Steelhead Trapping and Management Activities

Siletz River Basin, 2014-2015

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Mid-Coast Fish District
810 SW Alder Street, Unit C
Newport OR 97365

Matt Weinrich
Jitesh Pattni
July 2016

Background
The Siletz River basin is unique in that it contains runs of six species of anadromous salmonids
(Chinook salmon, coho salmon, chum salmon, summer and winter steelhead, and sea-run
cutthroat trout). The Siletz is the only coast range basin in Oregon with a native run of summer
steelhead.
It is thought that summer steelhead evolved in the Siletz River Basin because the Siletz Falls
(river mile 64.5) was only passable to anadromous fish during summer low flows levels. With
the construction of the fish ladder around the falls in 1952, the upper basin was opened for the
first time to anadromous fish species that migrate in the winter, thus eliminating the competitive
advantage for summer steelhead (ODFW 1997). By the mid 1990s wild Siletz summer steelhead
returns had declined severely, prompting the Oregon Fish and Wildlife commission to approve
major changes in fish management in the upper Siletz. Since 1994, species thought to compete
with summer steelhead for rearing habitat have been prevented from accessing areas above the
Siletz Falls; and the fish ladder and trap have been operated year round since 1994 to control fish
passage to the upper Siletz River Basin. To this end the trap is used for monitoring purposes,
collection of winter and summer steelhead hatchery brood stock, and capture surplus hatchery
steelhead to minimize hatchery fish from spawning upstream of Siletz Falls.

Objectives
The objective of this effort is to implement components of Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlifes (ODFW) steelhead management activities within the Siletz basin. Components
include:
1. Implementation of the Siletz wild summer steelhead recovery project.
2. Implementation of Siletz basin hatchery programs for summer and winter steelhead to
augment sport fisheries.
3. Monitoring of steelhead and other anadromous fish species.
Activities to accomplish these objectives include year round operation of the Siletz Falls fish
trapping facility. The disposition of captured steelhead and other fish species are carried out as
specified in the Coastal Multiple Species Conservative and Management Plan (ODFW 2014),
Siletz Fish Basin Management Plan (ODFW 1997), and other ODFW planning documents.
This report summarizes the results of these activities through December 2015. Data is
summarized through the month of December to provide complete run estimates for summer and
winter steelhead and Chinook.

Summer Steelhead
The Siletz Falls trap is used to control fish access into the wild summer steelhead management
area in the upper Siletz Basin. Wild summer steelhead are passed up stream; while hatchery
summer steelhead are used for brood stock, given to the Lincoln County and Siletz Tribe food
share programs, used for stream enrichment, recycled downstream, or placed in a local reservoir
to provide additional angling opportunities.

Return of wild summer steelhead has increased over the past three years (Figure 1). The return to
the Siletz Falls trap through December consisted of 1882 hatchery and 335 wild in 2014 and
3185 hatchery and 493 wild summer steelhead in 2015 (Table 1). The 2015 wild run was an
average return when compared to the last 10 years. However, the hatchery run had been the
highest run in the last ten years. Peak run timing is typically July through August (Figure 2). The
run timing is consistent with the preceding ten year run timing, which indicates brood stock
collection is mimicking the wild run (Figure 3).
Figure 1: Summer steelhead captured at the Siletz Falls trap from 1969-72 and 1992-2015, along
with annual hatchery smolt release.
Summer Steelhead Returns to Siletz Falls Trap and Annual Hatchery Smolt
Release
4500

Number of Fish

4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
69

71

93
Wild

95

97

99

Hatchery

01

03

05

07

09

11

13

15

Smolt In Hundreds

Falls trap from 1969-72 and 1992-2015, along with annual hatchery smolt release.
*Smolt in hundreds release year corresponds to year N-2 (smolt in year 2000=smolt release of
1998).

