THE DALLES, Ore. — There will be no spring chinook salmon season in the Deschutes River this year due to an anticipated very poor return.
Spring chinook runs — both hatchery and wild origin — have been down for several years, said Rod French, district fish biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
A very low number of hatchery fish are expected back to Round Butte Hatchery.
“Smolt releases from Round Butte have remained constant in recent years, but the number of fish returning has been declining,” French said. “We’re working to determine what’s causing the poor survival of these hatchery releases.”
The fall chinook season will open on Aug. 1.
The wild fall chinook in the Deschutes River is one of the healthiest stocks in the Columbia Basin.
