2017 Steelhead Run Columbia River
http://www.fpc.org/web/apps/adultsalmon/R_yeartodatecomparisontable_results.php
Steelhead and salmon may be the hallmark of the nw but this year returns look bleak. It appears that the severe drought conditions we had when this year’s stock of fish were headed to the ocean was tragic. Outgoing juvenile steelhead had warm water and very little flow to help them to the ocean that year. The fish that did make it met unfavorable conditions in the ocean where warm currents inhibited the supercharged food growth that these fish thrive on. Here we are two years from then and the surviving adult steelhead returning to the Columbia river are sparse.
Last year’s summer steelhead return was poor at best on the Columbia, this year is much worse. Comparing numbers of fish arriving this year to last year it paints a dismal picture. Last year as of Aug 2 we had 65,041 steelhead over bonneville dam. This year we have had 25,331 steelhead over bonneville dam. Compare that to the 10 year average run by the Aug 2 date of: 113,262. That’s an average year 113,262 by August 2. Most years that ends up being over 300,000 steelhead total for the average run size over Bonneville dam. That means we are talking about steelhead that are headed to tributaries in eastern Washington, eastern Oregon and Idaho. When you look at 25,000 fish compared to 113,000 fish for just an average year it appears that we are going to be hard pressed to find our favorite fish on many of our east side rivers this fall.
On the bright side, the good news is that record snow pack and spring rains helped an unbeleivable number of outgoing smolts this year! Record numbers of wild steelhead smolt counted at various locations in the Columbia basin suggest that two years from now we could be seeing a complete turnaround. Combine that great snow pack and runnoff with better ocean conditions and we could be seeing good things in two years including big smiles on fly fishers faces!
Check this out to see LOTS of great Oregon fishing options that are not depending on steelhead returns at Bonneville dam.
