November 24, 2021 4:00 a.m.

The North Umpqua River is reopening to winter steelhead angling December 1st.

A release from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said that is from the marker below Soda Springs Dam to where the North meets the mainstem Umpqua River near River Forks Park.

All wild winter steelhead in the Umpqua Basin must be released unharmed.

ODFW closed the North Umpqua River August 10th to all angling to protect wild summer steelhead due to low returns, low flows, and high-water temperatures.

The release said preliminary wild summer steelhead counts as of mid-September show returns are about 10 percent of average, or 350 fish. Counts are determined from Winchester Dam video of migrating fish. Staff monitor summer steelhead using snorkel counts in Steamboat and Canton Creeks, which were also low.

Hatchery winter steelhead angling opens as usual December 1st on the South Umpqua River.

ODFW said anglers who harvest winter steelhead are reminded to return the snout to an ODFW collection barrel for a chance to win a $50 gift card if their fish is coded wire tagged. This is the fourth year of an ongoing study to determine hatchery fish release timing that best benefits anglers.

Collection barrels are located at popular boat ramps around the Umpqua Basin and in Roseburg at Sportsman’s Warehouse and outside the ODFW office on the North Umpqua Highway. Bags for the snouts and tags with date and location of harvest are in the barrels.