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Spring Chinook Marching Up Snake River by Rich Landers Spokesman-Review, May 8, 2014

FISHING -- Angling success for spring chinook picked up at Ice Harbor and Little Goose dams, the first fisheries the salmon encounter as they head up the Snake River. The big spike of springers over Bonneville Dam last week is entering the Snake system, with 8,200 coming over Ice Harbor on Wednesday, according to counts from the Fish Passage Center.

Glen Mendel, Washington Fish and Wildlife Department fisheries biologist says the number of fish allotted for Snake River fishermen could go quickly if fish managers don't increase the quotas.

"No harvest has been documented at Clarkston area yet, but numbers of fish are just beginning to really pick up in that area and angler effort has therefore been light," Mendel said.

"The total Snake River harvest allotment based on the preseason prediction is 1,309 hatchery adults (904 prior to the preseason update, and 405 after), but by Tuesday next week, we may have an updated run prediction (that might be higher than originally predicted). We will all have to wait for that run prediction update to see how it affects the Snake River fisheries.

"We are predicting approximately 300 fish will be harvested at IHR during May 11-13, and approximately another 200 fish at LGO during the May 8-10 period, which could put us at nearly 1,000 adult salmon harvested in those two zones by the end of May 13.

"So, this is a heads up that we will be considering closing those areas, possibly sometime next week."

Any closure would be posted on the emergency fishing regulation section of the WDFW website at under Snake River.