FISHING -- The earliest spring chinook fishing to be approved for Idaho waters will begin April 25.

The state Fish and Game Commission Tuesday approved seasons and rules for the spring salmon season during its meeting in Boise.

The rules are based on a projected spring chinook run similar in numbers to the 2014 returns.  Last year's Idaho chinook season opened on April 26.

As of Sunday, March 22, almost 500 chinook had been counted at Bonneville Dam, the first of eight dams salmon pass on their journey to Idaho. While this number is larger than for the same date since 2004, it is a small fraction of the number of spring chinook salmon expected in Idaho.

The seasons are based on a projected sport harvest of about 11,700 adipose-clipped chinook salmon in the Clearwater, Snake, lower Salmon and Little Salmon rivers.

Season closures to be made as fisheries managers assess the run and harvest as they progress.

In the Clearwater Basin, except for the South Fork Clearwater River, limits are set at four fish per day, only one of which may be an adult. The possession limit in these parts of the Clearwater River drainage will be twelve fish, only three of which may be adults.

In the South Fork Clearwater, lower Salmon, Little Salmon and Snake River fisheries, anglers will be allowed to keep four fish per day, only two of which may be adults. The possession limit in these fisheries will be twelve fish, of which only six may be adults.

The season limit will be 20 adult chinook salmon for seasons prior to September 1. Adult chinook salmon are defined as those 24 inches and longer.

Other rules and special restrictions for the Chinook salmon fishery will be available in the 2015 spring Chinook salmon brochure.

The Commission is tentatively set to consider Chinook salmon fisheries on the South Fork Salmon and upper Salmon Rivers at its May meeting. Fish return to those areas later than to the Clearwater River and Rapid River Hatcheries, giving managers more time to develop fishery proposals for those areas.