A Fall Chinook Salmon and Rainbow Trout Hatchery
Our hatchery is located on Hwy 101 between Gardiner and the Smith River Bridge, north of Reedsport
Since 1992, the Gardiner, Reedsport, Winchester Bay Salmon Trout Enhancement Program (STEP) has annually released nearly 200,000 Fall Chinook Salmon (Smolt) in Winchester Bay near the confluence of Winchester Creek.
In three to five years these smolt return to Winchester Bay’s East Boat Basin as adult Chinook salmon. Because they acclimated in the bay these salmon have no predetermined spawning area to return to. They loiter in the lower bay creating a Terminal Fishery.
Anglers catch these fish in the ocean offshore of Winchester Bay, in the bay itself, in the east boat basin and the lower Umpqua river.
Each fall STEP volunteers begin the arduous task of trapping returning adult salmon, collecting and hatching eggs, raising the resulting Fry to Smolt. The Smolt are adipose fin clipped and released to begin the cycle again.
This is all accomplished with the hard work of STEP volunteers, generous support from local businesses, community members and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
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Latest News
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2023 SALMON EGG HARVEST COMPLETED
The 2023 eggs harvest is complete with 250,896 eggs taken. 108,600 were sent to Elk River Hatchery to be reared to Smolt and released in the early fall of 2024.[…]
Read moreSecond Week of 2023 Spawning Continues
November 8, 2023 2023 Chinook Salmon Egg Harvest Continues. To date, we have sent 108,600 eggs to ODFW’s hatchery at Elk River and keeping 63,160 at the Gardiner hatchery. Eggs[…]
Read more2023 Broodstock Spawning
The 2023 Fall Chinook Salmon spawning season is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, November 1st at the GRWB STEP hatchery at 9:00am. The public is invited to attend. It’s an[…]
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