Thursday February 15, 2024
Stockton Record —
A new record for the number of steelhead returning to the Mokelumne River has been set this year. A total of 1,749 steelhead, including 968 adults and 781 fish under 18 inches, have come back to the system this season.
The previous record for total steelhead was in 2018 when the hatchery reported 530 adults and 638 juveniles, a total of 1168 fish. However, there was another year when the total number of adults was over 700 fish.
The majority of steelhead are in the 18 to 24 inch range, with a few larger fish mixed in, reported William Smith, manager of the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery. One of the steelhead returning this year weighed 13-1/2 pounds, but it was apparently from Nimbus Fish Hatchery on the American River.