The Snake River recreational
spring chinook fishery opened April 26 through May 31, and was then
extended through June 15, 2003. The area opened for fishing was from
the Texas Rapids boat launch upstream to the Corps of Engineers boat
launch (approximately one mile) upstream of Little Goose Dam on the
south bank of the river. The preseason estimated harvest target of
700 hatchery adult spring chinook was set, with an allowable Endangered
Species Act (ESA) impact set at 75 wild fish mortalities. Assuming
a 10% mortality rate on released fish, this allowed for 750 wild adult
encounters. Fishing was opened for a seven day per week fishery, with
daily hours set from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset.
The daily limit for the original season consisted of one hatchery
(adipose fin-clipped) spring chinook salmon (adult or jack) per day,
with a minimum size of 12 inches. In-season tracking of the upriver
spring chinook return and estimates of harvest in lower river fisheries
indicated a larger than predicted return, allowing for an extension
of the originally adopted season. During the extension from June 1
to June 15, the daily limit was increased to two hatchery fish per
day, with a minimum size of 12 inches. Anglers were required to use
barbless hooks, with no more than 5/8 inch from point to shank throughout
the fishery.
The Washington Department
of Fish and Wildlife monitored the fishery using a roving creel survey
which included; boat ramp and shore interviews to collect catch rate,
completed trip and biological information, and effort counts of shore
and boat anglers and the number of boats (counts at least five times
a day). Monitoring was conducted at least one weekday and one weekend
day per 7 day period, utilizing a dawn to dusk survey format. Creel
surveys were conducted on 20 days (8 weekend days and 12 weekdays)
of the season. Of the 51 day season, 34 weekdays and 17 weekend days
were available (this included Monday May 26th as a weekend day, since
it was a holiday). This gave us a sample rate of 47 % of weekend days
and 35% of weekdays. Survey data was summarized weekly to assure compliance
with the harvest target and ESA impact level that had been set for
the fishery.
Interviews were conducted
with 2,298 anglers with a total of 6,374.67 hours of fishing effort,
but only 2,119 of these anglers were targeting spring chinook (5,854.44
angler hours). Other anglers interviewed were targeting catfish, smallmouth
bass, sturgeon, and northern pikeminnow. Data collected during the
creel surveys was entered into a spreadsheet that was used to calculate
angler hours, total fish harvested, catch rate (hours/fish harvested
and hours/fish caught), total fish released, release rate (hours/fish
released), and fish size (min, max, and mean) (Table 1).
