Documents, reports, and data which deal with steelheadCDFW Data Portal RSS Feed GeneratorTue, 16 Dec 2025 12:03:08 -0800https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=Fisheries--SteelheadCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife Data Portal120https://nrm.dfg.ca.govhttps://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/images/ca_dfg/CDFW-Insignia-146x193.png85en-usSearch Documentshttps://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=Fisheries--SteelheadsearchSteelhead Report Card Data 2012-2024 - Steelhead Report Card Data annual location totals by species 2012-2024239764:3https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=239764Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:03:08 -08002025-12-16T00:00:00Legislative Report - Summary of report card sales, revenue, and expenditures for calendar years 2022 and 2023233384:4https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=233384Wed, 13 Aug 2025 08:40:28 -07002025-08-12T00:00:00Steelhead Report Card Data 2013-2023 - Steelhead Report Card Data annual location totals by species 2013-2023228113:2https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=228113Thu, 23 Jan 2025 10:39:41 -08002025-01-01T00:00:00ReportCardSteelhead Report Card Dashboard FAQ - Note Updated Jan 2025225462:3https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=225462Thu, 23 Jan 2025 10:38:52 -08002024-01-01T00:00:00ReportCardSteelhead Report Card - Angler demographics and behaviors have a significant impact on recreational fishery-dependent data, and recently, human dimensions have become more widely recognized as an important part of fisheries management. California's steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) report card program has served to track recreational fishing effort and catch each calendar year for management purposes through angler self-reporting. However, angler report card return rates are consistently low, and there has been no recent effort to investigate angler attributes that may be contributing to nonresponse. This study evaluated trends in angler demographics as they relate to annual steelhead report card return rates as well as online reporting rates across the 2012-2019 study period. The study also assessed whether specific demographic or behavioral characteristics may affect the likelihood of anglers returning their report cards. Older, more avid anglers were found to have a greater likelihood of reporting in general. Motivations or deterrents for response vs. nonresponse could not be identified due to data limitations and should be the subject of future research.225461:1https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=225461Thu, 29 Aug 2024 14:21:48 -07002023-11-21T00:00:00Legislative Report - The purpose of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Steelhead Report and Restoration Card is to gather angler data which is utilized by the Department in making management and regulatory decisions. Revenue generated from Report Card sales is dedicated to administering the program and funding habitat restoration projects contributing to the conservation, monitoring, and recovery of steelhead populations. This report addresses eight years of angler information gathered by the Department from 2015 to 2019.195094:5https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=195094Tue, 27 Feb 2024 14:27:08 -08002021-06-01T00:00:00Legislative Report - This Legislative Report summarizes the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife's revenue, spending, and angler data collected from 2020-2021 for the Steelhead Report and Restoration Card Program. The purpose of this program is to gather angler catch-and-harvest data which is utilized by the Department for informing management and regulatory decisions for steelhead populations. Revenue generated from Report Card sales is dedicated to administering the program and funding projects contributing to the conservation, monitoring, and recovery of steelhead populations. 218370:1https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=218370Tue, 26 Dec 2023 14:55:18 -08002023-06-01T00:00:00PublicInformationPublic Information - 74008:8https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=74008Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:26:13 -07002013-10-01T00:00:00Steelhead Report and Restoration Card Report to the Legislature 2007-2014 - The purpose of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Steelhead Report and Restoration Card is to gather angler data which is utilized by the Department in making management and regulatory decisions. Revenue generated from Report Card sales is dedicated to administering the program and funding habitat restoration projects contributing to the conservation, monitoring, and recovery of steelhead populations. This report addresses eight years of angler information gathered by the Department from 2007 to 2014.140344:2https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=140344Fri, 03 Mar 2017 09:51:42 -08002016-10-01T00:00:00Steelhead Report Card - Subcommittee meeting agenda regarding restoration proposal review112970:4https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=112970Fri, 11 Dec 2015 09:40:55 -08002015-12-15T00:00:00PublicInformationReporting Resources - 57176:3https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=57176Mon, 23 Nov 2015 15:23:24 -08002015-11-23T00:00:00AdminReportsAdministrative Report - 3488:4https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=3488Fri, 04 Oct 2013 15:24:01 -07002000-12-01T00:00:00AdminReportsAdministrative Report - 3565:3https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=3565Fri, 04 Oct 2013 15:23:47 -07002001-01-01T00:00:00AdminReportsAdministrative Report - 3489:7https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=3489Fri, 04 Oct 2013 15:23:18 -07002007-07-01T00:00:00AdminReportsAdministrative Report - 3487:5https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=3487Fri, 04 Oct 2013 15:23:01 -07001997-02-01T00:00:00AdminReportsAdministrative Report - 3490:7https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=3490Fri, 