Steelhead returns so far mark the highest annual returns in last seven years, could climb

If you’ve been waiting for some of the best news of the year for anglers, hold on to your fishing rods. Idaho’s annual steelhead returns through the month of October are the highest they’ve been in over seven years … and still counting. 

At roughly 97,000 so far, this year’s steelhead return over Lower Granite Dam marks the highest return since 2016, and Anadromous Fisheries Coordinator Chris Sullivan thinks we could see this year’s return surpass that mark. 

The fish start arriving late summer, and by fall, they are well distributed in Idaho rivers stretching from Lewiston, Riggins, Salmon and Challis, and provide anglers a chance to catch them when they’re fresh from the ocean. 

Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River is the last of eight dams that steelhead cross prior to entering Idaho waters. Fish and Game fisheries managers have not only seen higher than average counts at Lower Granite Dam this year, but also larger fish since many of the fish returning this year spent two years in the ocean. 

“Over 80% of the steelhead that have crossed Lower Granite Dam this year have been fish that spent two years in the ocean. This should result in anglers catching bigger fish this fall and next spring,” Sullivan said. 

While this year’s counts are encouraging, the returns still have to be taken with a grain of saltwater. The reason counts are higher this year compared to the recent average is due to the extremely low returns of steelhead from 2017 to 2023. But the spike is a welcome sign for anglers as well, as endangered wild steelhead are returning in the largest numbers since 2015.