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The lower Mokelumne River below Camanche Dam has traditionally been known more for being a tail water resident trout fishery than a steelhead river. Low flows and a series of fish kills decimated the Mokelumne steelhead run in the 1980's, but a combination of fish hatchery improvements, water flow increases and other measures have resulted in increasingly large steelhead returns in the past several years.
The hatchery is expected to see the biggest run in its history this season. "This season we have received 207 hatchery steelhead to date and the run is only half way through," said Will Smith, manager of the DFG's Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery. "We plan to take eggs from steelhead all of the way through March."
In contrast, the total number of fish received during the entire season was 180 fish (140 adults and 49 half pounders) in 2005-2006 and 60 fish (47 adults and 13 half pounders) in 2004-2005, according to Smith. The largest ever steelhead return to the hatchery previously, 210 fish, took place in 1970-71.
Although this year's run doesn't compare to the much larger numbers of steelhead that return to Nimbus Fish Hatchery on the American River and the Feather River Fish Hatchery, the run is definitely on the upswing.
Over a decade ago, before the listing of Central Valley steelhead as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, the Mokelumne River was managed as a catchable trout fishery rather than as a steelhead and wild trout river. The DFG regularly stocked the river with catchable size trout, the progeny of steelhead from both the Mokelumne and Nimbus Fish hatcheries. Anglers regularly caught their limits of trout from shore and boats.
Some hatchery fish returned as large adults, but poor water quality and other habitat problems kept the returning adults at a low level before recent improvements. The run was usually in the dozens rather than the hundreds.
In fact, for 10 years from 1976 through 1986, no steelhead at all returned to the hatchery. Again in 1998-1999, no adult steelhead came back to the facility.
The management of the Mokelumne has changed dramatically since then. Anglers are only allowed to keep one hatchery trout or steelhead and must release all wild fish. The hatchery is no longer provided with eggs from Nimbus Fish Hatchery as it did before, but obtains extra eggs from Feather River Fish Hatchery to meet its annual production goal of 250,000 steelhead yearlings.
"Under new protocols, we can only get in basin stock for our fish and they have to be approved by a pathologist to make sure that they are not carrying any disease," said Anderson. "The Nimbus fish are considered out of basin because they originate mainly from Eel River stock. That leaves us with the Feather River Hatchery as our only option for taking supplemental steelhead eggs
The hatchery's goal is to produce 250,000 steelhead yearlings per year. The fish are released by truck into the head of the river's tidewater around New Hope Road to avoid competition with the wild fish. The facility plants its steelhead at an average of one-quarter pound each during the new moon in March to maximum the survival of yearlings.
"Most steelhead now die after they spawn on the Mokelumne," said Anderson. "We would like to see a higher survival rate."
Not only are larger numbers of steelhead finally returning to the hatchery, but the hatchery staff is seeing more 6 to 8 pound fish this season than they have in many years. Usually the majority of the steelhead are 16 to 20 inch fish.
The $12.5 million renovation of the hatchery has allowed the hatchery to produce more salmon and steelhead than it has ever before. Sixteen stets of large raceways are now in place, compared with the four smaller raceways that the facility had before. The hatchery also sports mechanical fish crowders and modern fish return tubes.
The hatchery improvements, combined with the construction of new fish passage facilities on the new Woodbridge Dam in the summer of 2006 and the completion of the FERC relicensing process for Camanche Dam in 1999 that provides for increased river flows, are largely responsible for the upswing in the steelhead population.
The Save the Mokelumne River Association and California Sportfishing Protection Alliance were instrumental in securing more water for the river, increasing the allotment from only 13,000 acre feet in wet years to 85,000 acre feet, although they would have preferred even more water released.
Another factor in the improving steelhead and wild trout fishery is the "Speece Cone" - the Camanche Hypolimnetic Oxygenation System - operated by the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) at Lake Camanche. The "cone" distributes oxygen to the lower lake waters at the dam. The "cone" usually operates from August until mid-to-late October to improve the quality of water released into the fish hatchery and river.
