5000 plus newly planted Rainbow Trout in the McKenzie River

On Thursday, my friend Garry & I volunteered to run the planter raft to release hatchery-reared Rainbow Trout in the McKenzie River. We released over 5000 fish from the big, gray monster, a pontoon raft with a large stainless steel basin for fish sandwiched between the large floats. We picked up our loads of trout at 3 different locations and scatter planted fish as we worked our way down river. I ran the oars while Garry released fish with a dip net.

With the heavy current and high water level on fish planting day, running the raft was more than a chore. The fish came by truck from Desert Springs Hatchery located in Eastern Oregon. The trout seemed very feisty and in really nice condition. The feedback I got from local trout fishermen after the plant was that the fishing “was pretty darned good,” so you may want to grab a rod and try your luck.

In the past, ODFW has raised the hatchery trout at the Leaburg Hatchery located below Leaburg Dam. For decades now, the hatchery program has provided wonderful fishing opportunities on the McKenzie for folks looking for some tasty pan-fries. The trout fishery is indeed an important and integral part of our local economy here in the McKenzie Valley. Unfortunately, the future of the Leaburg Hatchery is in jeopardy. The Army Corp of Engineers owns the hatchery and the future of the hatchery suddenly remains in question. The ACE is now out-sourcing fish production to private bidders for the short term and reviewing its long-term obligation of providing “mitigation fish” for decades dating back to the construction of their dams. And so, economics, politics, biology and resource management have come together into a somewhat messy and unpredictable potpourri. One thing is for certain, it would be a travesty to see the Leaburg Hatchery closed forever. What a sad waste of a valuable facility that has raised trout and summer steelhead for years now.  Scrappy Rainbow Trout that take readily to the fly and a tasty shoreline fish fry have indeed become a coveted McKenzie tradition.