Steelhead tagging on the Russian River

This is an update from California Department of Fish and Wildlife, NOAA Fisheries, and the California Sea Grant Russian River Salmon and Steelhead Monitoring Program.

As of February 2019, a proportion of adult hatchery steelhead will be marked with floy tags in the Russian River basin.  The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries requests the help of anglers to report these tags when encountered. 

Floy tags are small plastic tags that are attached near the dorsal fin.  The tags are typically bright in color and are printed with a unique number on them.  A percentage of these fish will also possess a hole punched mark on either the upper or the lower lobe of the caudal fin.

Please report the following to Warm Springs Hatchery at 707-433-6325:

• Floy tag color and unique number 
• Capture date 
• Capture location (above or below Dry Creek confluence) 
• Sex of fish
• Condition of fish (pre or post spawn),
• Hole punch markings on either upper or lower lobe of caudal fin (tail) 
• Whether you kept or released the fish

This information will be used to enhance the knowledge of steelhead movement (straying and timing) and will allow the Hatchery Genetics Management Plan to be updated to improve the recovery of these threatened fish. 

As a general reminder, remember to have a valid California fishing license, steelhead report card, and to release all wild fish (those with intact adipose fins) quickly and unharmed!  Thank you for helping to conserve, protect, and restore the Russian River’s coldwater fishery.