When is chinook salmon season in Idaho?

Idaho keeps chinook salmon open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.

What is the Idaho bag limit for chinook salmon?

The Idaho daily bag limit for chinook salmon is 2 / day + 4 in possession (IDFG annual rule — varies by reach + season window). The possession limit is 4 in possession. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size chinook salmon can you keep in Idaho?

The Idaho size rule for chinook salmon is No minimum on hatchery-marked fin-clipped salmon; native-strain wild salmon catch-and-release-only. Trophy rule: ID state-record chinook salmon 45 lb 4 oz Snake River 1956; Salmon + Clearwater + Snake River anadromous run travels up to 900 miles inland from Pacific; IDFG stocks ~7 million chinook smolts annually via Sawtooth + Pahsimeroi + McCall + South Fork Salmon + Clearwater + Dworshak NFH + Kooskia NFH + Powell Tribal Hatcheries.

Do you need a license to fish for chinook salmon in Idaho?

Yes. Idaho requires a valid fishing license to fish for chinook salmon, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Idaho license — compare resident and non-resident Idaho fees on the state regulations page below.

Are there gear restrictions for chinook salmon in Idaho?

Yes. In Idaho, chinook salmon fishing carries these gear rules: IDFG Salmon Permit required to fish for or possess chinook salmon ($13.75 res / $13.75 NR — IDFG-distinctive same-fee Salmon Permit); IDFG Fishing Licence required ages 14+ ($30.50 res / $108.25 NR annual); Hatchery-marked fin-clipped chinook harvestable; native-strain wild chinook catch-and-release-only; Hook-and-line; barbless single hook required on listed reaches; Confirm current-year IDFG Salmon Season Announcement for reach-by-reach window + bag rule.

Do specific Idaho waters have different chinook salmon rules?

Yes. 4 named Idaho waters carry rules that override the statewide chinook salmon regulation, including Salmon River, Clearwater River, Snake River main stem, and 1 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

Idaho Chinook salmon 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Last updated May 27, 2026

Idaho chinook salmon fishery is one of the country's premier inland anadromous fisheries — chinook returning from the Pacific Ocean via the Columbia River + Snake River system travel up to 900 miles inland to spawn in the Salmon River + Clearwater River + upper Snake tributaries (above Lower Granite Dam at Lewiston ID), a migration that includes passage through 8 Columbia + Snake River dams before reaching Idaho spawning grounds. The IDFG anadromous-fishery framework operates under joint management with NOAA NMFS + USFWS + WDFW + ODFW + the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. IDFG announces the annual chinook season opening + closure based on Lower Granite Dam upstream passage counts — typical season runs May – August on the Salmon + Clearwater + Snake reaches downstream of Hells Canyon Dam. The Hells Canyon Dam Complex (Brownlee + Oxbow + Hells Canyon Dams, all Idaho Power-operated, built 1958-1967) is the upstream blockade — chinook spawning grounds above Hells Canyon Dam (upper Snake + Boise + Payette + Weiser) were extirpated in the 1960s when the dams were built without fish ladders. The Salmon River chinook run (Main + Middle Fork + South Fork + lower Salmon) supports both naturally-reproducing wild spring + summer chinook + IDFG hatchery supplementation. The Clearwater River chinook run (main stem + Lochsa + Selway + South Fork Clearwater) is the densest spring chinook run in Idaho, supported by the Clearwater Hatchery + Dworshak National Fish Hatchery + Kooskia National Fish Hatchery. IDFG stocks ~7 million chinook smolts annually via the Sawtooth + Pahsimeroi + McCall + South Fork Salmon + Clearwater + Dworshak NFH + Kooskia NFH + Powell Tribal Hatcheries. ID state-record chinook salmon 45 lb 4 oz Snake River 1956. Hatchery-marked fin-clipped chinook are harvestable; native-strain wild chinook are catch-and-release-only on most reaches (federally listed under ESA — Snake River spring/summer chinook are Threatened; Snake River fall chinook are Threatened).

