Although it’s a long way from last year’s record run of nearly 400,000 spring Chinook, this year’s upper Columbia run has climbed into the number two spot with a return of about 270,000 fish counted at Bonneville Dam. A lot fewer fish are heading for the Snake River this year, however, since the 2000 juvenile migration that provided most of this year’s adults was a lot smaller than the one that set last year’s record. Idaho fish managers will actually get more fish back than the 50,000 springers they expected once the count is officially over at Lower Granite Dam on June 17.

Fifty-four thousand fish had been counted by May 30, and more were in the pipeline. About 74,000 spring Chinook have passed Ice Harbor Dam, the lowest dam on the Snake, which means Idaho should expect about 50 percent more fish than originally estimated. Idaho spring Chinook numbers topped 172,000 fish last year.