Idaho’s Steelhead Conundrum

By Dylan McGregor

Idaho steelhead are in peril.

Over the past 10 years an average of 151,687 steelhead have passed Lower Granite Dam (about 30 miles downstream from Lewiston) and headed upstream and into Idaho, Washington and Oregon waters; last year just 87,000 passed Lower Granite; this year biologists expect 60,000 or fewer steelhead to get past the dam, with only a handful of those being the coveted wild fish.

These are the current rules and regulations for steelhead fishing this year.

This makes me think: If our wild fish are in danger of going extinct, should I even wade into the water to catch one? If I do, how will that impact these fish? I know most people think Idahoans are all about potatoes. What they may not realize is that some families have steelhead traditions and a connection to the waters they swim in that are just as deep. And my family is one of them.

Read more about steelhead traditions.

That’s why I moved to Lewiston in 2016, to specifically target steelhead with a spey rod and learn as much as I could about those unique, anadromous fish as possible. Catching steelhead gives me a higher dose of happiness than any other fish. In the moment of “tug-o-steel,” all my worries drift away.

Unfortunately, these fish face incredible odds of survival when returning to their natal waters to spawn—they have to deal with poor ocean conditions and all the predators in the sea; then they have to ascend the Columbia River and pass eight dams, all while being targeted by net fishers and anglers. They never catch a break.

If you're looking for alternatives to steelhead fishing, then this is the article for you.

So, how do I cause the least impact to these fish this season? I could fish a fly with the hook point cut off and not catch another fish this season. Or, I could stop at one fish landed and then fish a hookless fly the rest of the season. Right now, like many of you, I don’t know exactly how I’ll approach this season. I know this: All of us need to be extra kind to these fish, and remember that each catch, whether on the Snake, Ronde or Salmon, is a miracle.