
A dead hatchery steel on Idaho’s South Fork Clearwater, which will close to fishing, along with the mainstream Clearwater and Snake rivers, on Sept. 29.
To date, steelhead returns for 2019 are approximately 11 percent of the 10-year-average at Lower Granite Dam.
From Eric Crawford, Trout Unlimited: The Idaho Fish and Game Commission announced today that they would be closing the Clearwater River to steelhead fishing effective Sept. 29, marking the first time in decades that the Clearwater has been closed to anglers.
Returns of salmon and steelhead are on track to be one of the lowest on record, creating a long-term problem for recovery of these iconic species. All of this comes as the governor’s work group on salmon recovery meets in Lewiston, Idaho for its third meeting.
“This should be a very strong signal that it is time to get our act together on restoring these fish populations,” said Eric Crawford, north Idaho field coordinator for Trout Unlimited. “We don’t have a lot of time left to get it right. Anglers are losing more and more opportunity in Idaho and that impact is not isolated or insignificant.
“Unfortunately, anglers and the guides and businesses that depend on these fish need to prepare themselves for the fact that this is a multi-year issue,” said Crawford Continue reading