The sockeye salmon run this summer along the Lower Snake River to Central Idaho appears to be stronger than the ten-year average.

Historically, this endangered salmon run faced significant challenges, including instances in the 1990s where no fish returned. However, this year, over 1,000 sockeye have successfully crossed Lower Granite Dam, located south of Colfax, as they make their way into Idaho. Typically, around half of the fish reaching the dam continue on to their spawning grounds. The average number of fish that have made it in the past decade is just over 200. These salmon undertake a journey of 900 miles upriver, ascending over 6,000 feet to reach the Sawtooth Basin for spawning. Notably, the first sockeye arrived at the fish trap in Stanley on July 23rd.