Idaho fish and game is opening the South Fork Salmon River summer Chinook fishery on Thursday, June 18, 2026. The start comes with an estimated harvest share of about 420 adipose-clipped adults, a modest number for anglers planning the river.
Jordan Messner said, "The Fish Are Here!" He added, "The South Fork Salmon River summer Chinook fishery opens this Thursday, June 18, and I'm sure you're all just as excited as I am."
Jordan Messner on the opener
Messner also said, "I expect fishing to be good during the first four-day interval." He added, "There should be plenty of fish in the system, and the forecast is looking excellent for anglers planning to spend the weekend on the river."
He then pointed to the pace of the fishery, saying, "That said, this year's harvest share is relatively modest, so I expect the fishery to move quickly."
Bonneville To The South Fork
On June 16, Idaho Fish and Game estimated that 2,387 adipose-clipped hatchery adults destined for the South Fork had crossed Bonneville Dam. By that date, 1,342 had crossed Lower Granite Dam, including about 636 in the previous seven days.
About 850 adult Chinook salmon had already entered the South Fork Salmon River drainage, and roughly 560 of them were adipose-clipped hatchery fish. McCall Hatchery staff were processing roughly 25 fish at the South Fork trap on the morning of June 16.
South Fork River Conditions
The June 16 update came with river flows running well below normal across the Salmon Basin. The Krassel gauge on the South Fork Salmon River was reading 600 cfs, below the usual 1,000 cfs or more this time of year, and lower flows were allowing fish to move through the system quickly.
That same movement is why the opener carries real pace. Idaho Fish and Game said there were still fish crossing Bonneville Dam and about 1,000 additional South Fork fish had yet to pass Lower Granite Dam, while the final harvest share had not been fully established on June 16.