Table 1: Estimates of adult steelhead, Chinook Salmon, and Coho Salmon entering the Siletz
Falls trap from 1994 through 2015.
Summer Steelhead Winter Steelhead Coho Salmon
Spring Chinook
Fall Chinook
Year
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015

Wild
153
77
118
44
223
311
419
554
727
892
514
481
562
327
553
564
853
493
527
254
335
493

Hatchery
Wild
1565 (1402) 394
859 (750)
309
1772 (1658) 169
937 (824)
97
2310 (1041) 211
1737 (1011) 240
1494
163
1614
214
2198
248
4133
189
4436
201
1976
242
2437
396
1973
228
2595
160
2544
182
2153
188
1669
136
2769
175
2103
123
1882
56
3185
280

Hatchery
1028
613
254
274
223
142
151
216
289
162
154
282
169
203
90
96
252
147
224
145
156
295

Wild
20
24
9
0
5
1
6
13
68
35
21
19
18
6
13
14
35
18
2
1
30
6

Hatchery
2
106
30
11
7
0
1
36
4
0
0
1
4
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0

Wild
37
140
448
134
86
118
323
593
275
195
362
244
322
107
129
263
320
346
351
466
826
706

Hatchery
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
4
1
4
14
0
3
2
2
7
6
9
13
0

Wild Hatchery
0
0
6
0
19
0
38
0
0
0
0
0
16
0
49
0
4
0
20
0
15
0
10
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
0
1
0
16
0
17
0
0
58

1. All wild summer steelhead and Chinook were passed upstream of the trap. Mass Marking of
all Chinook hatchery smolt releases began around 2002. Prior non marked Chinook trapped
are assumed wild.
2. Some hatchery summer steelhead were passed upstream of the trap until the year 2000 (in
parentheses) and the remainder either planted in Olalla Reservoir, donated to food share
programs, used for stream enhancement, or marked with colored floy tag and released
downstream to enhance the fishery.
3. Wild winter steelhead were used for hatchery brood stock or relocated downstream to Buck
and Sunshine Creeks, or the main stem Siletz.
4. Hatchery winter steelhead were either planted into Olalla reservoir, donated to food share
programs, used for stream enrichment, or marked with colored floy tag and released
downstream to enhance the fishery.
5. Wild Coho were released below the trap. Hatchery Coho and Chinook are donated to food
share programs or used for stream enrichment.
4

Figure 2: 2014 and 2015 run years migration timing of summer steelhead to the Siletz Falls trap.
2014 Summer Steelhead Returns to Siltez Falls Trap

Number of Fish

1000

Wild

Hatchery

800
600
400
200
0
April

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Month

2015 Summer Steelhead Returns to Siltez Falls Trap

Number of Fish

1000

Wild

Hatchery

800
600
400

200
0
April

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Month

Figure 3: Ten year monthly average return of summer steelhead to the Siletz trap.

1000

Summer Steelhead 10 year Average Migration Timing to the Siletz Falls

Trap , 2006 - 2015
Wild

Hatchery

Number of Fish

800
600
400
200
0
May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Month

The 2015 wild summer steelhead return represents the eleventh year of fish coming back from
primarily wild spawning steelhead in areas upstream from the falls. Adults passed upstream of
the falls prior to the year 2000 were composed of large numbers of hatchery summer steelhead.
The increased return of wild adults since the mid 1990s supports the success of the Siletz basin
summer steelhead management.
There were 1,882 hatchery summer steelhead collected at the Siletz Falls trap in 2014 and 3,185
in 2015. Of the 5,067 fish trapped in those two years; 266 were transferred to Cedar Creek
Hatchery for brood stock to produce a target of 50,000 Siletz summer steelhead smolt annually,
2552 were donated to local food share programs, 1104 were used for stream enrichment, 1037
were recycled back into the local fishery and 31 were brought to classrooms for educational
dissections.
The summer steelhead hatchery program provides for an excellent summer sport fishery. The
primary bank fishing locations are from Moonshine Park up to the fishing deadline below the
Siletz Falls. During the early portion of the return, when adequate flow persist, the drift boat
fishery is accessible from Moonshine downstream to tidewater. This program gives sport anglers
an opportunity to harvest hatchery summer steelhead, as represented in the most recent catch
card estimates (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Sport harvest of Siletz hatchery summer steelhead from catch card estimates 19942014; the 2015 sport harvest estimate is not available.
Sport Harvest of Siletz Hatchery Summer Steelhead
3000

