The Deschutes River will remain open for steelhead fishing this fall, after enough unmarked steelhead have passed Bonneville Dam.

As of Aug. 15, more than 24,000 unmarked summer steelhead have passed Bonneville Dam since July 1. At least 23,100 needed to pass between July 1 and Aug. 31 to keep the Deschutes River open past Sept. 14.

The John Day River is likely to be open for hatchery summer steelhead this fall as fishery managers predict the river will meet its threshold of 26,000 unmarked steelhead passing Bonneville. Most returns to the John Day are natural origin steelhead and recreational fishing is meant to target hatchery strays before they spawn.

Data shows a strong statistical correlation between passage at Bonneville Dam and abundance in tributaries like the Deschutes and John Day.

The Umatilla River also remains open to hatchery steelhead fishing this fall and the fishery also targets hatchery strays. However, the Walla Walla steelhead fishing closure will continue. Beginning in 2024, the Walla Walla will be closed under permanent regulations.

Portions of the Imnaha and Grande Ronde will also be open to hatchery steelhead Sept. 1-Dec. 31 per permanent regulations.

Wild upriver summer steelhead are destined for areas throughout the Columbia and Snake River basins, including the Deschutes and John Day. They enter freshwater from May through October and pass above Bonneville Dam starting in July. Unlike winter steelhead, they take several months to mature and don’t spawn until the following spring. Returns to the Columbia and Snake River basins have been poor for seven straight years.

As of Aug. 15, this year’s upriver summer steelhead run to the upper Columbia and Snake River Basins totals 53,116 fish since July 1. While still poor, the run is coming in at 140 percent of the five-year average or about 65 percent of the recent 10-year average.

In 2021, steelhead fishing was closed on the Deschutes River for the first time since 1978 due to low returns.