Whychus Creek was once a salmonid sanctuary, historically providing an estimated 42% of spawning habitat in the Upper Deschutes Basin for steelhead such as this.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has implemented angling regulations to protect summer steelhead on the Lower Deschutes River. The restriction comes amid a poor forecast for Columbia River summer steelhead runs this year.

Through July 14, the daily adult salmon and steelhead bag limit may not include more than one hatchery steelhead from the Lower Deschutes River from the markers at the lower end of Moody Rapids downstream to the mouth at the I-84 Bridge.

Restrictions on steelhead fishing have become common in the Lower Deschutes in recent years due to low returns, largely caused by warming ocean conditions that have disrupted food chains.

Jason Seals, an ODFW fish biologist, says the closure is for the Deschutes River’s Thermal Angling Sanctuary, which has been part of the agency’s summer steelhead protection management for several years.

Thermal angling sanctuaries are areas along the Columbia River and its tributaries where fishing is restricted during migration, especially when temperatures rise. The sanctuaries allow fish to rest in cooler waters.

The forecast for steelhead returning to Bonneville Dam this year is 73,900. A year ago the returning steelhead numbers reached 179,154.

According to Seals, steelhead returns to the Lower Deschutes River basin downstream of the Pelton Round Butte project were low in 2024, with about 1,200 wild steelhead returning to spawn upstream of Sherars Falls (which is downstream of the Pelton Round Butte dams).

“Ten years of freshwater drought and poor feeding conditions in the ocean continue to keep steelhead populations depressed,” said Seals.

While the 2025 summer steelhead run is not predicted to be as strong as last year, ODFW fish biologists say more clarity on the run will occur in August and September when fish returns peak at Bonneville Dam.

Additional regulations could be put in place this year as summer steelhead numbers are reported, ODFW said. Similar restrictions are in place for the John Day River and Eagle Creek. Full details are available on the ODFW website.