Although steelhead numbers are improving, the majority of fish caught on the Mokelumne are wild resident rainbow trout, according to Smith. Fly fishermen, bait fishermen and lure tossers all find solid catch and release action during the open season on the river from January 1 through March 31 and the 4th Saturday in May through October 15.
Smith and his fishing buddy reported good trout action while drifting the Mokelumne from the hatchery to Mackville Road on January 1. Smith also caught and released a hatchery steelhead measuring 25 inches while drifting roe. Although his fishing partner didn't hook any adult steelhead, he caught and released a bunch of trout.
For example, Anthony Tucker and his step dad, Roy Worthy, experienced very good wild trout action from shore below the hatchery on January 1. They reported catching and releasing 12 wild trout ranging from dinks to 14 inches in about an hour of fishing in the afternoon.
"We saw twice as many anglers this opener as we normally see on the Mokelumne," added Smith. "Compared to other Central Valley rivers, this river sees little fishing pressure."
For information on the latest fishing conditions on the Mokelumne River below Camanche Dam, call the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery, (209) 759-3383.
Mokelumne River Below Camanche Dam Facts
Fishing Season: The Mokelumne River from Peltier Road to Camanche Dam, including Lodi Lake, is open January 1 through March 31, with a limit of 1 hatchery trout or 1 hatchery steelhead and 3 salmon. The river reopens from the 4th Saturday in May through October 15, again with a limit of 1 hatchery trout or 1 hatchery steelhead and 3 salmon.
The river between the Woodbridge vehicle bridge and the Woodbridge Irrigation District Dam is closed to all fishing all year. The salmon spawning season takes place from October through December.
The Mokelumne River Day Use Area: This is the most popular access point to the Mokelumne River and for visitors to the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery. Located 15 miles east of Lodi off Highway 12 and at the base of Camanche Dam, nearly a mile long stretch of the river awaits visitors in a natural setting. Besides fishing, popular activities include picnicking, strolling along trails wading and swimming. Additionally, this park affords rafting access to a beautiful stretch of river downstream.
Picnic Sites: The day use area is open from sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year and offers 14 picnic sites with tables and barbeques, as well as undeveloped riverside access. Special consideration has been given to visitors with disabilities by providing an ADA accessible vaulted restroom, trail, picnic site and fishing pier. For more information, e-mail recreate@ebmud.comor call (209) 772-8204.
Public access is also available at Stillman McGhee County Park and Lodi Lake.
Salmon Spawning: In November, at the peak of spawning season, hatchery visitors have the opportunity to watch hatchery staff collect eggs. Due to the modernization of the hatchery that took place in 2001, salmon runs have seen increases in recent years, with the exception of last year when salmon returns were down throughout the Central Valley rivers. The total number of salmon at the hatchery was 5477 adults and 4879 grilse in 2004-2005 and 7256 adults and 931 grilse in 2005-2006. The Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery is open seven days a week, from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm
For more information: Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery, 25800 North McIntire Rd.., P.O. Box 158 o Clements, CA 95227, (209) 759-3383 or Fax (209) 759-3148, http://www.dfg.ca.gov/hatcheries/mokelumne/
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"We are really trying to improve our steelhead runs, but it's been a big battle," stated Bob Anderson, hatchery manager II. "We have been doing things like spending a longer time sorting the eggs, leaving the ladder open for a longer period of time than before, and changing the size and the timing of the steelhead yearlings when we release them into the system."
In addition to the already mentioned measures, the hatchery is holding some "kelts" (spawned out adults) and trucking them down to tidewater to hopefully get some of the steelhead to spawn more than once.
"Everybody that I talked to on the river reported catching and releasing at least a half dozen trout, including some fish in the 14 to 16 inch class," disclosed Smith. "The best fly patterns were Glo Bugs and big red Copper Johns. I also heard of 2 or 3 other adult steelhead caught beside mine."