Where Do Steelhead Go in the Ocean? Plus More Fishing News...

Runoff will soon be commencing in some parts of the Rockies, the bass spawn is moving north, the first reports of big tarpon are trickling in, and the next round of Fly Fisherman news briefs is here:

Where Do Steelhead Go in The Ocean?

According to a news release, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) biologists want to know the answer to the question: Where do steelhead go in their ocean journeys after spawning in rivers? To find out, they are putting satellite "pop-off" tags on 10 adult winter steelhead in the Rogue and Chetco rivers this spring, tagging "kelts," or fish known to have already successfully spawned, and heading back out to sea. 

Given their ability to spawn multiple times, steelhead can have a broad oceanic distribution and many in-depth migration routes. While not a comprehensive and broadscale effort, the tags are programmed for 180 days of data collection according to ODFW. During that time, they will transmit position, temperature, and depth when a tag is close enough to the surface to transmit data.

FYI, anglers are reminded by ODFW that all radio-tagged fish must be immediately released unharmed.

Chums Teams Up on Scholarship Partnership

As a part of a new scholarship with Fish For Change, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to sending underprivileged kids on fly fishing journeys to some of the sport’s top destinations, Chums will sponsor a student’s journey to a youth camp at a destination fly fishing lodge this summer in Guanaja, Honduras. This year, that student is Josip Turk, a Colorado high school senior and the first recipient of Chums’ Fish For Change Scholarship.

The one-week-long fly-fishing curriculum provides a focus on education, environmental stewardship, and cultural exchange. Turk’s scholarship application resonated well with the program’s organizers: “I would value the chance to make friends with like-minded kids who treasure the sport of fly fishing for the fun it is, but also as the vehicle for positive change and connection it can be. Making friends with other kids who are involved in conservation and who love to fish would feel like finding my tribe.”

All of that brought a smile to the face of Ben Falkson, marketing director for Chums.

“The students Fish for Change brings together share a passion for the outdoors and sports that take place on the water, strong components of the foundation Chums was built on,” he said. “Connecting with a diverse group of fellow anglers while in high school, on an overseas mission is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many. We’re thrilled to be able to help Josip experience the fly fishing in Honduras.”

Whirling Disease Brings Closures in Canada

After whirling disease was confirmed in British Columbia’s Emerald Lake last September, Parks Canada announced a few days ago that it is closing all bodies of water in BC’s Kootenay and Yoho national parks according to various news reports. The closures, which include fishing activities, will remain in place until next spring. 

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The move comes in response to a threat that Canadian officials note could potentially decimate as much as 90 percent of young trout and salmon, the Vancouver Sun reports that Parks Canada has closed all waterbodies in Kootenay and Yoho national parks until the end of March 2025.

While whirling disease poses no risks to humans, as fly anglers in the American West can confirm after years of dealing with the parasite, whirling disease can prove deadly for trout, salmon, and whitefish as it causes spinal deformities that can make affected fish swim in whirling, erratic circles.

The move by Parks Canada comes after the Emerald Lake discovery last fall, and from additional suspected cases found later in other water bodies including Horse River, Wapta Lake, Finn Creek and Monarch Creek. Park officials deemed the moves necessary to try and protect at-risk species including westslope cutthroat trout and Kokanee salmon.

"Aquatic invasive species, such as the parasite responsible for whirling disease, threaten freshwater ecosystems and native trout populations, harm infrastructure and reduce aquatic recreational opportunities,” said Francois Masse, field superintendent for Parks Canada's Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay national parks, in the Vancouver Sun report.

“Once established, aquatic invasive species may never go away," he added.

Novel Trout Parasite Detected in Oregon Hatcheries

If whirling disease threats in Canada aren't enough, biologists have confirmed the detection of a novel parasite in sick rainbow trout raised in three Oregon hatcheries. 

According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), the confirmation of this novel parasitic infection from fish raised at Klamath Falls, Rock Creek, and Elk River hatcheries is the first time that this parasite has been associated with disease problems in Oregon's hatcheries. 

The problem was first noticed late last year when ODFW fish health and hatchery personnel noticed that there was increased mortality in several raceways of rainbow trout young being raised at the three hatcheries. After testing, no positive results from known pathogens resulted and the trout were treated with two rounds of antibiotics and other measures, but to no avail.

