04-21-2017, 01:53 AM
Unprecedented water over Bonneville 500,000 cfs and very low spring temperatures are the primary reason for the late run which always is delayed by such factors. Don't expect any fishing at Riggins till at least June 15th. I predict a thousand a day over Bonneville by May 1st and fishing to be good at Riggins when the water drops under 48,000. Very high water in the four Snake river dams and Columbia should really help the juvenile salmon and steelhead numbers to the Ocean. Really benefitting from the additional 30,000+ flows on the Snake system this year. Fish run will likely be compressed as I expect at least a three week delay from high water in the Salmon if the lack of high temperatures forcast in May continue to delay high country snow melt. It has the potential to mirror the 2011 run where the fishing was not good until the 1st of July due to very cold June temperatures and a very late runoff. I am hoping for a timing more similar to 2009 on a run of just 79,000 over Lower Granite where the run was compressed and lasted just ten days till closing from June 9th-19th. That was the year of the four jack limit if you folks remember the quality of fishing that year. That year water did not get below 48,000 till June 9th. That year the Salmon according to my diary went to 72,000 May 18th and stayed above 60,000 till June 7th. First 800 day that year over lower Granite was May 8th which meant first over Bonneville was about April 23rd. This run appears to be a week behind that year. In low water about 15 day average passage over the 8 dams. If this run is spread out it will be pretty difficult fishing. It really all depends on the weather.
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