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Steelhead Harvest Opens on Clearwater by Staff Times-News, October 13, 2011

Fishing season isn't over in Idaho. Some seasons, like fall steelhead, are just beginning.

The fall steelhead harvest season opens Saturday on the main stem of the Clearwater River upstream of the Memorial Bridge, the South Fork Clearwater River, the North Fork Clearwater River below Dworshak Dam, and the Middle Fork Clearwater River below Clear Creek.

The steelhead harvest season on the lower Clearwater River opened Aug. 1 on a two-mile stretch of the lower Clearwater River from its mouth to the U.S. Highway 12 Memorial Bridge near Lewiston.

The limits on these waters are two per day and six in possession.

The harvest season already is open on the Snake, Salmon and Little Salmon rivers. The limits on these waters are three per day and nine in possession.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game expects another good steelhead run this year, but reminds anglers to look for the clipped adipose fin indicating the fish is legal to be kept. Any steelhead that has an unclipped adipose fin must be released unharmed.

Anglers may keep 20 steelhead for the fall season, which ends Dec. 31. Only steelhead with a clipped adipose fin, evidenced by a healed scar, may be kept.

New rules that took effect Aug. 1 allow anglers to transport anadromous salmon and steelhead without the head and tail attached, but only under a number of conditions.

See the 2011-12 fishing rules and seasons brochure, fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/fish/rules/steelhead.pdf.