If you've ever wondered where steelhead go in the ocean after they've spawned in rivers, you're not alone. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists want to know, too.
ODFW biologists in Southern Oregon are putting satellite "pop-off" tags on 10 adult winter steelhead in the Rogue and Chetco rivers this spring. The goal is to tag "kelts" -- the fish that have successfully spawned and are heading back to sea.
Unlike Pacific salmon, steelhead can spawn multiple times and have a much broader ocean distribution.
Steelhead are rarely encountered in commercial fisheries like salmon are, so much less is known about their distribution, migration routes, depth at sea and more.
Although this work is not a broadscale multi-year research project, it will provide much information and add to biological knowledge of Rogue-South Coast winter steelhead. It is also the first winter steelhead satellite tagging of kelts in Oregon.
Tags are programmed for 180 days of data collection and will transmit position, temperature and depth when a tag comes close enough to the surface. Satellite tags must be near the water's surface to transmit data.
Anglers are reminded that all radio-tagged fish must be immediately released unharmed.