Number of Fish

2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14
Year

Fish that were recycled from the Siletz Falls trap (RM 64.5) were marked with a red floy tag in
2014, and green in 2015. Recycled fish were released down river at either Mill Park (RM 36) or
Moonshine Park (RM 52.5) with the intent of increasing angler harvest. In 2014, 42% of the
tagged fish were accounted for; 246 at the trap and 36 by anglers (Table 2). A total of 145 (37%)
of the recycled fish were accounted for in 2015; 127 recovered at the trap and 18 by anglers. The
reported catch by anglers is dependent on voluntary reports and likely underestimates the actual
total.
Table 2: Hatchery summer steelhead recycling summary.
Siletz Falls
Siletz Falls
Angler
Mill Cr.
Total %
Year
Recycled
Recovery
Report * Recovery Recovery
2003
1242
179
12
2
16%
2004
1589
232
34
5
17%
2005
660
128
15
1
22%
2006
775
133
23
5
20%
2007
469
152
24
0
37%
2008
967
120
45
3
17%
2009
650
206
35
0
37%
2010
878
442
29
0
54%
2011
801
272
35
0
38%
2012
779
258
35
1
37%
2013
764
292
28
2
42%
2014
669
246
36
0
42%
2015
393
127
18
0
37%
* The reported catch by anglers is dependent on voluntary reports and likely
underestimates the actual total.

Winter Steelhead
Winter steelhead hatchery production for the Siletz Basin was derived by taking 72 winter
steelhead to Alsea Hatchery for spawning in 2014; 15 of those were hatchery and 57 wild. The
2015 hatchery winter steelhead was produced from a combination of 20 hatchery and 84 wild
winter steelhead.
The adult steelhead were used to produce a target of 50,000 smolt annually for release into the
Siletz Basin from the Palmer Creek acclimation facility. Prior to 1996, smolt releases were of the
traditional Alsea brood stock. All remaining wild winter steelhead captured at the Siletz Falls
fish trap were released into the Siletz River or Siletz River tributaries; including Buck, Elk, and
Sunshine Creeks.
The total number of winter steelhead entering the Siletz Falls trap during the 2014 run was 212
fish, consisting of 56 (26.4%) wild fish and 153 (73.6%) hatchery fish (Figure 5). The migration
timing of wild and hatchery returns (Figure 6) for 2013-14 has been consistent with the last ten
years; even though 2014 was one of the lowest winter steelhead returns at the Siletz trap in the
last 10 years. The trap was run continuously throughout the winter steelhead run except during
the high water events; when the trap was closed. For the 2015 run a total of 575 winter steelhead
had been captured in the Siletz basin, consisting of 280 (49%) wild fish and 295 (51%) hatchery
fish.
Figure 5: Winter steelhead captured at the Siletz Falls fish trap and hatchery smolt releases.
Siletz Falls Trap Winter Steelhead Returns and Annual Hatchery Smolt Release
1100

1000

Number of Fish

900
800
700
600
500
400

300
200
100
0

94

95

96

97

98

99

00

Wild

01

02

03

04

Hatchery

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

12

13

14

15

Smolt In Hundreds

*Smolt in hundreds release year corresponds to year N-2 (smolt in year 2000=smolt release of
1998).

