Fish and Game releases updated steelhead numbers

Idaho Fish and Game has released the latest data on this year’s steelhead trout return to Upper Salmon, Little Salmon and Snake rivers.

The data stems from how many Idaho hatchery steelhead have passed over the Bonneville Dam on the Oregon and Washington border that are bound for the three rivers in comparison to the last 14 years, Joe DuPont from Idaho Fish and Game explained in an article published by the agency.

According to DuPont, 42,799 steelhead have returned to these three combined areas in 2024 — the highest number seen since 2015.

Of these returning steelhead, 29,000 are returning to the upper Salmon River basin, and 9,200 to Little Salmon River, marking a significant improvement in populations over the past eight years. Meanwhile, 4,900 are returning to Snake River, a similar number to the past two years.

“Another exciting thing about this return is that over 80% of the fish returning to these areas are fish that spent two or three years in the ocean,” DuPont wrote. "That means, not only will we be seeing the biggest return in nine years to these areas, but these fish will also be larger.”

So far, about 33,000 of these steelhead have passed over the Lower Granite Dam in southeastern Washington, spreading out in the Snake River on the Idaho and Washington border upstream to Hells Canyon Dam and in the Salmon River from its mouth upstream past the Pahsimeroi River. This should account for “decent” fishing conditions in the area, according to DuPont.

As for the Clearwater River Basin, over 36,000 hatchery steelhead destined for the basin have passed over the Bonneville Dam this year — “similar to other great years like 2011, 2016 and 2022” according to DuPont. By the time the run is over in the spring, it is estimated that over 25,000 steelhead will pass over the Lower Granite Dam, making for a 69-70% survival rate.

“This return will end up in the top five that we have seen since 2010 and should provide good fishing opportunities throughout the 2024-2025 fall and spring steelhead fisheries,” DuPont wrote.