April 20, 2022 3:30 a.m.

Staff with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is increasing monitoring for North Umpqua summer steelhead returns and is preparing anglers for possible closures.

A release said on May 1st, ODFW will begin conducting a full census count of summer steelhead crossing Winchester Dam instead of the standard estimation. This count, along with historic run size and timing will help biologists decide if angling closures are needed this summer.

The release said similar to recent years, angling near tributary mouths in the mainstem Umpqua will likely be closed this summer to further protect North Umpqua summer steelhead.

In 2021, just 450 wild summer steelhead reached Winchester Dam. That was the lowest count since records began in 1946.

ODFW is asking the public to take steps to help summer steelhead as well. One simple way is to practice good catch-and-release techniques. Tips can be found at: https://myodfw.com/articles/catch-and-release-tips-reduce-fish-mortality