Chinook Salmon in Idaho
Where to find chinook salmon in Idaho and what may be kept.
- 2 a daybag
Pick for chinook salmonPiscifun Viper X spinning reel50% OFFSale $39.99 Photo of the fish, not an Idaho water: gailhampshire, CC BY 2.0
Idaho Chinook Salmon: rules, waters, records
The region tables print chinook salmon as closed except under a season opened for that water. Quoted from the IDFG Panhandle Region: "Chinook Salmon limit is 2, none under 24 inches".
Of 11 Idaho waters where IDFG recommends it, Coeur d'Alene Lake, Anderson Ranch Reservoir and Deadwood Reservoir come first by size. IDFG released it in 1,567 stocking rows on these waters, the latest on July 23, 2026. Taxonomic name on IDFG lists: Oncorhynchus tshawytscha.
For the chinook salmon herePiscifun AlumiX spinning reel46% OFFSale $64.99 Chinook Salmon bag lines from the seven IDFG regions
| IDFG region | Line as printed |
|---|---|
| IDFG Panhandle Region | Chinook Salmon limit is 2, none under 24 inches |
| IDFG Clearwater Region | Spring and summer Chinook Salmon seasons and limits are set by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission and issued in separate brochures; Seasons and limits for fall Chinook Salmon and Coho Salmon can be found here; Sockeye Salmon fishing is prohibited. Defined as ocean-run Oncorhynchus nerka longer than 14 inches in the Snake River d |
| IDFG Southwest Region | Spring and summer Chinook Salmon seasons and limits are set by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission and issued in separate brochures; Seasons and limits for fall Chinook Salmon and Coho Salmon can be found here; Sockeye Salmon fishing is illegal. Defined as ocean-run Oncorhynchus nerka longer than 14 inches in the Snake River drai |
| IDFG Salmon Region | Spring and summer Chinook Salmon seasons and limits are set by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission and issued in separate brochures; Seasons and limits for fall Chinook Salmon and Coho Salmon can be found here; Sockeye Salmon fishing is illegal. Defined as ocean-run Oncorhynchus nerka longer than 14 inches in the Salmon River dra |
Region bag limits from Idaho Fishing Seasons and Rules, 2025-2027, as printed on IDFG Fishing Planner water pages (the brochure PDF on idfg.idaho.gov was unreachable during site maintenance), read November 7, 2026.
The missing Chinook Salmon calendar, explained
No dates here: the Commission posts them by river section on idfg.idaho.gov, unreachable while this was written.
Chinook Salmon releases on Idaho Planner pages
| Water | Release as printed |
|---|---|
| Meadow Creek Pond | Chinook Salmon, 55 fish, Adults, July 23, 2026 |
| Meadow Creek Pond | Chinook Salmon, 118 fish, Adults, July 9, 2026 |
| Owyhee River | Chinook Salmon, 150 fish, Adults, July 1, 2026 |
| Red River | Chinook Salmon, 973,585 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), April 19, 2026 |
| North Fork Clearwater River | Chinook Salmon, 714,042 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), April 16, 2026 |
| South Fork Salmon River | Chinook Salmon, 1,088,619 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), April 15, 2026 |
| Salmon River | Chinook Salmon, 1,763,741 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), March 31, 2026 |
| Pahsimeroi River | Chinook Salmon, 784,517 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), March 30, 2026 |
| Lochsa River | Chinook Salmon, 646,174 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), March 21, 2026 |
| Selway River | Chinook Salmon, 407,212 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), March 18, 2026 |
| Yankee Fork Salmon River | Chinook Salmon, 344,605 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), March 17, 2026 |
| Rapid River | Chinook Salmon, 2,694,323 fish, Catchable (6+ inches), March 16, 2026 |
| East Fork South Fork Salmon River | Chinook Salmon, 144,547 fish, Fry (0-3 inches), August 6, 2025 |
| Meadow Creek Pond | Chinook Salmon, 150 fish, Adults, July 29, 2025 |
| Owyhee River | Chinook Salmon, 250 fish, Adults, July 17, 2025 |
| Salmon River | Chinook Salmon, 55,701 fish, Fry (0-3 inches), July 2, 2025 |
| Red River | Chinook Salmon, 1,178,871 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), April 19, 2025 |
| South Fork Salmon River | Chinook Salmon, 1,072,241 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), April 14, 2025 |
| North Fork Clearwater River | Chinook Salmon, 298,705 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), April 10, 2025 |
| Salmon River | Chinook Salmon, 1,681,506 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), April 3, 2025 |
| Pahsimeroi River | Chinook Salmon, 1,091,315 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), April 1, 2025 |
| North Fork Clearwater River | Chinook Salmon, 363,934 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), March 27, 2025 |
| Selway River | Chinook Salmon, 372,990 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), March 18, 2025 |
| Rapid River | Chinook Salmon, 2,692,289 fish, Fingerling (3-6 inches), March 15, 2025 |
Stocking rows as printed on the IDFG Fishing Planner water pages (date, species, number and size as listed), read November 7, 2026.
Where to aim for chinook salmon in Idaho
Still water where IDFG recommends chinook salmon
- Coeur d'Alene Lake27,911 acres
- Anderson Ranch Reservoir4,608 acres
- Deadwood Reservoir2,997 acres
Moving water IDFG suggests for chinook salmon
- North Fork Clearwater RiverClearwater County
- Clearwater RiverClearwater County
- Little Salmon RiverAdams County
- Lochsa RiverIdaho County
- Middle Fork Clearwater RiverIdaho County
- Salmon RiverBlaine County
- South Fork Clearwater RiverIdaho County
- South Fork Salmon RiverIdaho County
IDFG Fishing Planner recommended game fish on each water page, read November 7, 2026; largest lakes and best-served rivers first.
Bag-group partners of chinook salmon
- Coho SalmonOncorhynchus kisutch
What the water by Chinook Salmon looks like in daylight
Photo: 25or6to4, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Tamanoeconomico, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where Idaho chinook salmon show up, briefly
How many chinook salmon may I keep in Idaho?
Only when a season opens: "Chinook Salmon limit is 2, none under 24 inches".
Did anyone set an Idaho chinook salmon record in 2026?
This site found no 2026 record for it; IDFG holds the complete list.
What Idaho lakes hold chinook salmon?
Begin with Coeur d'Alene Lake, Anderson Ranch Reservoir and Deadwood Reservoir (11 pages in all).
Where were chinook salmon stocked lately?
Yes, with 1,567 rows; see Meadow Creek Pond (July 23, 2026).
Do special rules cover chinook salmon anywhere?
No rule block on a built page mentions it; the region table applies.
Are chinook salmon on a federal list?
Not listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Which Idaho license lets me chase chinook salmon?
Fishing here takes an Idaho fishing license; Idaho Code 36-416 sets the annual statutory fee at $28.75 for residents and $106.25 for nonresidents, and steelhead or salmon fishing takes its own permit.
How do I claim an Idaho chinook salmon record?
Either weigh it on a certified scale at an IDFG office or measure total length and release it for the catch-and-release list.