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Season

Open year-round IDFG annual season May – August on Snake + Salmon + Clearwater; opening + closure announced by IDFG Director based on Lower Granite Dam upstream passage counts; hatchery-marked fin-clipped chinook harvestable, native-strain wild chinook catch-and-release-only.

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 2 / day + 4 in possession (IDFG annual rule — varies by reach + season window)
Possession: 4 in possession

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No minimum on hatchery-marked fin-clipped salmon; native-strain wild salmon catch-and-release-only
Trophy rule: ID state-record chinook salmon 45 lb 4 oz Snake River 1956; Salmon + Clearwater + Snake River anadromous run travels up to 900 miles inland from Pacific; IDFG stocks ~7 million chinook smolts annually via Sawtooth + Pahsimeroi + McCall + South Fork Salmon + Clearwater + Dworshak NFH + Kooskia NFH + Powell Tribal Hatcheries

Gear restrictions

IDFG Salmon Permit required to fish for or possess chinook salmon ($13.75 res / $13.75 NR — IDFG-distinctive same-fee Salmon Permit)
IDFG Fishing Licence required ages 14+ ($30.50 res / $108.25 NR annual)
Hatchery-marked fin-clipped chinook harvestable; native-strain wild chinook catch-and-release-only
Hook-and-line; barbless single hook required on listed reaches
Confirm current-year IDFG Salmon Season Announcement for reach-by-reach window + bag rule

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Idaho waters:

Salmon River
2 / day + Salmon Permit required + IDFG annual season May – August (Main + Middle Fork + South Fork + lower Salmon)
Clearwater River
2 / day + Salmon Permit required + IDFG annual season May – August
Snake River main stem
2 / day + Salmon Permit required + IDFG annual season May – August; Hells Canyon Dam is the upstream blockade to anadromous fish passage
Lower Granite Dam tailwater
2 / day + Salmon Permit; upstream blockade for anadromous-fish monitoring + counting station

Official source

Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) publishes the authoritative 2026 Idahofishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.

Visit official Idaho fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Chinook salmon closures, slot-limit changes, and harvest pauses are posted to Idaho Department of Fish and Game's emergency-order feed — check it before any Idaho trip during the active season.

Frequently asked questions

When is chinook salmon season in Idaho?: Idaho keeps chinook salmon open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.
What is the Idaho bag limit for chinook salmon?: The Idaho daily bag limit for chinook salmon is 2 / day + 4 in possession (IDFG annual rule — varies by reach + season window). The possession limit is 4 in possession. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size chinook salmon can you keep in Idaho?: The Idaho size rule for chinook salmon is No minimum on hatchery-marked fin-clipped salmon; native-strain wild salmon catch-and-release-only. Trophy rule: ID state-record chinook salmon 45 lb 4 oz Snake River 1956; Salmon + Clearwater + Snake River anadromous run travels up to 900 miles inland from Pacific; IDFG stocks ~7 million chinook smolts annually via Sawtooth + Pahsimeroi + McCall + South Fork Salmon + Clearwater + Dworshak NFH + Kooskia NFH + Powell Tribal Hatcheries.
Do you need a license to fish for chinook salmon in Idaho?: Yes. Idaho requires a valid fishing license to fish for chinook salmon, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Idaho license — compare resident and non-resident Idaho fees on the state regulations page below.
Are there gear restrictions for chinook salmon in Idaho?: Yes. In Idaho, chinook salmon fishing carries these gear rules: IDFG Salmon Permit required to fish for or possess chinook salmon ($13.75 res / $13.75 NR — IDFG-distinctive same-fee Salmon Permit); IDFG Fishing Licence required ages 14+ ($30.50 res / $108.25 NR annual); Hatchery-marked fin-clipped chinook harvestable; native-strain wild chinook catch-and-release-only; Hook-and-line; barbless single hook required on listed reaches; Confirm current-year IDFG Salmon Season Announcement for reach-by-reach window + bag rule.
Do specific Idaho waters have different chinook salmon rules?: Yes. 4 named Idaho waters carry rules that override the statewide chinook salmon regulation, including Salmon River, Clearwater River, Snake River main stem, and 1 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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