Upper Nestucca hatchery fish?

[Rimshot]

I'm sure this has been discussed on this board before but I can't find anything on it using search, so I gotta ask....With the hatchery being on Three Rivers how is there a good run of hatchery fish above that on the Nestucca? Do they release some smolts in the upper Nestucca as well as Three rivers or are they all strays? If they do release smolt upriver and create a hatchery run upriver wouldn't that be harmful to the native run? I know hatchery fish will stray and spawn with native stock on their own but encouraging it seems kind of counter-productive to me. Does anyone know the story here? Just wondering as I was fishing it today :grin: . No fish by the way, water looked great but no biters. No one I talked to had any either. Just an off day I guess. Take care all.

[Gone Fishin]

Rimshot,

The Cedar Creek Hatchery on Three Rivers produces approx. 110,000 winter steelhead for the Nestucca (they also produce winter's for the Wilson and Kilchis.) 60,000 smolts are let go into Three Rivers with the remaining 50,000 smolt being released on the Nestucca at Farmer Creek, First Bridge and some at the Fourth Bridge. With no hatchery fish being planted any higher in the system.

Thus, the upper-river is dedicated to the Native return. Although the hatchery fish are planted as high as the Fourth Bridge I feel most of them get the smell of Cedar Creek, and make the right hand turn up Three Rivers instead of going up the Nestucca.

That is why during the hatchery run the best fishing seems to be from Three Rivers Down. There are fish that continue up the Nestucca, but my personal feeling is that 80 - 90% make the turn for the hatchery.

But during the native season, that upper river on the Nestucca is a great place to be!!!

Hope this helps!

You can always stop in at the hatchery and talk with the folks there, they are great people!

-Marty

[Point-of-Sale Clerk]

Marty may be the better one to answer this but it is my understanding that about half of the current production of winter steelhead produced at Cedar Creek Hatchery on Three Rivers is released into the main stem of the Nestucca. The rest is released directly from the hatchery. As far as how far up the Nestucca, I seem to remember something about a portion of the release occurring at the first bridge.

As far as straying is concerned, currently Cedar Creek uses an out of basin stock from the Alsea. Although this would seem to cause trouble with mixing, the native and hatchery run are currently separated by time (hatchery run is from Dec 1st to Jan 15th with the wild run returning Jan 1st to mid April.) It is difficult to mix if historically they are not in the river at the same time. As others have noticed on this board, conditions this year are such that we have many non-clip fish returning very early this year. I can only think that is a good sign of basic recovery and am not worried about mixing or straying on a year to year basis.

Please note that ODFW and Marty began a Native Broodstock program on the Nestucca that replaces some of the Alsea stock. If the hatchery stays open, the first run of these fish should be released this spring. Current plans are for eventual conversion to a native stock and partial release of smolts into a tributary “like” Farmer Creek. However with the current budget that may never come to fruition.

[birdhunter]

How very polite and informative. I'm impressed *** and Marty.

[Salmon Stryker]

I knew that smolts raised at the hatchery were dumped in upriver but I didn't realize that 80-90% of them turned up three rivers. Good information Marty and thanks.

[cosmo]

Great post ***!!! Native Broodstock seems to be all the rage these days but everyone on this board should have a sound understanding of "time and area" separation. WIth proper implementation, out of basin stocks can be used to create exceptional wild fish frienly fisheries and extend fishing seasons on many rivers.

[Rimshot]

Thanks Marty and *** for your replies. I appreciate the detailed explanations.

[slamin salmon]

Good info.

[I'mThe10Percent]

There's no fish in the Nestucca, they're all in the Clackamas, Wilson, and Sandy Rivers.. Right Marty???