Figure 6: The migration timing of winter steelhead to the Siletz Falls trap. The 2014 run timing
(top) and the prior ten year monthly average (bottom).
2014 Winter Steelhead Migration Timing to Siletz Falls Trap

100
Number of Fish

Wild
80

Hatchery

60
40
20
0
Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

June

Month

Winter Steelhead Average Migration Timing to Siletz Falls Trap, 2005-2014

80
Number of Fish

Wild
Hatchery

60
40
20
0

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar
Month

Apr

May

June

10

Figure 7: The migration timing of winter steelhead to the Siletz Falls trap. The 2015 run timing
(top) and the prior ten year monthly average (bottom).
2015 Winter Steelhead Migration Timing to Siletz Falls Trap

100
Number of Fish

Wild
80

Hatchery

60
40
20
0
Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

June

Month
Winter Steelhead Average Migration Timing to Siletz Falls Trap, 2006-2015
80
Number of Fish

Wild
60

Hatchery

40
20

0
Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar
Month

Apr

May

June

The hatchery and winter steelhead (2014/2015) run captured at the Siletz Falls fish trap is
handled similarly to the hatchery summer steelhead program. They are either:
1. Transported to Olalla Reservoir to provide for the sport fishery (122/61 fish);
2. Donated to local food share programs (13/5 fish);
3. Placed as carcasses for stream enrichment (103/255 fish);
4. Used in classroom dissections (11/43 fish); or
5. Recycled downstream to contribute to the Siletz River and Palmer Creek steelhead
fisheries (49/23 fish).

11

Winter steelhead recycling has been reduced in recent time (Table 3). No winter steelhead are
passed above the Siletz Falls trap.
Table 3: Winter steelhead recycling summary.
Siletz
Siletz
Palmer
Palmer
Angler Mill Cr.
Total
Total %
Year Falls
Falls
Cr.
Cr.
Report Recovery Recycled Recovery
Recycled Recovery Recycled Recovery
2003
40
3
108
13
0
0
148
11%
2004
29
1
162
15
3
1
191
9%
2005
90
11
87
0
4
0
177
6%
2006
26
0
72
2
0
0
98
2%
2007
18
0
218
8
0
2
236
4%
2008
4
0
145
2
0
0
149
1%
2009
0
0
12
0
0
0
12
0%
2010
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
n/a
2011
21
0
7
1
0
0
28
4%
2012
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
n/a
2013
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
n/a
2014
49
0
114
0
0
0
163
0%
2015
23
0
12
0
0
0
35
0%

12

At the Palmer Creek trap, there were 220 hatchery winter steelhead captured during the 2013-14
run. Fin clips indicated that all were from smolt released at the acclimation site on Palmer Creek
(Table 4). In total, 469 adult hatchery winter steelhead were recovered in traps from the Palmer
Creek hatchery smolt release (220 at Palmer Creek, 156 at the Siletz Falls, 28 at Schooner Creek,
and 65 at the ODFW monitoring trap in Mill Creek near Logsden). For the 2014-15 run, 40 adult
hatchery winter steelhead were caught at the Palmer Creek trap, 295 at the Siletz Falls, 106 at
Schooner Creek and 62 at Mill Creek; totaling 525 hatchery winter steelhead.
Table 4: Adult anadromous fish entering the Palmer Creek fish trap through 2015.
Winter Steelhead
Coho
Year
Wild
Hatchery
Wild
Hatchery
1998
4
157
0
0
1999
4
131
0
0
2000
2
19
0
0
2001
1
74
0
1
2002
8
882
3
0
2003
15
198
0
0
2004
1
179
0
0
2005
0
251
34
0
2006
3
100
0
0
2007
2
287
10
0
2008
3
362
0
0
2009
3
38
4
0
2010
2
46
0
0
2011
4
140
5
0
2012
0
348
11
0
2013
3
57
12
0
2014
3
220
0
0
2015
0
40
0
0

13

The Palmer Creek hatchery steelhead program provided a good fishery for the 2013-14 run
(Figure 8). The 2014 harvest was above the average harvest rate for the 10 year period indicated
by catch cards. 2015s harvest estimate is not yet available.
Figure 8: Sport harvest from hatchery winter steelhead from catch cards.