04 Oct 2013 15:18:54 -07001996-02-01T00:00:00MonitoringAdministrative Report - A summary and review of existing monitoring programs that track steelhead or have the potential to collect steelhead data. A result of requests from fisheries resource managers and resource federal and state agencies leadership, the development of this plan was funded by the CALFED Ecosystem Restoration Program. This document will also be useful to other monitoring programs in that the material has broad application and will assist in the monitoring of other fish populations.25785:4https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=25785Tue, 17 Jul 2012 10:47:09 -07002010-10-01T00:00:00MonitoringAdministrative Report - This plan identifies the actions needed to fill knowledge gaps and collect baseline information on population abundance and distribution, which will help assess the recovery of California Central Valley steelhead populations using a statistically rigorous approach. In addition the document contains recommendations for continued juvenile steelhead monitoring and the development of new technologies/methods to improve the understanding of life history traits and population dynamics. The goal of this monitoring plan is to provide the data necessary to assess the restoration and recovery of steelhead populations by determining the distribution, abundance, and population trends of these fish. The objectives of the plan include: estimate steelhead population abundance with levels of precision; examine trends in steelhead abundance; and identify the current spatial distribution and assess changes. The plan includes recommendations for the development of a centralized database and a coordinated reporting system to be utilized by all Central Valley steelhead monitoring programs.25786:3https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=25786Tue, 17 Jul 2012 10:45:36 -07002010-10-01T00:00:00steelhead - 41020:1https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=41020Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:48:15 -08002012-01-01T00:00:00CalFishCalFish collection. Contact cshannon@dfg.ca.gov for assistance. - Before extensive habitat modification of the 19th and 20th centuries, steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were broadly distributed throughout the Sacramento and San Joaquin drainages. Historical run size is difficult to estimate given the paucity of data, but may have approached 1 to 2 million adults annually. By the early 1960s run size had declined to about 40,000 adults. Natural spawning populations currently exist in the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems but at much lower levels. Coastal rainbow trout populations can be polymorphic in their life-history, and progeny of one life-history form can assume a life-history strategy different from that of their parents. A polymorphic population structure may be necessary for the long-term persistence in highly variable environments such as the Central Valley. Despite the substantial introduction of exotic stocks for hatchery production, native Central Valley steelhead may have maintained some degree of genetic integrity. Primary stressors affecting Central Valley steelhead are all related to water development and water management, and the single greatest stressor is the substantial loss of spawning and rearing habitat due to dam construction. Central Valley anadromous fish management and research is primarily focused on Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and has lead to less emphasis on steelhead monitoring and restoration. Much of the information on historical abundance and stock characteristics that exists for Central Valley steelhead is derived from an intensive DFG research program in the 1950s. Since this time there has been relatively little research directed at steelhead in the Central Valley, and efforts to restore Central Valley steelhead have been greatly hampered by lack of information. The National Marine Fisheries Service cited the ongoing conservation efforts of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) and CALFED as justification for listing Central Valley steelhead as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, rather than endangered as proposed. Restoration actions identified in these programs are largely directed at Chinook salmon recovery with comparatively little emphasis on specific actions needed to recover steelhead, or have not yet been implemented. The structure of rainbow trout populations has important management implications that can only be addressed through an integrated management strategy that treats all life-history forms occupying a stream as a single population. However, management 2 Fish Bulletin 179: Volume One agencies have generally failed to recognize this, as exemplified by the federal government's decision to exclude the non-anadromous forms in the ESA listing for steelhead, despite their recognition that they are important to the persistence of the anadromous forms. Steelhead need to be managed separately from Chinook salmon stocks if recovery is to be successful, and recovery strategies must include measures to protect and rest33115:1https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=33115Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:00:41 -07002001-01-01T00:00:00CalFishCalFish collection. Contact cshannon@dfg.ca.gov for assistance. - Steelhead/rainbow trout of the species Oncorhynchus mykiss are found in all of the major drainages of the Central Valley, which includes rivers and streams that drain into both the Sacramento and San Joaquin sub-basins. Most of the tributary rivers in this area have dams or other impoundments and many of the resulting reservoirs have been stocked with hatchery rainbow trout. Genotype data was collected from 18 highly variable microsatellite molecular markers in more than 1600 fish from the Central Valley region sampled by California Department of Fish and Game biologists, as well as a sample of adult steelhead from Battle Creek sampled by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Analyses