Friday April 17, 2026
The Bulletin —
The Upper Deschutes Basin is seeing one of its strongest steelhead returns in years, but the comeback is being driven almost entirely by hatchery fish, state biologists say.
Steelhead returns above the Pelton-Round Butte dam complex remain high, though this year’s numbers are slightly below last year’s record. As of mid-March, 884 adult summer steelhead had been passed upstream for reintroduction, making it the second-highest total on record.
However, the increase is largely the result of management decisions rather than a surge in wild fish.
“The increase over the last two years is primarily driven by a new adaptive management strategy,” said Jerry George, a fish biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
State and tribal biologists have been passing surplus broodstock steelhead from Round Butte Hatchery above the dams to boost spawning numbers, George said.