Chinook season proposals to be posted on Feb. 11

Idaho Fish and Game will be setting new seasons for upcoming spring and summer Chinook fisheries and gathering public input on the upcoming season proposals from Feb. 11 to Feb. 22.

Members of the public can view and weigh in with online comments once the proposals are posted on Feb. 11. After reviewing anglers’ feedback and agency goals along with angler comments, season proposals will be presented to the commission at the meeting in Boise on March 25.

Fisheries managers typically propose seasons based run forecasts and then adjust accordingly when they get a better understanding of the actual run sizes based on fish counts at the Columbia and Snake river dams.

Upcoming Public Meetings

The public comment period will include four regional public meetings during the third week in February. The meetings are free to attend and (best of all) complimentary pizza and beverages will be provided. 

• RIGGINS — Feb. 17 at 5:30 p.m. MST
  City of Riggins Community Center – 2nd Floor, 121 Lodge St.
   
• LEWISTON — Feb. 18 at 5:30 p.m. PST
  Idaho Fish and Game Clearwater Regional Office, 3316 16th St.
   
• NAMPA — Feb. 18 at 5:30 p.m. MST
  Idaho Fish and Game Southwest Regional Office, 15950 N Gate Blvd.
   
• AHSAHKA — Feb. 19 at 5:30 p.m. PST
  Clearwater Fish Hatchery, 118 Ahsahka Rd.

Fish and Game fisheries biologists will be discussing insights from the previous years’ Chinook salmon season, what this year’s salmon return is projected to look like, and strategies we could use to manage this year’s Chinook fisheries. As always, input from anglers is important to help ensure the Chinook salmon fisheries are managed in a manner that is most satisfying to all who participate in these amazing opportunities.

Pizza will be provided, and presentations will begin shortly after. The meeting will continue until all angler comments are collected and/or addressed. In the past, these meetings have lasted roughly two hours.

For more information, please visit the Fish and Game Chinook webpage.