Chinook season opens on the Snake

KAHLOTUS – The Snake River spring Chinook salmon fishing season is open.

Below Little Goose Dam, fisherman can catch Chinook on Tuesdays and Fridays only. Below Ice Harbor Dam, the salmon fisher is open on Wednedays and Thursdays.

The seasons opened May 2 and 3, respectively, and are expected to remain open until the catch quota limits out, state Department of Fish and Wildlife officials said.

Below Little Goose Dam, Chinook fishing is allowed from the Texas Rapids boat launch upstream to the boundary below the dam.

Below Ice Harbor Dam, the river is open from the southbound U.S. Highway 12 bridge near Pasco upstream about 7 miles to the fishing restriction boundary.

Chinook must be a minimum size of 12 inches; the daily limit is four hatchery fish.

Only one may be an adult. Adult Chinook are 24 inches or long. Fishermen are required to stop fishing once they have retained a single adult.

Barbless hooks are required and night fishing is not allowed, officials said. Fishermen may only keep hatchery fish – those with a clipped adipose fin.

According to the agency, the current allocation is 669 fish for recreational fishermen on the Snake River.

The agency is expected to close the season when the harvest allocation is reached,.