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!