Limits reduced on fall steelhead on Clearwater

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has reduced bag and possession limits on steelhead harvested in part of the Clearwater River drainage during the fall and spring seasons.

The change takes effect when the fall steelhead harvest season opens Tuesday in the Clearwater River drainage.

The limits for the fall season and the spring 2014 season are one fish per day and two in possession. In addition, in the North Fork Clearwater River and the mainstem Clearwater River downstream of the Orofino bridge only steelhead 28 inches or less in total length may be kept.

The overall return of steelhead to the Clearwater River drainage is less than forecast and numbers of large steelhead in the 2013-2014 return to the Dworshak Hatchery are lower than anticipated, and the fishery must be constrained to facilitate the hatchery meeting its broodstock goal.

The harvest seasons opens Tuesday on the main stem of the Clearwater River above the Memorial Bridge, the South Fork Clearwater River, the North Fork Clearwater River below Dworshak Dam and the Middle Fork Clearwater River below Clear Creek.

The steelhead harvest season that opened Aug. 1, on a 2-mile stretch of the lower Clearwater River from its mouth to the U.S. Highway 12 Memorial Bridge near Lewiston, will switch to the reduced limits and size restriction on Tuesday.

The harvest season already is open on the Snake, Salmon and Little Salmon rivers. The limits on these waters have not changed.

For additional information, consult the 2013 fishing rules and seasons brochure, available at all license vendors, IDFG offices and online at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/fish/rules/steelhead.pdf.