Deschutes River closes to steelhead, salmon fishing starting Aug. 15 due to poor steelhead run

THE DALLES, Ore.—Steelhead and salmon fishing will close on the Deschutes River Aug. 15, to protect wild upriver summer steelhead and consistent with ODFW's Deschutes River Steelhead Management Framework.

The Framework requires protective action when returns fall below established thresholds. Just 7,388 wild steelhead have passed Bonneville Dam since July 1. A minimum of 9,900 wild steelhead need to pass between July 1-31 for the fishery to remain open under the Framework.

While anglers can currently only keep hatchery steelhead on the Deschutes, fishing pressure and fish handling does cause indirect mortality to wild fish. Diminished runs also pose challenges for collecting adequate numbers of hatchery broodstock.

The Framework was developed in 2021 in response to record low steelhead returns that closed steelhead fishing on the popular Deschutes River for the first time in decades. It is meant to provide transparency on what management actions will be taken and when, so anglers, guides and local communities can prepare.

Chinook and coho salmon fishing will also close in areas of the Deschutes River closed to steelhead fishing, again to conserve steelhead. Normally, Chinook salmon fishing is open from the I-84 bridge to Sherars Falls from Aug. 1-Oct. 31 and coho is open Aug. 1-Dec. 31. Salmon fishing will remain open from Sherars Falls downstream to the railroad trestle from Aug. 1-Oct. 31.

Returns of upriver summer steelhead (those destined for areas upstream of Bonneville Dam including the Snake River Basin) have been poor for over a decade.‌ The runs of most concern, upriver A/B-Index summer steelhead, don't enter the lower Columbia River until early summer and start passing Bonneville Dam on July 1. After passing Bonneville, these fish must navigate as many as eight dams to reach their spawning grounds in the upper Columbia and its tributaries including the Snake River. This year's poor run could also be influenced by the drought which is causing lower and warmer water in streams critical for migratory salmon and steelhead and other fish.

Closures may continue into the new year. A/B-Index steelhead are still present in the mainstem and tributaries upstream of The Dalles Dam, including the Deschutes, through winter and early spring of the following year.

The poor steelhead return may also impact fishing opportunities in tributaries like the John Day, Umatilla, Grande Ronde and Imnaha. These rivers have their own Frameworks and closure decisions will be made later in the year.

Under the Deschutes Framework, if wild steelhead returns improve in August and exceed 23,100 wild fish by Aug. 31, the Deschutes steelhead fishery can reopen by Sept. 15.

Anglers should be aware of these potential changes and check for in-season regulation changes in their zone before fishing.

Wild upriver summer Columbia River steelhead (those destined for areas upstream of Bonneville Dam) are protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and have been listed as Threatened since the late 1990s. For more information visit, https://myodfw.com/articles/steelhead-management-columbia-snake-river-basins