Salmon Season

[SF_Austin]

Get it here first. I called a fish and game office about the season on the upper salmon, the person working there was kind enough to forward me the email that they got after the meeting concerning proposed season on the upper salmon. Here it is, just copied and pasted. I dont think this is even on the website yet. Fish on!
Salmon Seasons Set on Upper Salmon and South Fork
The Idaho Fish and Game Commission Thursday, May 20, adopted Chinook salmon seasons on the Upper Salmon River and the South Fork Salmon River.
The Upper Salmon in the river section referred to as the Ellis Area will be open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. MST starting June 12 until further notice. The Ellis area is open 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.
The upper Salmon near Stanley will open July 3 and close July 5. It will be open from the posted boundary about 20 yards upstream of Valley Creek in Stanley, upstream to the posted boundary 100 yards downstream of the weir at Sawtooth Hatchery.
The limit is three Chinook salmon, only one of which may be an adult, and the possession limit is nine Chinook, only three of which may be adults.
The South Fork Salmon River will be open from June 12 until further notice from 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
The lower South Fork Salmon River will be open from the U.S. Forest Service bridge on Forest Service Road 48 – East Fork South Fork Road-Lick Creek Road – that crosses just upstream from the confluence with the East Fork South Fork Salmon River – upstream about 16 miles to a posted boundary about one mile upstream from Fournile Campground. (About two miles downstream from Poverty Flat Campground)
The upper South Fork Salmon River will be open from a posted boundary about one mile from Fourmile Campground, upstream about 17 miles to a posted boundary about 100 yards downstream from the Idaho Fish and Game South Fork Salmon River weir and trap.
Limits are five Chinook per day, only three of which may be adults; the possession limit is 15 in possession, only nine of which may be adults.
The statewide limit for adult Chinook is 40 for the season.
[signature]

[osprey02]

Breaking NewsIdaho Fish and Game Commission hikes chinook limits
May 20, 2010, 3:33 pm

Anglers on the Salmon and Little Salmon rivers will be able to catch and keep more chinook per day and salmon anglers in general will be able to keep more salmon per year starting Saturday.

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously at its meeting in Lewiston Thursday to increase the daily bag limits on the Salmon and Little Salmon rivers from four chinook per day to five per day. However, only three of the five fish kept by anglers each day can be adults -- those 24 inches long or longer.

The commission also boosted the statewide chinook season limit from 20 to 40. That change also takes affect Saturday and applies to all rivers open to chinook fishing.

Daily bag limits were not increased on the Clearwater River or its tributaries that are open to chinook fishing or on the Snake River between Dug Bar and Hells Canyon Dam.
[signature]

[chrome_junky]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!! ok im happy!!!!!! come on chinook make it to ellis by june 20th! lol!
[signature]

[prvrt]

Sweet. I am thinking they may be there by June 20th where the main run is about 2 weeks earlier than normal. Can't wait. Everything is ready, just counting the days.
[signature]

[chrome_junky]

there should definantley be some there by june 20th. if they are not there right then im not to worried i will hit every week until they are.
[signature]

[Bone14]

I know one year is different from the next but last year I didn't hook my first fish until July 4th and no one was really catching any then. The river was so high that he turned and spooled all 130 yds of line off my reel. I didn't land my first fish until the 9th and that is when it was starting to get hot. It got real good by the 15th, but then again they were recycling fish down river from the hatchery every day by then. The only issue I see with June is the river could be really high and blown out. It came down pretty good by the second week of July last year. I won't be around until the 11th since I will be trying to get them up on the Kenia until then. They didn't close it until the 26th of July last year so I hope they keep it open that long. Can't Wait!!!
[signature]

[Soda]

Is this the same amount of Upper Salmon water that was open last year? It seems to me that the whole stretch from Ellis to Sawtooth Hatchery was open last year.
[signature]

[prvrt]

[quote Soda]Is this the same amount of Upper Salmon water that was open last year? It seems to me that the whole stretch from Ellis to Sawtooth Hatchery was open last year.[/quote]

Above Ellis is a short 3 day season this year. There were some problems at the hatchery a few years ago, so there will not me to many coming back to the Sawtooth Hatchery. Next year may be the same.
[signature]

[Soda]

I understand that but my question is wasn't the entire river above Ellis open last year?
[signature]

[prvrt]

Yes.
[signature]

[chrome_junky]

guys i just checked the fish and game website it actually opens on june 12th
[signature]

[prvrt]

Yes it does. Just thought you were heading up a week later. That is a little to early for me tho.
[signature]

[Soda]

Well Sonuvagun. I was hoping for the same this year. I'm familiar with good holes between Ellis and Stanley but not so familiar below Ellis.

Anybody feel like sharing some possible spots to hook into a stinkin ol' King Salmon?!
[signature]

[chrome_junky]

i will probably do day trips until they start running heavy through there. but nothing long term until i know they are runniong super heavy in that area.
[signature]

[prvrt]

I do know that there will be salmon in the upper river above Ellis on the 3 days that it will be open. I fished Deadman's Hole last year on the 4th of July weekend and there were quite a few fish pulled out. They won't be there in the same numbers as before, but to only be open for 3 days, I would bet the fishing will be good since there will be nothing fished out until it opens on the 3rd.

As far as where to fish below Ellis, it is hard to say. I know the bridge at Ellis is a great spot, but quite a few people. In fact, I bet this year will be a nightmare since the people that usually fish above Ellis will probably be below Ellis this year. There have been fist fights and guns drawn around that area not to mention all the boats stacked up in the river bumper to bumper. There are quite a few great spots down the canyon from Ellis. Once you get about 10 miles down river from Ellis, there are some nice holes from there down to Salmon. It seems this area is overlooked by quite a few people.
[signature]

[jigs]

below salmon isnt open right? from island park up to ellis? thats the bridge you cross the river in the middle of salmon.
[signature]

[prvrt]

Your right. Kinda weird they did not open that section. There are going to be a ton of people in the Ellis area. Welcome to combat fishing.
[signature]