Visual and genetic stock identification of a test fishery to forecast Columbia River spring Chinook salmon stocks 2 weeks into the future.

Modern fisheries management strives to balance opposing goals of protection for weak stocks and opportunity for harvesting healthy stocks. Test fisheries can aid management of anadromous fishes if they can forecast the strength and timing of an annual run with adequate time to allow fisheries planning. Integration of genetic stock identification (GSI) can further maximize utility of test fisheries by resolving run forecasts into weak- and healthy-stock subcomponents.