Idaho Fish Report

Due to very poor predicated returns, retention of steelhead on the Umatilla River between the Hwy 730 bridge and Three Mile Falls Dam (TMDF) will be closed Sept. 1 through April 30, 2022. From TFMD to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation boundary and from the upper border of the reservation boundary to the Umatilla headwaters, including all tributaries except for McKay Creek, is open for fishing and retention of steelhead. There have been a total of 358 steelhead counted at TMFD up to date for the this run year, with an average of 6 fish per day over the past week.

Trout fishing on the Umatilla River, and its tributaries, is closed as of Oct. 31. Bass and other warmwater species remain open all year.

The fall Chinook salmon and coho salmon fisheries will remain open through Nov. 30. The bag limit being 3 adults, in aggregate, and 5 jack salmon (≤ 24 inches for fall Chinook and ≤ 20 inches for coho) per day. A return of 6381 ± 1,960 coho and 1,264 ± 295 fall Chinook are predicated to return to the Umatilla River. A total of 6626 coho, with an average of 145 per day over the past week, and a total of 2,780 fall Chinook, with an average of 25 per day over the past week, have been counted at Three Mile Falls Dam.

For the past two weeks, the average number of hours spent to harvest a fish has been 5 hours. Anglers have been having good success near the mouth of the Umatilla on coho and fall Chinook, with most being fish caught in the early morning hours. Anglers have been using a variety of methods to catch coho and fall Chinook, however an egg rig bounced off the bottom, and pink or purple spinners have been the best producers. The number of fish being seen at the trap has picked up significantly this week, which is likely due to the increase in water in the river and the cooler fall weather. Both the fall Chinook and coho are still in good condition, so get out on the river and harvest some of the returning salmon.