Thanks to CJ , I now have a bad case of Salmon addiction.
Do any of you guys know of a good link or source, or can tell me in a nutshell, what months/river systems salmon fishing usually comes on in?
I know Idaho has several fisheries, and they are not all open every year, but I hear some of you guys mentioning springers, and I'd like to know what rivers to research to fish them, as well as where to look for fish in later months, etc.
My apologies if this is considered a top-secret topic or something, but if I could get a hint or two, I'd certainly appreciate it.
thanks-
dg
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I don't have the disease, but my friends who just got back from orifino are just giddy about the kings on the way. I guess it's a good run and they are almost to pendleton.
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Salmon will be in Riggins on main and little salmon in catchable numbers in 30 days. They will be in Lewiston on Clearwater in good numbers in 20 days. Hells Canyon will have catchable numbers in 25 days. South fork of Clearwater and main at Kooskia in 25 days. Ellis and Sawtooth in upper salmon around the 4th of July and South fork of the salmon around the same time or when water hits 900 cfs. North fork of Clearwater will have fish early but peak around 10th of June.
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Wow- thank you so much!!! You may have just planned my summer for me!!!
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Things will come more into focus in the next ten days but basic rule of thumb in the type of water we will likely see based on the snowpack and 30 day forcast weather is decent fishing on Clearwater four days back in first ten miles of that river on first 600 a day over lower granite and eighteen days back at Riggins with water under 40,000 cfs which appears likely. Flows are pretty high in Columbia and Snake dams for the next three or four days which will impede fish some but usually fish make the trip from Bonneville to Granite in 12 days, a day and a half per dam. A boat is certainly not necessary with decent plunking below whitebird a little earlier on Salmon and all of the Clearwater. Lots of good areas on Clearwater with bobbers and eggs and jigs with shrimp and plunking all the way to Kooskia before fish hit Riggins.
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That is some good information, Blacktop. I have found that same formula to be pretty accurate.
We do however need to see some fish coming over Bonneville in greater numbers. Hopefully they are a little later, or we are in trouble a little bit. I am confident we should start seeing some 7000+ fish days in the next week or so at Bonneville. If we get somewhere near the forecast numbers that would be great.
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Agree the numbers over Bonneville need to jump many of the fish thus far are headed elsewhere but good to see the numbers over John Day the last two days. Should see 600 a day over Granite by the 5th of May and countdown can begin. These number are the norm outside of last year 2010 and three years 2001-2003. At least with these small numbers the nets are not in yet.
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Just read weekly update from Joe Dupont. Flows today are 349,000 over Bonneville which are impeding the salmon quite a bit and hopefully accounts for the dismal number the past few days. As with earlier reports he puts the average passage of 14-17 days for the 8 dams. With high water I have seen it take at least that long and I think that is why that number is that high. This years numbers are still in question and I am concerned they may play out close to 2013 when the Riggins season lasted only till June 2nd closing with only a week of fishing on similar run timing. We will see that year about 60,000 total fish over Granite. Was hoping for 70-75,000.
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Joe's weekly report is fantastic!
I sincerely hope we don't see the same as we did in 2013. I am hoping that he is right in that the fish are on their later time schedule because of the flows coming out of Bonneville. I think the next week will be a big teller of what is to come. We should start seeing some 5,000+ fish days as soon as that water drops like it supposed to today and for the next little bit.
The Clearwater system is the one that is looking like it may be in trouble if things don't change quickly. There is still harvestable numbers on on the Lower Salmon, but it would be a quick harvest if we are infact on average timing.
I guess all we can do now is put our Steelhead gear away, beef up the gear, and hope for the best! We should have a clearer picture by the first or second week of May.
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Thanks for the info guys. It's a lot for a simple country boy like me to digest. Sounds like at the moment, it's a hurry up and wait game. Thanks for posting this info here.
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I sure hope it is big water that are slowing the fish down. They are way behind this year compared to last year. I looked at my fish tag from last year and we lit them up around the 25th of may. This time last year there were already 90,000 fish over Bonneville. Not even 20,000 yet. Have heard whispers of being a rough season this year. Did they close the salmon season out in the ocean like they were talking about six weeks ago?
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I am not sure if they closed the salmon season in the ocean 6 weeks ago or not. Last year they showed up about 10 days earlier than normal and had pretty low flows to contend with the whole trip and so they made it up a lot quicker.
I am hoping they are a little later, so that we get a crack at them. It has been a great trip for my Dad and brothers these past couple years and we look forward to it. I am going to be optimistic and hope that we get 5,000-6,000 Lower Salmon harvest share...[
] All indications (except recently) pointed to it being a year somewhat similar to 14. I'll feel better tomorrow if we see 4-7,000 fish cross Bonneville tomorrow morning...
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Taz my friends caught limits of fish the 6th of May in Riggins last year. The best fishing was just after Memorial Day last year. There will be limits caught this year by the 20th. Only one year in 5 do we see fish as early as last year. General rule of thumb 30 days from the first 600 day over Bonneville to Riggins which was April 20th this year. Early fishing won't be hot but catchable fish will be there with current weather forcast models. There will be decent fishing on the Clearwater by the 10th of May. 900 hundred over John Day two days ago.
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Last year we were in the Riggins area around the first of June and it was fantastic. But we may have even been a few days late.
3000+today is a little better. I still want to see those big number days within a week to make me feel better about the whole thing.
I hate this anticipation!! One can only pre-tie enough gear...
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We always fish Orofino. Last year was the best year we ever had. Four of us netted 82 fish in five days of fishing. I had one day that I put 17 fish in the net. Do you guys know if this is a BIG salmon year. Will these be 3rd year or 4th year salmon? Last year they all ranged from 12-14 lbs, we got one that went over 20 but never saw anything huge.
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There is the 6k day now we need 10k days
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10k day yesterday. Hopefully we get a steady pace of big numbers the next few days
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A few more big number days would definitely make me feel a little easier about things. At least it is looking a little more positive.
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10K on May 1st and 93 shy of 14K on the 2nd- that's good right? I'd best get my yardwork done, my papers graded, and some new line on my reel...
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It is definitely looking more positive! A week or so of some bigger numbers should help improve the outlook. I'm working on getting my schedule opened up as well, so hopefully these fish keep moving!
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