ENTERPRISE, Ore. – The Chinook salmon season on the Imnaha River will close July 3.

According to Jeff Yanke, fish biologist in Enterprise, the fishery will close because the annual harvest limit will be reached on the closure date.

“Based on catch rates observed last week in the fishery, we expect to reach our harvest limit by Sunday”, he explained.

With a relatively modest return of Chinook salmon to the Imnaha, Yanke expected a shorter duration fishery in 2016. “We did not see a very large run this year, but there was some good fishing opportunities provided”, he said.

Chinook fisheries in the Imnaha are managed on limits of hatchery adults that can be harvested or wild adults that can be released. Fishery managers consistently monitor angler effort and catch rates in the fishery to estimate harvest and catch, which is weighed against annual limits. When harvest approaches the prescribed limits, managers close the fishery.