Anglers are invited to attend a local public meeting inviting public comments and opinions on how best to manage the 2023 spring/summer Chinook salmon fisheries in the Clearwater, Hells Canyon, lower Salmon, Little Salmon, and South Fork Salmon river drainages.

The local meeting for Coeur d’Alene will be Feb. 22 at the Idaho Fish and Game Office, 2885 West Kathleen Ave.

During the meeting, free pizza and refreshments will be provided. Biologists will also discuss what we learned from last year’s Chinook salmon season, what this year’s salmon return is projected to be, and strategies we could use to manage this year’s Chinook run. As always, input from anglers is important to help ensure the Chinook salmon returns are managed in a manner that is most satisfying to all who participate in these amazing fisheries.

Biologists will give presentations anglers will be interested to hear, like, “What we learned about Clearwater River’s New Steelhead Regulations,” and “Should we allow fishing when the weather is hot?”

Pizza will be served at 5:30 p.m., and presentations will begin shortly after. The meeting will continue until all angler comments are collected and addressed. In the past, these meetings have lasted about two hours.

Joe DuPont is a fisheries regional manager for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.