Deschutes River Open to Summer Steelhead

Photo: Bonnie Moreland/Flickr

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announced at the beginning of August that the Deschutes River will remain open to summer steelhead fishing. This is thanks to the return of more than 21,000 unmarked fish past Bonneville Dam since July 1. While that number is lower than the 20-year average, it’s the highest to-date run in a decade.

Steelhead have faced consistent threats over the past decades, and closure to any and all fishing has become a frequent occurrence. That the Deschutes gets to stay open for summer steelhead season is a win, but it also underscores the importance of restoring and conserving these fish.

“It is still early in the year, but if this year’s Columbia Basin overall summer steelhead run comes in above forecast, as it is currently tracking, that would be a welcome uptick from the very low levels we have been at,” said Tucker Jones, ODFW Columbia River Program Manager. “It would show us that these populations are resilient and still possess inherent productivity that will allow them to bounce back to truly healthy and abundant levels if we give them a chance.”

ODFW also said that “The John Day, Umatilla, Grand Ronde and Imnaha Rivers are also on track to be open under permanent regulations. These fisheries use PIT tag returns over Bonneville and Ice Harbor dams to determine if runs are healthy enough to allow for fishing. Summer steelhead don’t return to these rivers until later in the year.”