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Two Snake River Spring Chinook Fishing Zones Close Friday by Rich Landers Spokesman-Review, May 17, 2012

SALMON FISHING -- Snake River spring chinook fishing will close one hour after sunset Friday (May 18) below Ice Harbor Dam and near Little Goose Dam.

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, according to an announcement just released by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife fishery managers.

"Because wild salmon in the run are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act, these fisheries must be managed within the ESA guidelines," said John Whalen, WDFW's eastern region fish program manager. "Based on the most recent chinook run estimate, the catch rates we are seeing, and the projected harvest, the allowable salmon catch for the Snake River will be reached sooner than we estimated."

Read on for the details about the season closures:

The specific Snake River closure areas are:

• From the south-bound 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).

Snake River areas that will remain open for fishing include:

• From Casey Creek Canyon Road on the Garfield County shore (approximately six miles downstream of Lower Granite Dam) to the fishing restriction boundary downstream of Lower Granite Dam.
• From the point in the river next to the intersection of Steptoe Canyon Road and the Wawawai River Road on the Whitman County shore, up-river approximately 12 miles to the Idaho state line (from the east levee of the Greenbelt boat launch northwest across the Snake River to the state line boundary marker on the Whitman County shore).

The exception is in the Little Goose Dam area, between the juvenile-fish bypass return pipe and the dam along the south shoreline (including the walkway area known as "the Wall" in front of the juvenile fish collection facility). In that area, only one jack and one adult hatchery chinook may be retained. Anglers must stop fishing once the one allowed adult fish is retained.