Steelhead To Be Released Today In Healdsburg River

HEALDSBURG, CA — For the first time, adult steelhead — some weighing up to 10 pounds — will be released today, creating a new sport-fishing opportunity for anglers.

The surplus steelhead were raised in hatcheries to help sustain future generations in the Russian River watershed, according to California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials.

The steelhead will be released into Lake Benoist at Riverfront Regional Park.

Relocating the fish to Lake Benoist, officials said, provide accessible recreational fishing to anglers of all ages and skill levels, while easing pressure on wild steelhead populations in the river. The release is also expected to benefit the local ecosystem, as wildlife around the former gravel quarry turned into a lake and 300-acre park gains additional nutrients from the fish.

Lake Benoist at Riverfront Regional Park is located at 7821 Eastside Road.

A fishing license is required. Licenses are available online from the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and locally at the Garrett Ace Hardware in Healdsburg.

Fish run season is also open at Warm Springs Fish Hatchery, where visitors can once again watch Chinook salmon, Coho salmon and steelhead trout return from the ocean as part of an annual cycle that supports fish populations and recreational fishing across the Russian River watershed.

Until mid-April, the public can watch daily fish trapping demonstrations at 10:30 a.m., as well as steelhead trout spawning demonstrations 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursdays.

Each year, between 3,000 and 5,000 steelhead swim up the hatchery’s fish ladder, where they are collected and spawned by hatchery staff. The eggs develop into fry and are raised to yearling juvenile fish before being released into the Russian River and its tributaries, including areas that support popular angling spots such as Riverfront Regional Park.