Best Hatchery Steelhead Year Since ???! 2

Throughout all this talk of budget cuts, ocean survival and La Nina the fact remains that the hatchery steelhead are on their way! 

Here's why I'm looking at this year's hatchery runs more positively that the last couple years:

This fall there were less coho salmon "in front" of the returning hatchery steelies leaving the possibility open of more oceanic forage available to this seasons winter run.

A true La Nina winter could provide stable water conditions allowing us more fishing days (better opportunity) than the El Nino "Pineapple Express" river-level roller coaster.

Stabilized oceanic productivity back when this run's smolts hit the ocean (spring '09) might add up to better survival resulting in improved catch numbers.

The biggest fact in favor of a decent winter run this year? Brothers and sisters, WE ARE DUE! We've had a couple down years and 2010 and 2011 is PAYBACK TIME!

Agree or dissagree, love them or hate them; here are the State, tribal, federal and regional enhancement groups steelhead smolt releases between April 15 and May 31, 2009. Smolts are defined as hatchery reared juvenile steelhead released at a minimum size of 10 fish per pound. The majority of the adult returns from these releases are expected during the 2010-2011 seasons.

Here are the regional "major players" with the river system listed first, followed by their biggest tributaries and the associated hatchery plant. If you don't see your favorite crick check out the entire list at:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/plants/steelhead/2009.html

Skagit  174,000 (Baker 28,000, Cascade 146,000)
Snohomish  370,000 (Skykomish 148,000, Snoqualmie 155,185)
Stillaguamish 125,165
Green River 270,800 (Mainstem 208,500, Soos Creek 62,300)
Puyallup River 239,100 (Mainstem 34,000, Carbon/Voight Cr. 205,100)
Bogachiel 100,000
Hoh 99312
Quinault 217,173
Humptulips 129,509
Chehalis 331,280 (Wynoochie 140,380, Satsop 47,400)
Kalama 115,344
Lewis 115,335
Cowlitz 808,359

There's the numbers! Now go out and get those hatchery fish out of those streams and don't forget to post your reports on The Outdoor Line's Fishing Report Page!!!