Hatchery Winter Steelhead Harvest on the Siletz River

Number of Fish

4000

3000

2000

1000

0
94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14
Year

Wild, Hatchery Steelhead Trap Catches

The hatchery summer and winter steelhead programs are managed to provide a recreational
fishery while minimizing the incidence of hatchery fish spawning in natural habitats. For the
Siletz Basin there are two fish traps other than the Siletz Falls trap for monitoring wild to
hatchery fish ratios. One is Mill Creek, located approximately 3.5 river miles below Palmer
Creek (the release location of hatchery winter steelhead smolt). The second trap is located on
Schooner Creek, which drains into the Siletz Bay near Lincoln City. Both traps are operated
from late fall through spring. Siletz Basin trapping results indicate that a small overall percent of
the returning hatchery winter steelhead are collected at the Palmer Creek smolt release site
(Table 5). It is thought that Palmer Creek does not consistently have sufficient flows to draw fish
into the trap except during higher water events.

14

Table 5: Hatchery winter steelhead returns and sport harvest from corresponding smolt releases.
Palmer Creek
Siletz Falls
Mill Creek
Total
Smolt Sport Harvest2
3
Year
Recovery
Recovery
Recovery
Recovery
1
Release
Actual Percent Actual Percent Actual Percent Actual Percent Actual Percent
94 78,600 1393 1.23%
1028 0.32%
2421 1.55%
95 79,900 1259 1.78%
624 0.34%
1883 2.13%
96 41,700 967 4.75%
252 0.53%
1219 5.29%
97 55,100 1424 2.92%
274 0.28%
1698 3.19%
98 52,600 1981 3.10% 157 0.04% 223 0.29% 34 0.01% 2395 3.43%
99 50,100 1607 0.56% 131 0.15% 153 0.43% 28 0.03% 1919 1.17%
0
57,000 1631 2.02% 19 1.55% 151 0.50%
4
0.09% 1805 4.16%
1
56,600 282 4.67% 74 0.35% 216 0.29% 13 0.01% 585 5.32%
2
53,300 1151 3.35% 882 0.34% 287 0.29% 51 0.33% 2371 4.31%
3
59,000 2646 4.20% 198 0.43% 162 0.51%
6
0.18% 3012 5.32%
4
29,100 1787 6.42% 179 0.34% 154 0.58% 175 0.28% 2295 7.63%
5
55,600 2476 3.77% 251 0.52% 301 0.37% 108 0.15% 3136 4.81%
6
54,400 1868 3.70% 100 0.67% 169 0.17% 82 0.08% 2219 4.61%
7
54,900 2097 2.46% 287 0.07% 203 0.17% 85 0.08% 2672 2.79%
8
68,700 2011 2.51% 362 0.07% 90 0.37% 46 0.05% 2509 2.99%
9
54,400 1353 4.04% 38 0.26% 96 0.27% 44 0.09% 1531 4.65%
10 52,500 1723 6.23% 46 0.66% 252 0.38% 32 0.14% 2053 7.42%
11 52,000 2196 4.18% 140 0.12% 147 0.50% 49 0.13% 2532 4.91%
12 52,000 3270 4.04% 346 0.43% 201 0.41% 76 0.12% 3893 5.00%
13 37,000 2172
60
258
65
2555
14 21,500 2103
223
214
62
2602
15 49,500
16 44,800
(1)

Cooresponding smolt release. Year N-2.

(2)

Sport harvest data is preliminary for 2014 and not available for more recent years.

(3)

Percent of smolt released corresponding to a two salt adult return.

