Snake River chinook fishing closes early

Snake River spring chinook fishing closed Friday below Ice Harbor Dam and near Little Goose Dam. John Whalen, eastern region fish program manager for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said catch rates and chinook run estimates for the Snake would be reached sooner than the department anticipated. More catches would put fish populations in danger of the federal Endangered Species Act.

The closure does not affect spring chinook fisheries in the six miles below Lower Granite Dam, or in the Clarkston area. Both will remain open until further notice. Catch rates will be monitored closely in the remaining open zones.

The specific Snake River closure areas are:

From the southbound State Route 12 Bridge at Pasco, upstream about seven miles to the fishing restriction boundary below Ice Harbor Dam.

From the railroad bridge about a half-mile below the Tucannon River mouth, up-river to the fishing restriction boundary below Little Goose Dam, and from Little Goose Dam to the Corps of Engineers’ boat launch a mile upstream of Little Goose Dam on the south shoreline. This closure zone includes the area between the juvenile-fish bypass return pipe and Little Goose Dam, along the south shoreline of the facility (including the walkway area known as “the Wall” in front of the juvenile-fish collection facility).

Anglers have a daily limit of six hatchery chinook at least 12 inches in length, including no more than two adult fish. Chinook with the adipose fin intact, and all steelhead, must be immediately released unharmed.

Fishers should refer to the WDFW emergency regulation enacted for the Snake River for more specific restrictions in effect for this chinook fishery. Emergency regulations are posted on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/rulechanges/