Chinook Salmon Season Update, What's Open

Some Chinook salmon fishing seasons are still open. Here's a summary of what's open: 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. 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.

Clearwater River, main stem:

• 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. Lochsa River: From its mouth to the Twin Bridges immediately upstream from the confluence of Crooked Fork and Colt Killed Creeks. On the Clearwater and Lochsa rivers, 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:

• 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. Boise River: Open 24 hours a day, through September 6 or until further notice, from its mouth to Barber Dam. The daily limit is two Chinook, adult or jack, and the possession limit is six fish. The statewide limit for adult Chinook has been raised to 40 for the year. In the Salmon, Snake and Clearwater drainages, Chinook salmon anglers may use only barbless hooks, no larger than five-eight inch. In the Boise River barbless hooks are not required, but no larger than five-eights inch from shank to point. Snagging or attempting to snag salmon is unlawful.

• Only Chinook salmon greater than or equal to 24 inches total length need to be recorded on the angler's permit, except in the Boise River where both adults and jacks must be recorded.
• Only Chinook salmon with a clipped adipose fin (as evidence by a healed scar) may be kept.
• Anglers must cease fishing for Chinook salmon - including catch-and-release - when they retain the daily, possession or season limits for the water in which they are fishing.
• Anglers may not harvest more than 40 Chinook salmon, as recorded on their permits, during the season.

Anglers should consult 2010 Chinook salmon rules 1 in season brochures and on the Fish and Game Website at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/fish/salmon/. For an interactive map of river segments open to Chinook fishing go to the Web site page at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/fish/rules/chinook_seasons/Salmon_Seas….