15

Smolt releases for the summer steelhead hatchery program occur in the mainstem Siletz from
Twin Bridges upstream to the steel bridge near Moonshine Park (RM 52.5) with the goal of
collecting returning adults at the Siletz Falls trap (RM 64.5). Results from this program indicate
a relatively high trap recovery rate (Table 6).
Table 6: Hatchery summer steelhead returns and sport harvest from corresponding smolt
releases.
Siletz Falls
Mill Creek
Smolt
Sport Harvest2
Total Recovery3
Recovery
Recovery
Year
1
Release
Actual Percent Actual Percent Actual Percent Actual Percent
94
83,300
1210
1.45%
1565
1.88%
2775
3.33%
95
82,000
570
0.70%
859
1.05%
1429
1.74%
96
81,600
1112
1.36%
1772
2.17%
2884
3.53%
97
80,700
934
1.16%
937
1.16%
1871
2.32%
98
81,700
2292
2.81%
2310
2.83%
29
0.04%
4631
5.67%
99
79,700
1175
1.47%
1760
2.21%
69
0.09%
3004
3.77%
0
43,400
1106
2.55%
1494
3.44%
11
0.03%
2611
6.02%
1
81,300
1016
1.25%
1606
1.98%
0
0.00%
2622
3.23%
2
50,300
1402
2.79%
2193
4.36%
15
0.03%
3610
7.18%
3
77,700
2518
3.24%
4110
5.29%
36
0.05%
6664
8.58%
4
71,700
1848
2.58%
4374
6.10%
44
0.06%
6266
8.74%
5
70,900
1462
2.06%
1976
2.79%
34
0.05%
3472
4.90%
6
55,400
1246
2.25%
2437
4.40%
21
0.04%
3704
6.69%
7
72,900
1458
2.00%
1973
2.71%
30
0.04%
3461
4.75%
8
70,700
1456
2.06%
2595
3.67%
13
0.02%
4064
5.75%
9
80,400
1563
1.94%
2544
3.16%
13
0.02%
4120
5.12%
10
45,000
1760
3.91%
2153
4.78%
6
0.01%
3919
8.71%
11
58,000
1098
1.89%
1669
2.88%
21
0.04%
2788
4.81%
12
80,000
1204
1.51%
2769
3.46%
24
0.03%
3997
5.00%
13
80,000
2041
2.55%
2630
3.29%
3
0.00%
4674
5.84%
14
52,000
887
1.71%
1899
3.65%
6
0.01%
2792
5.37%
15
50,000
3309
6.62%
30
0.06%
(1)

Cooresponding smolt release. Year N-2.

(2)

Sport harvest data is preliminary for 2014 and not available for more recent years.

(3)

Percent of smolt released corresponding to a two salt adult return.

16

Chinook and Coho Salmon

In 2014 the early run component of the Siletz wild Chinook Salmon consisted of 839 fish; which
were passed upstream of the trap. The 2015 return was slightly less with 706 fish that had passed
upstream (Figure 9). Jack returns in 2014 were 33% (277) of the run and 27% (191) in 2015.
Chinook started arriving at the trap in early June and peaked in September (Figure 10), which is
consistent with the preceding 5 year and 10 year periods.
There are few Coho Salmon captured in the Siletz trap. Most Siletz basin Coho spawn in small to
medium size tributaries below the Siletz Falls. The Siletz Falls trap had captured 26 wild Coho
Salmon in 2014 and 10 in 2015 (Table 1). The Coho are tail punched and released immediately
below the fish trap; no Coho are passed above the falls.
Figure 9: Early Chinook return to the Siletz Falls trap.
Early Chinook Returns to the
Siletz Falls Trap

% Jacks

900

100

800

90

700

80

60
500
50
400
40
300

Percent Jacks

70

600
Number of Fish

Total Fish

30

200

20

100

10

0
98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15
Year

17

Figure 10: Early run Chinook migration timing to the Siletz Falls trap for 2014 (Top) and 2015
(Bottom).
Early Run Chinook Migration Timing to the Siletz Falls Trap

500

Number of Fish

450
400

2014
Prior 5 year ave
Prior 10 year ave

350
300
250
200
150
100
50

0
May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Month

Number of Fish

Early Run Chinook Migration Timing to the Siletz Falls Trap

260
240
220
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0

2015
Prior 5 year ave
Prior 10 year ave

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Month

18

References
ODFW. 1997. Siletz Basin Plan.

ODFW. 2014. Coastal Multi-Species Conservation and Management Plan.

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/crp/coastal_multispecies.asp . (June 2016) .

19