True Wild or Hatchery Wild?

True Wild or Hatchery Wild?

A question has come up lately about "all the wild" steelhead in the Salmon River. A wild steelhead is identified by Idaho Fish and Game as having a full adipose fin on its back.

All steelhead with an intact adipose fin must be released immediately to preserve wild steelhead that are listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act (see page 71). Some hatchery steelhead are not clipped as part of a program to increase the number of natural spawning fish. These steelhead must also be released immediately.

This means that a steelhead with an adipose fin that looks like a hatchery fish is treated as a wild fish and you must let it go.

This program is now in place for having more returning fish to the hatcheries is used to help populate the tributaries to enhance the wild populations of steelhead on the Salmon River.