of these data examined population structure within the region, relationships between populations above and below barriers to anadromy, relationships of Central Valley populations with coastal steelhead populations, and population genetic diversity. Analysis focused on 17 initial 'population' samples, comprised of fish sampled from the Kings, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, Calaveras, American, Yuba, Feather, Butte, Deer, Battle and McCloud River sub-basins. Additional analyses were conducted with data from the same microsatellite markers in rainbow trout hatchery stocks and steelhead from coastal and California Central Valley populations. These analyses looked at whether specific fish are, or are descended, from hatchery strains used in local stocking efforts, as well as providing biogeographic context for the Central Valley regional results. In general, although structure was found, all naturally-spawned populations within the Central Valley basin were closely related, regardless of whether they were sampled above or below a known barrier to anadromy. This is due to some combination of pre-impoundment historic shared ancestry, downstream migration and, possibly, limited, anthropogenic, upstream migration. However, lower genetic diversity in above-barrier populations indicates a lack of substantial genetic input upstream and highlights lower effective population sizes for above-barrier populations. In contrast to coastal steelhead, we did not find close relationships between populations above and below barriers within the same sub-basin. Instead, above-barrier populations clustered with one another and below-barrier populations clustered with one another in all tree analyses. Analysis using data from coastal steelhead populations found that the above-barrier populations enter the California-wide trees next to the San Francisco Bay populations, whereas the below-barrier populations are most closely related to populations in far northern California, specifically the genetic groups that include the Eel and Klamath Rivers. Since Eel River origin broodstock were used for many years at Nimbus Hatchery on the American River, it is likely that Eel River genes persist there and have also spread to other basins by migration, and that this is responsible for the clustering of the below-barr33100:1https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=33100Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:00:32 -07002008-01-01T00:00:00CalFishCalFish collection. Contact cshannon@dfg.ca.gov for assistance. - Interest is great in projects that would restore Central Valley steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Central Valley Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) to California drainages where they have historically existed and where there is good quality habitat upstream of instream barriers. The Calaveras River has garnered renewed attention for its potential to support these anadromous fish. I evaluated migration opportunity in the Calaveras River, and whether these salmonids could have been present in the river historically, by comparing historical anecdotal and documented observations of Chinook salmon and steelhead to recorded flows in the river and Mormon Slough, the primary migration corridors. Collected data show that these fish used the river before New Hogan Dam was constructed in 1964. Three different Central Valley Chinook salmon runs, including fall-, late-fall and spring-run salmon, and steelhead may have used the river before the construction of New Hogan Dam. Fall and possibly winter run and steelhead used the river after dam construction. The timing and amount of flows in the Calaveras River, both before and after the construction of New Hogan Dam, provided ample opportunity for salmonids to migrate up the river in the fall, winter, and spring seasons when they were observed. Flows less than 2.8 m3/s (100 ft3/s) can attract fish into the lower river channel and this was likely the case in the past, as well. Even in dry years of the past, flows in the river exceeded 5.6 m3/s (200 ft3/s), enough for fish to migrate and spawn. Today, instream barriers and river regulation, which reduced the number of high flow events, has led to fewer opportunities for salmon to enter the river and move upstream to spawning areas even though upstream spawning conditions are still adequate. Improving migration conditions would allow salmonids to utilize upstream spawning areas once again.33099:1https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=33099Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:00:30 -07002007-01-01T00:00:00CalFishCalFish collection. Contact cshannon@dfg.ca.gov for assistance. - Effective conservation and recovery planning for Central Valley steelhead requires an understanding of historical population structure. We describe the historical structure of the Central Valley steelhead evolutionarily significant unit using a multi-phase modeling approach. In the first phase, we identify stream reaches possibly suitable for steelhead spawning and rearing using a habitat model based on environmental envelopes (stream discharge, gradient, and temperature) that takes a digital elevation model and climate data as inputs. We identified 151 patches of potentially suitable habitat with more than 10 km of stream habitat, with a total of 25,500 km of suitable habitat. We then measured the distances among habitat patches, and clustered together patches within 35 km of each other into 81 distinct habitat patches. Groups of fish using these 81 patches are hypothesized to be (or to have been) independent populations for recovery planning purposes. Consideration of climate and elevation differences among the 81 habitat areas suggests that there are at least four major subdivisions within the Central Valley steelhead ESU that correspond to geographic regions defined by the Sacramento River basin, Suisun Bay area tributaries, San Joaquin tributaries draining the Sierra Nevada, and lower-elevation streams draining to the Buena Vista and Tulare