Fall chinook fishery closes on Snake River

ENTERPRISE, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is reminding anglers that fall chinook fishing on the Snake River ends Oct. 31, 2010 at 11:59 p.m.  Anglers will still be able to harvest fin-clipped hatchery steelhead through April 30, 2011.  

The fall chinook fishery was the first in recent history, and was opened in response to record returns of fall chinook crossing Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River.  Despite the large return, creel reports conducted by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game estimate only 200 fish have been caught to date.  The fishery opened Sept. 1. 

“We were hoping the large return would translate into more anglers catching fish, but just being able to offer the opportunity to Oregon anglers was exciting”, said Jeff Yanke, ODFW district fish biologist in Enterprise.