Status of

Steelhead in

Oregon

Pacific Coast Steelhead

Management MeetingKevin Goodson

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

March 20, 2018

Distinct Population Segments

(DPS)

• Seven DPSs in Oregon– Snake

– Mid-Columbia

– Lower Columbia

– Southwest Washington

– Upper Willamette

– Oregon Coast

– Klamath Mountains Province

Snake Steelhead Current Status

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

5500

6000

6500

7000N

atura

l O

rigin

Spaw

ner

Abundan

ce

Spawning Year

Natural Origin Spawner Abundance for the Grande Ronde

Upper Mainstem summer steelhead population

Mid-C Steelhead Current Status

John Day

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

20000

22000

24000

26000

28000

30000

Nat

ura

l O

rigin

Spaw

ner

Abundan

ce

Spawning Year

Natural Origin Spawner Abundance for the John Day Summer

Steelhead Major Population Group

Deschutes

Deschutes Wild and Hatchery STS Escapement

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

Wild Hatchery Linear (Hatchery)

Lower Columbia DPS

Current Status

Hood River

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 2011 2014

Nu

mb

er

of

Ad

ult

sHood River Winter Steelhead

Wild Hatchery

Extinction Risk

Very High

High

Moderate

Low

Very Low

Upper Willamette DPS

Southwest Washington DPS

Big Creek

Wild Escapement at Big Creek Weir

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

DPS

Estimated Spawners Oregon Coast DPS

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

200,000

Est

imate

d W

ild

Ad

ult

Sp

aw

ner

s

Oregon Coast Linear (Oregon Coast)

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 2003 2008 2013

Num

ber

of

Ad

ult

s

Salmonberry River - Nehalem

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014

Num

ber

of

Wil

d A

dult

s

North Umpqua Summer Steelhead

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

Num

ber

of

Wil

d A

dult

sNorth Umpqua Winter Steelhead

DPS

Rogue River

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

45000

Num

ber

of

Ad

ult

s

Rogue Summer Steelhead

Oregon Challenges

• Sea Lion predation at Willamette Falls.

• Naturally spawning hatchery fish.

• Residual hatchery fish.

• Introgression.

• Tributary overshoot in the Columbia.

• Monitoring steelhead abundance and

productivity.

?

Evaluating Wild Steelhead Harvest

• New wild steelhead harvest fisheries proposed

in three coastal sub-basins as part of Coastal

Multi-species Conservation and Management

Plan (CMP).

• Two implemented last year with goal of

keeping harvest <10%.

Salmon River Fishery

• ODFW committed to

evaluating impact.

• Small coastal basin with

good steelhead habitat.

• Basin-wide redd surveys

to estimate spawner

abundance.

• Creel to assess fishery.

Salmon River Fishery

• Open Dec. 1 through March 31.

• Primarily bank angling.

• Bag limit: 1 per day, 3 per year.

• Bait allowed Jan1 to March 31.

• 3 person crew conducting creel/spawning

surveys.

Preliminary Evaluation – Year 1

• Roving surveys and pressure counts used to

estimate catch-per-unit-effort, effort per angler

and total anglers.

• 113 anglers counted over the season,

– 194 hours of trips, 24 steelhead caught – 19

released, 5 harvested

• Estimated total catch = 356

• Retention rate of 20.8% = 74 steelhead

harvested – 59 wild.

Preliminary Evaluation – cont’d

• 17 spawning/redd surveys (~1 km ea.)

conducted on 7-14 day rotation.

• Randomly selected and spatially balanced.

• Surveyed January through April.

• Estimated 338 redds, 579 spawners (70

hatchery strays).

• Including C&R mortality & harvest = 579 wild

steelhead entered river.

• Harvest rate estimated @ 10.2%.

Thanks!