Program Overview

Many of the area's guides and businesses, as well as many of our clients, have played a very important role in making the program a success.  The OPGA is hoping to expand this program into other area rivers over the next few years.

Similar to a standard hatchery program, this project uses wild Steelhead rather than returning hatchery fish for the parent stock of the young.  Somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 smolt are planted into the Sol Duc River each year as part of this program providing more opportunity for all Sol Duc anglers.

SNIDER CREEK PROJECT

The enhancement project is based on a tributary to the upper Sol Duc named Snider Creek.  The Snider Creek Project became an important part of the rebuilding and continued maintenance of the early-run native Steelhead stocks on the Sol Duc River.

1.) Wild Steelhead are caught via hook and line

      by local residents, guides, and their clients.

2.) These Steelhead are tethered alive to the boat

      and transported downstream to an area where

      a transport truck can retrieve the live fish.

3.) The Steelhead are transported to the hatchery

      facility where they are held until they are ripe

      enough to spawn.

5.) The State of Washington Sol Duc Salmon

     Hatchery incubates the eggs until hatch.

6.) Steelhead parr are transported back to the

     Snider Creek facility to be reared until

     release age.

4.) Eggs are taken from the females and

     fertilized from hand-stripped males.

7.) Steelhead smolt are released into the

     Sol Duc River.

8.) Smolt migrate to the sea to feed for a few

     years.

9.) Adult steelhead return to the Sol Duc River

     to spawn in / near the Snider Creek area!!!

     Some others return to a trap facility on

     Snider Creek and these fish are also

     artificially spawned.

Although technically hatchery fish (they are marked by a clipped VENTRAL fin), we look at these fish as natives and release all that we can back into the river in hopes that they will spawn naturally in Snider Creek...many pairs have been doing so over the last few years.

Please help us and the Steelhead by letting Snider Creek fish go after they are caught -

each fish released helps preserve the fish and angling opportunities for all!!!

If you would like more information about the Snider Creek Project or future broodstock programs, please contact us.

OPGA

olympic Peninsula

Guides' association