Clearwater River coho sets new state record

Matt Hosking reeled in a state record-breaking coho salmon Oct. 13 from the Clearwater River in Idaho. The fish measured 32.68 inches long and weighed 11.78 pounds.
Photo courtesy of Idaho Fish and Game

This 11.78-pound coho salmon was 32.7 inches long, swimming past the previous record to set a new Certified Weight State Record for Idaho.
Photo courtesy of Idaho Fish and Game

by MARTIN KOENIG/Contributing writer
| October 26, 2023 1:00 AM

Congratulations to Matt Hosking of Lewiston for setting a new state record for coho salmon. Matt caught the colossal coho in the Clearwater River in Oct. 13. Impressed by the size, Matt kept the 32.68-inch salmon in hopes of a record. After weighing the fish on a certified scale at a local grocery, the 11.78-pound coho salmon was just big enough to squeeze past the previous "certified weight" record by a mere 0.48 oz.

This will be the third year in a row where Idaho will see a strong return of coho salmon, with over 15,000 adults passing over Lower Granite Dam. There has only been one other year where Idaho received a similar number of coho salmon.

Joe DuPont — the Clearwater Region Fishery Manager — says fish like this are rare. "There are bigger Coho out there, but not many. Based on the 2,400 Coho we have trapped at Lower Granite Dam this year, only two would surpass the size of this fish." Those are pretty slim odds to beat!

The success of the Coho Salmon fishery in the Clearwater River has been a result of efforts by the Nez Perce Tribe, who began the program back in 1994.

Idaho Fish and Game awards state records both by certified weight (fish harvested) and by length (catch and release). You can view all the current records and how to apply on the State Record Fish page.

Martin Koenig is a sportfishing program coordinator with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.