F&G director issues conservation closure for sturgeon fishing on portion of CJ Strike Reservoir

To protect sturgeon amid abnormally low dissolved oxygen levels and high water temperatures in a portion of CJ Strike Reservoir, Idaho Fish and Game Director Jim Fredericks on July 31 signed a conservation closure order for sturgeon fishing in the portion of the Snake River arm between Canyon Creek and Rattlesnake Creek, effective Aug. 2 until Sept. 25, 2026.

Idaho Fish and Game will be posting signs at access points on the Snake River arm of CJ Strike Reservoir to notify anglers of the closure and working closely with Idaho Power Company to monitor water conditions in the closure area on a weekly basis.

The purpose of this closure is to minimize additional stress and mortality while these conditions in the reservoir exist. In recent weeks, Fish and Game has verified 16 dead sturgeon found within the closure area, ranging in size between 5 and 9 feet. It is the second mortality event of this magnitude in four years. Prior to the last one in 2022 , it was unprecedented. Biologists' concerns for this population have escalated since then.

This sturgeon population, Idaho's second largest, has shrunk by 15% since 2022. In recent years, natural reproduction has been inconsistent at best, and at worst, nonexistent.

"The population is declining, and we cannot afford additional mortality at this point." said State Fisheries Manager Joe Kozfkay.

Add that to the fact that these fish take nearly a lifetime to replace - between 50 and 70 years to reach a length of around 9 feet - the closure of this portion of the sturgeon fishery was necessary to conserve a resource treasured by Idaho anglers.

With current conditions closely mirroring those seen in 2022 - namely, water temperatures and dissolved oxygen levels within this segment of the reservoir that are near or at levels lethal to white sturgeon without additional stressors - fishery managers are hoping this year's temporary closure might help achieve a similar outcome.

"We saw a very similar picture in 2022, and the mortalities slowed way down after we closed the fishery," said Art Butts, Regional Fisheries Manager. "We can't say the closure directly resulted in fewer fish dying, but removing an additional stressor when environmental conditions alone had these fish against the ropes didn't hurt then, and it's the appropriate course of action now."