ENTERPRISE – More than 500 hatchery adult steelhead have returned to Wallowa Hatchery and the facility at Big Canyon in the past two weeks. Fishery managers have predicted a good return of the hatchery fish and anticipate a large quantity of fish in excess of those required for the hatchery propagation program.

Getting a surplus of these fish is good news for anglers and local communities. Within the next few weeks, ODFW will stock several area ponds with some of these surplus fish to provide more opportunities for anglers to catch these magnificent fish. Local ponds scheduled to receive these fish are Marr Pond, Wallowa Wildlife Area Pond, Peach Pond near La Grande and Roulet Pond east of Elgin.

These fish are marked with a hole punch in the left gill plate. Once placed in these closed water bodies these steelhead are considered trout and Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations for trout listed for those water bodies apply.

In addition to stocking ponds, surplus adult fish from the Big Canyon facility will be released back into the Wallowa River at the Minam Boat Ramp. These fish, also marked with a sequence of hole punches in the gill plate, are still considered steelhead and all steelhead regulations apply. Based on the numbers of returning fish, these releases will continue throughout the steelhead season which closes on April 15.

For several years, ODFW has provided a number of local food banks with surplus steelhead and is doing so again this year. An anticipated 2,000 fish will be distributed to Enterprise Community Connection, Wallowa Community Connection, Elgin Food Bank, AARP of La Grande, Lighthouse Church in La Grande and the Union and North Powder food banks.

ODFW does not give away fish at the hatcheries. Anyone interested in receiving some of these surplus steelhead should contact one of the organizations listed above.