little Salmon River, anglers caught 465 adults and 172 jacks. The catch rate averages 10 hours per fish for both rivers. On the Lochsa, anglers caught 96 adults and 8 jacks. Catch rates were a smoking-hot six hours per fish.

---

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.