Bob Oleson
Vice President of Government Affairs

The Steelheaders have been actively engaged on key salmon and steelhead policy matters this legislative session, attending public hearings and providing testimony. The list of priority bills will continue to narrow as meetings occur and filing deadlines pass, but the top threat for our Salmon and Steelhead this session continues to be proposed budget cuts for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

On February 24th, I attended the House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water meeting with Mark Hutchinson, the point person for the Steelheaders on the legislature’s upcoming work on the proposed ODFW budget. You can find a recording of the meeting, copies of the bills considered, and copies of testimony submitted here.

The committee received a presentation on HB 2342 which would increase fishing license fees to support their general fund and specific marine fisheries work. The hearing went smoothly and sets the stage for the mid-March budget hearings where a modest increase in angling fees is anticipated.

The primary ODFW budget bill is HB5009 and at an upcoming Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee hearing, we hope to see restoration of the original agency requests involving hatcheries, law-enforcement, biologists, the anti-poaching program and fish monitoring activities. 

I testified on HB 2977 which, via an increase in the state lodging tax, would fund the state’s wildlife action plan for the 300+ at risk non-game species in our state. This proposal is the best current option to avoid additional license fee increases and preserving more of our license fee revenue for things directly benefiting anglers. The fate of the bill is undecided due to opposition from the hospitality industry.

The top legislative priorities for the NW Steelheaders will come into focus quickly so stay tuned for more updates and action alerts coming soon.

We encourage our members to know who their elected representatives are by using this look up tool, and stand by to contact them to share your thoughts on upcoming fish bills.

If you are interested in visiting the capitol to speak to your legislators as a Steelheader, please let me know!

Should you have any questions about our advocacy work or policy positions, please reach out to Bob at boboleson@hotmail.com. 

Mark W. Hutchinson, PE
Tualatin Valley Chapter

A major benefit of being a northwest Steelheader is having a seat at the table during wildlife and habitat policy discussions. In February, ODFW presented the state of the fisheries on the Willamette and invited members of the Steelheaders to attend. 

Here is what we learned:

Spring Chinook 

The forecast for this next year is an OK chinook salmon return of 51,000 fish, and a good coho return. Things affecting current runs are ocean temperatures warming, and the biomass the salmon feed on is decreasing. Precipitation has also been down in the Clackamas and Santiam basins which can influence the timing of in-migration of fish.

Sea Lion Predation and Management
After years of lobbying our Congressional delegation, NW Steelheaders were able to get Congress to expand management practices of Sea Lion in the Columbia Basin and approve the lethal removal of Sea Lions in the Columbia at Willamette Falls in 2019. The graph above shows the increase in run sizes of winter steelhead based on removal of sea lions at Willamette falls. The Columbia River Basin Endorsement is an important source of funding for Sea Lion management programs.

Click the link below to reach the full write up and the presentation slides from ODFW on the Steelheaders Blog.

On Saturday, January 25th, a group of Steelheaders joined Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) personnel to conduct a vital stream enhancement project at Big Creek, 15 miles east of Astoria.

A common practice for fish hatcheries after eggs are collected from spawning broodstock is to freeze fish carcasses, which are later transported to local stream banks. The carcasses are strategically placed to provide a valuable nutrient source for the aquatic food chain. Organic inputs like fish carcasses supports the growth and survival of salmon smolt and other animals in the food chain, playing a crucial role in the overall health of the ecosystem.

This stream enhancement project collected chinook and steelhead carcasses from Klaskanine Hatchery and deposited them on smaller tributaries of Big Creek, a key tributary of the Columbia River. Big Creek is home to runs of Tule fall Chinook, spring Chinook, chum salmon, coho salmon, and winter steelhead.

Steelheaders participating in the stream enhancement project were Jason Fornelli, Eric Erickson, Steve Young, Mark Hutchinson, and Kent Reimers. All generously volunteered their time, contributing to the success of this important conservation effort. We thank them and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for their dedication to Oregon's wildlife. To learn more about opportunities like this, be sure to attend your local chapter meetings.

Rob Bitney
President, Sandy Chapter

On Saturday, February 22nd, Steelheaders from 4 different Chapters teamed up with ODFW Angler Education to offer the first Steelhead 101 of 2025.

After the 29 class participants were settled in, group introductions were made and  the Association President Jeff Hernandez provided opening remarks to the group. Participants then began their journey through the three 45-minute educational stations. Out on the beach, the Sandy river cooperated, offering a wonderful shade of "Steelhead green" for casting practice. Inside the Sam Cox building, the other groups took turns between knots and basic rigging. After a break for lunch, the groups went through three different skills stations including  a more in-depth look into the various Steelhead fishing techniques. There were tutorials in drift fishing, float fishing, bobber doggin’ and spinner fishing.

Toward the end of the day, the long anticipated atmospheric river made its projected arrival and the “fish-along” scheduled for that Sunday was postponed a week due to impending high water and debris in the river. For those who could not wait to put their new knowledge to the test, an optional fish along was made available. Even though Sunday morning greeted the Steelheaders with steady rain, a rising river the color of a brown paper bag complete with debris, 9 new Steelheaders and 7 mentors went out anyway and began chipping away at their one thousand casts.

I am proud to share two important takeaways. First, this was the first Steelhead 101 for 6  out of the 24 volunteers who helped that day. Second, this was perhaps the most diverse group of Steelhead 101 participants we have ever had, representing all ages and backgrounds. The Steelheaders are changing, growing and the trend line is looking good.

Thank you to all of our volunteers, our partners at ODFW and to the new (and renewed) Steelheaders who attended the event.

The Steelheaders will be partnering with I’m Hooked, Inc again this year to connect underserved and vulnerable kids with the outdoors and hopefully set them up for a lifetime of fishing, hunting and supporting conservation.

The Steelheaders have historically organized more than 25 volunteer boat captains who take participants out on the water to troll for rainbow trout, and often return with a stringer full of fish!

This year the Steelheaders will also be donating $2,000 to I’m Hooked, Inc to cover the overhead costs of the event such as fishing gear and prizes, and we will host a booth to provide further education on targeting Steelhead and Salmon to anglers of all ages.

If you would like to volunteer at this event, whether with your boat or at the booth, please reach out to Steelheaders President jeff.hernandezpdx@gmail.com for more details.

March 21-23
Tualatin Valley Fish Along – Tillamook Area All anglers welcome. Two days of fishing the many tributaries of Tillamook bay. This is a great opportunity to fish prime Steelhead and Salmon waters with experienced anglers with a chance to get a seat in a boat. Contact Nigel Hearne at nigel.e.hearne@gmail.com to register or if you have questions.

April 5th
Plunking Clinic - Sauvie Island The NW Steelheaders and ODFW are teaming up again to host a “plunking” Clinic. The event will provide a hands-on opportunity to learn the basics of plunking for salmon and steelhead including when to fish, where to fish and how to fish. Plunking is a fantastic way to spend a day relaxing on the river bank while having a chance to land a salmon. Use this link to register for the clinic.

For more detail, you can watch this video overview of the last clinic on Youtube.

June 7
I'm Hooked Family Fishing Day at Hagg Lake
Bring the whole family for a fun-filled and free day of fishing at Henry Hagg Lake! Community mentors will help guide your child and family in the art of fishing, nature, health, and wellness and instill a love and passion to enjoy for years to come! Register here.
Volunteers needed including boat captains. Contact 

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 Association of Northwest Steelheaders
P.O. Box 55400
Portland, OR 97238
United States