An early forecast by Idaho fisheries managers indicates a poor outlook for the upcoming chinook salmon season.
A group of federal, state, and tribal fisheries managers predicts just over 48,000 spring chinook will return to the mouth of the Snake River. Last year’s forecast had expected a return of 107,000 chinook, but just over 67,000 showed up.
This year’s forecast by the Technical Advisory Committee includes a return of 8,200 wild spring chinook and just fewer than 40,000 hatchery fish. The prediction is reminiscent of the return of springers in 2017, when fishing was shut down on the Clearwater River after the smaller return of fish than expected.
Idaho Fish and Game expects the return of about 9,800 hatchery chinook bound for hatcheries on the Clearwater, with more than half of those needed for hatchery spawning. The state typically builds in a buffer before allocating how many chinook can be caught by anglers, with a goal to ensure enough fish return to hatcheries. Only about 2,000 chinook might be available for anglers, according to early calculations, with tribal and sport anglers splitting the number of chinook available.
Public meetings are planned in February at Lewiston, Orofino, and Riggins to share more detailed information and take comments from anglers. (Lewiston Tribune, AP)