That led to a collaborative effort with Oregon State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Department of Microbiology to determine the cause. Eventually, the parasite was reportedly identified as "...as a Myxidium species in the class Myxozoa which includes over 2,400 parasitic organisms. 

"This parasite has a two-host life cycle. It first infects an invertebrate host such as an aquatic worm, then moves into the water where it infects fish, then leaves the fish to infect a worm again."

The origins of the parasite are unclear and after symptoms were discovered in several raceways, some 160,000 legal-sized rainbow trout (eight to 10 inches) were disposed of from affected raceways in an attempt to stop the spread.

"This is a disappointing loss but allowing the parasite to spread could be much worse and put even more fish at risk," said Dr. Aimee Reed, aquatic veterinarian and ODFW's senior fish pathologist, in a news release. "Situations like this are why Oregon's state hatcheries have vigorous biosecurity measures and monitoring programs."  

In addition to ongoing biosecurity and sampling measures on a monthly basis, ODFW officials indicate that, "hatchery managers have identified approximately 104,000 surplus trout being raised at other hatcheries to cover most of what was lost. Altogether, ODFW's hatcheries raise and release about 3.8 million rainbow trout annually. 

"Trout stocking across the state will be slightly decreased to make up the shortfall, minimizing the effect on any one trout stocking. ODFW will update the trout stocking schedule when more details on final stocking numbers are available."

Montana to Expand Stream Gauge Network

Big Sky State fisheries managers will soon have a better handle on streamflow as almost three dozen new stream gauges are slated be online by next summer, according to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

According to the article, workers with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's Water Sciences Bureau will soon begin installing approximately 32 new stream gauges across the Big Sky.

“We’re trying to hit all the key parts of water use in Montana," Matthew Norberg, hydrologist and data section supervisor with the Water Science Bureau, said.

New Trout Unlimited Map for Priority Waters

Trout Unlimited recently released a map of priority waters it is targeting.

Even though the organization says that more than 1.5 million miles of America's trout and salmon waters are degraded, TU and its partners, working together in collaborative, strategic and tireless fashion–can rise to the moment and bring positive change where the water runs cold.

"Think of a community coming together: blueprinting ideas, getting their hands dirty, raising their voices, to ensure that the next generation experiences the magic of those fish and those waters," notes a TU page dedicated to its Priority Water initiative.

"These are the scenes that motivate the people of Trout Unlimited and inspire our Priority Waters initiative.

"Volunteers who fish and advocates who appreciate the simple beauty of a healthy river, biologists and stream restoration teams, policy pros and organizers—we are all dedicated to caring for and recovering America's waters, for today and for the future."

If you'd like to see the video accompanying the effort, visit the TU website. See the map here.

Klamath River Dam Removal Update

Recent heavy rains are helping the Klamath River remove decades of sediment buildup behind soon-to-be-removed dams.

Officials with NOAA Fisheries and the Bureau of Reclamation are working with tribes to release water from upstream dams, creating high flows to move the sediment downstream.

This is a critical step in restoring the Klamath River's health and salmon populations. Dams had slowed the river and created stagnant reservoirs with poor water quality. Removing the dams will reopen hundreds of miles of spawning habitat for salmon.

“We want to give the river as much chance as we can to do its work while the sediment is ready to move,” said Jim Simondet, Klamath Branch Supervisor in NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Region. He said the agency has coordinated with other agencies and tribes on a technical team that is using real-time information from river gauges to manage flows. The goal is to maximize the amount of sediment moving downriver while reducing risk to fish released from hatcheries and others migrating in the river.

While the high flows will increase turbidity in the short-term, this is expected and part of the restoration plan. Biologists say the long-term benefits outweigh the temporary impacts.

Similar dam removal projects have shown rivers recovering quickly, with positive impacts on fish populations. The Klamath River's water quality remains within expected levels so far.

Removal of these dams is expected to begin in May, after peak spring flows subside. 

Regarding the first two removed dams, watch the videos below for an update from Patagonia, CalTrout, and others. 

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Lynn Burkhead is a senior digital editor with Outdoor Sportsman Group.