basins, upstream of the San Joaquin River. Of these, it appears that the Sacramento River basin was the main source of steelhead production. Presently, impassable dams block access to 80% of historically available habitat, and block access to all historical spawning habitat for about 38% of the historical populations of steelhead.33035:1https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=33035Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:59:51 -07002006-01-01T00:00:00CalFishCalFish collection. Contact cshannon@dfg.ca.gov for assistance. - In February 1994, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) received a petition seeking protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for 178 populations of steelhead (anadromous Oncorhynchus mykiss) in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and California. At the time, NMFS was conducting a status review of coastal steelhead populations (O. m. irideus) in Washington, Oregon, and California. In response to the broader petition, NMFS expanded the ongoing status review to include inland steelhead (O. m. gairdneri) occurring east of the Cascade Mountains in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. This report summarizes biological and environmental information considered by the Biological Review Team (BRT) that conducted the West Coast Steelhead Status Review. The ESA allows listing of 'distinct population segments' of vertebrates as well as named species and subspecies. The policy of the NMFS on this issue for anadromous Pacific salmonids is that a population will be considered 'distinct' for purposes of the ESA if it represents an evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) of the species as a whole. To be considered an ESU, a population or group of populations must 1) be substantially reproductively isolated from other populations, and 2) contribute substantially to the ecological or genetic diversity of the biological species. Once an ESU is identified, a variety of factors related to population abundance are considered in determining whether a listing is warranted.32904:1https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=32904Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:58:23 -07001997-01-01T00:00:00CalFishCalFish collection. Contact cshannon@dfg.ca.gov for assistance. - John Snyder concluded his paper, The Half-pounder of Eel River, A Steelhead Trout: It may not be out of place here to call attention to the well known fact that stream fishing for trout, a major sport in California, is rapidly entering a critical stage. The extension of roads easily negotiated by the automobile, the building of high dams, the netting of steelheads in rivers, water pollution, the use of water for irrigation and many other things incident to a rapid growth in population, are causing a marked and sudden depletion in the number of fish. It has been said that intelligent conservation must depend largely on our knowledge of the natural history of the species, and nowhere else is this more applicable. Very often our attempts at conservation serve among other things to bring to the surface our lack of definite knowledge of the habits and life history of the very fish that we are striving to protect. It is to be hoped that active support will be given to the Fish and Game Commission in every effort at careful investigation along this line. Published in i925, the paragraph above describes too well problems currently facing summer steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri) in California as well as would-be managers of this resource. For a number of reasons it is impossible to appraise the current status of summer steelhead in California in any kind of a historical context. There are no records of historical distribution and abundance patterns. The presence of summer steelhead in various rivers may have been noted in the journals of early explorers, miners or other settlers, but the description by Snyder (1925) of steelhead in the Klamath and Eel Rivers during late summer and early fall, and mention of a steelhead in Elk Creek (Klamath tributary) in June 1934 by Shapovalov (1935) as cited by Shapovalov and Taft (1954) are among the earliest published accounts.32669:1https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=32669Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:56:12 -07001982-01-01T00:00:00CalFishCalFish collection. Contact cshannon@dfg.ca.gov for assistance. - This report summarizes the best available counts and estimates or adult steelhead trout abundance and angler catch in the Central Valley of California (Figure l). The period covered is 1953-89. Except for the Mokelumne River, the San Joaquin system is not included. Since construction of dams on all the rivers steelhead are virtually absent from t h e San Joaquin drainage. Steelhead counts f o r individual years are given individual years given in Appendix Tables 1-3). Some steelhead counts are the result of enumeration over fishways or at fish hatcheries. Other population estimates are the result of tagging and tag recovery with angler census. Some estimates were made using assumptions concerning the hatchery escapement/angler catch ratios. Due to the varied intensity of creel census effort, any population and angler catch estimates should be considered minimum estimates32603:1https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=32603Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:55:41 -07001989-01-01T00:00:00CalFishCalFish collection. Contact cshannon@dfg.ca.gov for assistance. - The last day of February has for many years been the closing date of the general winter angling season for adult steelhead in California. Periodically the Fish and Game Commission has received requests to extend this season through the month of March. This brief report summarizes the available pertinent information and outlines the probable effects of such an extension on the steelhead resource.32533:1https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=32533Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:55:20 -07001954-01-01T00:00:00