My understanding is that most steelhead smolts are at most 6 to 7 inches in length when they begin their out-migration. Although this varies from river to river I do not believe that a 14 inch fish would be a smolting juvenal. Further, here in Oregon waters, by the time of the opening of the rivers in late May, nearly all of any smolts that are heading to the ocean are long gone. The later opening dates are designed to protect migrating smolts.


POS Clerk