Idaho’s steelhead forecast is cause for concern, with experts expecting low fish returns

Last year’s Snake River steelhead run, while modest, exceeded preseason forecasts and surprised fisheries managers.

But there was something missing — fish that spend one year in the ocean. That absence is expected to reverberate into this year’s run, which is forecast to be among the lowest on record. The B-run looks especially depressing.

Here’s why. The steelhead run consists of two parts. There is the A-run that is made up of fish that return earlier, according to the calendar, and mostly after spending just one year in the ocean. Then there’s the famed B-run that returns later in the year and most of these fish spend two years in the ocean. Because they spend more time feeding in a rich marine environment, B-run fish are bigger and prized by anglers.

But last year, the A-run was dominated by fish that spent two years in the ocean and was unusually short on one-year fish. Since fisheries managers use a running five-year average to forecast the A-run, last year’s poor return, stacked on top of a string of down years, means this year’s A-run forecast is bleak.

The B-run forecast is calculated in part by counting the number of B-run fish that return prematurely after spending just one year in the ocean. These fish, sometimes called jacks, were largely missing last year as well. That means the fish that stayed in the ocean last year and would be expected to come back this spring likely experienced poor survival.

Joe DuPont, fisheries manager for the agency’s Clearwater Region, said this year’s B-run may be similar to the run in 2019. That run was so low that fall steelhead fishing was closed on the Clearwater River and a small section of the Snake River. The previous year, 2018, saw a return of just 552 jack B-run steelhead.

“The adult return the following year was the worst we have seen, so it doesn’t look good,” he said. “That year we panicked, I think rightfully so, and closed the fishery. Then we ended up getting enough back to make brood and reopened fishing in the spring. So yeah, there is some concern.”

Last year, only 568 one-ocean B’s returned to the Clearwater and a few more will trickle in this spring.

The closure of the steelhead fishery on the Clearwater in 2019 was implemented to ensure hatcheries collected enough adult fish, known as broodstock, to produce the next generation of steelhead. It idled recreational anglers and professional guides, perhaps costing as much as $8.6 million a month to the regional economy.

A closure is not imminent this year. DuPont said the agency will monitor steelhead returns later this summer and propose fishing restrictions if needed. He thinks the forecast is robust enough for hatcheries to meet spawning goals and provide some fishing opportunity.

“It’s close enough to make us nervous. We are going to keep a close eye on that. It wouldn’t be unusual to have restrictive regulations,’’ he said.

Any restrictions that are implemented will serve the dual purpose of making sure hatcheries collect enough fish for spawning and that depressed wild fish are protected as well. DuPont said when fishing is restricted, effort tends to drop and fewer wild fish are caught and released. Anglers must release all wild steelhead they catch.

Chris Donley, fish program manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, also said steelhead anglers can expect restrictions and possibly closures in some areas. Oregon is telling anglers to anticipate restrictive steelhead regulations and some closures on the Columbia River, especially near the mouths of tributaries with cold water. Steelhead bound for the Snake River and upper Columbia River often hang out in the cooler water plumes of tributaries along the lower and middle sections of the Columbia.

In 2019, fisheries managers took other steps to ensure hatcheries made broodstock collection goals. They opened hatchery traps in the fall and left them open longer than normal. They also trapped some steelhead at Lower Granite Dam and trucked them to hatcheries.

“At this point, we are cautious and a little alarmed,” said Becky Johnson of the Nez Perce Tribe. “We are going to have to wait to see how the fish actually come in. We talked about the fact it could be similar to the year we went down to Lower Granite Dam to bring adults back.”