Oregon Public Broadcasting

For the first time in two decades, a part of the Snake River is open for fall chinook salmon fishing.

The angling began Thursday, and will run for a few weeks. But many fishing guides say they were so surprised by the opening they won’t be able to take advantage of it. Correspondent Anna King reports.

Anglers haven’t caught and kept fall chinook on the Snake since 1988. But this fall there was an unexpectedly strong return of fall chinook.

So fish and wildlife managers opened a fishery on hatchery-born fish. Many fishing guides say the run will pass them by because they’re already booked up for other rivers.

Jeff Knotts is one of those guides. Speaking by cell phone from the Columbia River in southeast Washington, Knotts says he’s too busy to get up to the Snake.

Jeff Knotts: "Well we got a big fatty on the line right now. We just had four guys jump. Everyone is grabbing gear. And it’s very exciting."

The new sports fishery on the Snake River opens at a time when Pacific Coast salmon fishing is closed down. But those limits are to protect the dwindling runs on California’s Sacramento River.