Idaho, Washington to forbid wild fall chinook harvest starting Friday

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game and Washington fisheries managers will prohibit the harvest of wild fall chinook in the Snake River starting Friday. This decision follows concerns that high water temperatures have impeded the fish's upstream migration, jeopardizing their survival as they attempt to reach spawning grounds. Although anglers may continue to catch hatchery fish, the regulations around wild fish are tightening due to their threatened status under the Endangered Species Act. Chris Donley of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife indicated that they will reassess the harvest ban in one week. Normally, anglers can keep wild fish when their numbers exceed 5,000, but current environmental conditions may threaten that threshold.

A significant portion of hatchery fall chinook, about 80%, lack adipose fin clips, complicating catch regulations. Fishery managers anticipate that cooler weather will enhance fish movement, and they will monitor fish passage at dams closely. By September 26, they will evaluate whether the ban on harvesting wild fish can be lifted or will need to remain in place.