the film
forum
library
tutorial
contact
Ecology and salmon related articles

Steelhead Harvest Closed
by Idaho Fish and Game

by Benito Baeza
1310 KLIX, August 16, 2017

Steelhead, Salmon River. (Photo by Roger Phillips/Idaho Fish and Game) TWIN FALLS, Idaho -- Hatchery steelhead harvest will come to an end beginning Thursday in Idaho to ensure the species survival. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game announced this week that catch and release fishing will continue to be allowed. Managers say a very small amount, 400, of steelhead have passed the Lower Granite Dam west of Lewiston, Idaho. Usually, the ten-year average for mid-August is 6,000 fish.

Although only a fraction of the steelhead run has crossed Lower Granite Dam, fisheries managers are tracking the run as it moves upstream. Historic run data shows that by Aug. 15, about half of the fish should have already crossed Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River, which is the first dam where the fish are counted. Through Aug. 14, only 3,900 Idaho steelhead have crossed Bonneville.
Hatchery steelhead have what is called a adipose-clipped fin while wild steelhead do not. Anglers have always been required to catch and release wild steelhead since 1987. Idaho fish and Game say closing harvest will help boost broodstock numbers at hatcheries to produce the next generation of fish.

Related Pages:
F&G Cancels Fall Steelhead Harvest by Greg Moore, Idaho Mountain Express, 8/18/17
Fisheries Managers Forecast 'Unprecedentedly Low' Summer Steelhead by George Plaven, East Oregonian, 5/22/17


Benito Baeza
Steelhead Harvest Closed by Idaho Fish and Game
1310 KLIX, August 16, 2017

See what you can learn

learn more on topics covered in the film
see the video
read the script
learn the songs
discussion forum
salmon animation