Scientists Present Shad Findings To NW Power/Conservation Council; No Indication Upward Trend Will Level Out
November 18th, 2021
The most abundant anadromous fish in the Columbia River basin is not salmon, nor is it steelhead. It is non-native shad, which outnumbers the basin’s iconic species in the river by millions of fish.
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Wild Coho Run Hits Record Numbers On Clackamas River; Passage Over Willamette Falls Far Above Average
November 11th, 2021
Coho salmon are returning to Oregon’s Clackamas River in numbers not seen since 1958 when Portland General Electric’s North Fork Dam was built on the river. With 9,370 early- and late-run fish this year, coho return numbers are far outpacing last year’s run, which tallied just 3,782 of the fish.
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Like Columbia River, Washington Coast Sees Worst Steelhead Returns Ever, Likely To Get Worse; WDFW Mulls Angling Restrictions
November 4th, 2021
After a year with the worst return of steelhead to Washington’s coastal streams, the state’s fishery agency is saying the run is in decline and will likely get worse until ocean conditions improve.
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Alaska 2021 Commercial Salmon Harvest Shows Huge Increase Over 2020 In Both Value, Fish Harvested
November 4th, 2021
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has published preliminary harvest and value figures for the 2021 Alaska Commercial Salmon Fishery, showing a huge increase over 2020 in both value and numbers of fish harvested.
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Condit Dam Removed 10 Years Ago: Some Salmon/Steelhead Moving Above Dam Site, Most Spawning Remains In Lower River Miles
October 28th, 2021
This week marked the 10th anniversary of the removal of the 125-foot high Condit Dam on the White Salmon River in southern Washington. As anticipated, after 10 years as a free-flowing river, salmon and steelhead are returning to the White Salmon, but perhaps not yet in the numbers that meet the stream’s potential.
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2021 Wrap Up: Low Fall Chinook, Sockeye, Spring Chinook, Steelhead Returns To Columbia River, Record-Breaking Coho Run
October 21st, 2021
In-season management of Columbia River fisheries came to an end this week as Oregon and Washington held this year’s final two-state Columbia River Compact hearing after a spring, summer and fall of mixed salmon and steelhead returns.
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Once Extinct, Now Re-Introduced Coho Passing Lower Granite Dam In Big Numbers; Fishing Opened On Grande Ronde, Clearwater, Snake
October 14th, 2021
Once extirpated in much of the Snake River basin, coho salmon are making a big return this year to basin tributaries, allowing Idaho and Oregon to open rivers to coho angling. Both states announced this month the opening of coho angling in the Grande Ronde and Clearwater rivers.
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Another Year Of Low Numbers Of Idaho Steelhead Passing Lower Granite Prompts Harvest Restrictions; Clearwater Wild Spawners Expected To Be About 2,500 Fish
October 14th, 2021
With a run of steelhead into Idaho that is one-third of the 10-year average and the third worst run in the last ten years, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game is dialing back the number of fish that recreational anglers can retain to one per day and three in possession.
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With Few Snake River Sockeye Making It To Sawtooth Basin, Endangered Fish Hang On With Captive Breeding, Outplanting Adults Into Lakes
September 30th, 2021
So far just 42 sockeye salmon completed the 900-mile swim through eight dams from the Pacific Ocean to Idaho’s Sawtooth Basin, an even lower return of the endangered fish to the basin than in 2015 when warm water in the Columbia and Snake rivers killed 90 percent of the run before they arrived at Ice Harbor Dam.