June 9, 2026 Spring/Summer Chinook Update

Altogether, Lower Salmon anglers received about eight days of decent fishing opportunity, while Little Salmon anglers saw roughly six days.

And honestly, "decent" is about the best anyone in Idaho got this year.

There's no way around it-the 2026 spring Chinook return was disappointing. I know many anglers were unable to harvest a fish, and some didn't get much opportunity to fish at all before closures occurred. It's frustrating for anglers, and it's frustrating for those of us who manage these fisheries.

Both tribal and non-tribal fisheries targeting the Rapid River run are now closed. The remaining fish will contribute toward broodstock needs at Rapid River Hatchery and help support future returns.

South Fork Salmon River Opens June 18

Now for the good news.

The South Fork Salmon River fishery opens Thursday, June 18, and I'm guessing many of you are nearly as excited as I am.

The fishery will be open four days per week (Thursday through Sunday) with a daily limit of four Chinook salmon, only one of which may be an adult.

As of June 9, we estimate that 2,295 adipose-clipped adult Chinook destined for the South Fork Salmon River have passed Bonneville Dam. Of those fish, approximately 700 have already crossed Lower Granite Dam.

I would expect most of those 700 fish to be available to anglers during the opening weekend.

Current Harvest Share Outlook

Over the past five years, the average conversion rate from Bonneville Dam to Lower Granite Dam has been approximately 74%.

If we see a similar conversion rate this year, the fish that have already passed Bonneville would translate to roughly 1,700 adipose-clipped adults arriving in Idaho. After accounting for broodstock needs and dividing the harvestable surplus between tribal and non-tribal fisheries, that would result in a harvest share of approximately 383 adults.

(See calculations below.)