June 7, 2012
By Niels Nokkentved, IDFG
Effective Saturday, June 2, the bag limits on adult Chinook salmon was
reduced for parts of the Clearwater drainage.
The new bag limit is four salmon per day, but only one may be an adult,
and 12 in possession, but only three may be adults. Adults are 24 or more inches
in length.
The new limits affect the Clearwater River main stem from the Camas
Prairie Railroad Bridge upstream to the South Fork Clearwater, and the Middle
Fork Clearwater River from the confluence with the South Fork River up-stream to
the confluence of the Lochsa and Selway rivers.
To date, about 30 percent of the harvest share for the Clearwater River
has been taken. Anglers in the region have expressed a desire to have fisheries
open until early July if possible and have consistently voiced support for
management actions that might help extend sea-sons to meet that goal.
Lower flows and good water clarity in the Clearwater have contributed to
rapidly in-creasing harvest rates and increasing likelihood that the fishery
harvest share will be attained before July unless management action, such as
reduced limits, is taken.
All
other rules and seasons remain unchanged. For details see the 2012 Chinook
salmon pamphlet or the Fish and Game website at
http://
fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/fish/?getPage=110.