Odd question

I was wondering if i caught a surplus steelhead that was stocked into a lake do i have to put it on my tag

like a brooder? if so no. But you can only keep 1 fish over 20 inches per day at a lake.

I new i couldnt only keep one just didn't know about tag thanks though im gonna hit lost lake friday and i heard it got stocked with steelhead over the winter.

Berg03, I think smoky is talking about steelhead recycled into lakes. But yeah, it shouldn't have to go on your tag I would say.

smoky said:

I was wondering if i caught a surplus steelhead that was stocked into a lake do i have to put it on my tag

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smoky- it depends on the lake you are fishing on. if the lake has no connection to the ocean (a cut-OFF dam for example), then it cannot have a steelhead in it because of this: General Statewide Regulations, Steelhead: Sea-run rainbow trout over 20 inches in length except in Northwest and Southwest zone streams where rainbow trout over 16 inches in length are defined as steelhead (2015 regs, page 7). If it has not been to the ocean, it is just a rainbow trout.

However there are lakes that have no steelhead runs but accidentally get some, and since there is no definitive way to distinguish between a brooder/holdover rainbow and a steelhead that wanders into that lake by mistake, these are usually legal to retain as part of your trout limit, not tagged, and following the 1 over 20" rule...the opposite applies in NW and SW streams, where any rainbow over 16" is treated as a steelhead and the rules for steelhead in that stream must be followed.

But there are lakes that do have steelhead in them and regs for them. Check 'Tenmile Lakes' in the SW zone, Special Regs are:

• Open for adipose fin-clipped steelhead all year.
• Rainbow trout over 20 inches are considered steelhead Jan. 1-April 30 and Nov. 1-Dec. 31. May 1- Oct. 31 rainbow trout over 20 inches are considered trout and may be harvested 1 per day

so the lake is open all year but from Nov.1-April30, any rainbow over 20" is a steelhead in that lake and retained only if clipped and tagged. But May1-Oct31, they are rainbow trout and any can be retained and not tagged.

easy peasy but always check the Special Regulations for where you are going to fish! cheers, roger

smoky said:

I new i couldnt only keep one just didn't know about tag thanks though im gonna hit lost lake friday and i heard it got stocked with steelhead over the winter.

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shorter answer- looks like you are fine in Lost Lake, "Central Zone" rules apply...cheers, roger

ps- there is a "Lost Lake (Santiam Pass, Linn Co.)" in the Willamette zone that is C&R / no bait but I assume that is not the one you are going to...

I believe he's talking about Lost in Clatsop, in the winter they throw surplus steel in there, these Steel are Considered trout for your purposes Smokey! Those Steelhead can be hard to catch so best of luck to ya!

Thanks for all the replies ill be hitting it tomorrow

smoky said:

Thanks for all the replies ill be hitting it tomorrow

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good luck, get a big one and post a pic!

rogerdodger said:

shorter answer- looks like you are fine in Lost Lake, "Central Zone" rules apply...cheers, roger

ps- there is a "Lost Lake (Santiam Pass, Linn Co.)" in the Willamette zone that is C&R / no bait but I assume that is not the one you are going to...

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Drove by Lost a Lake on the Santiam Pass up by HooDoo Ski Resort this morning on the way to Eastern OR and could hardly believe the puny amount of water in that lake. It's nearly dried up.....looks like a swampy, grassy meadow currently. I mean it's always been shallow but at least it looked like a lake. Fished it years ago and it was producing small bows and brooks. Doubt if it even has a fish in it now at all. Sad looking!


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In my experience, those transplanted surplus hatchery steelies they put in lakes taste about like the dirt on the banks of said lakes.

But fun to catch in a stockerpond.

And you don't need to tag them, nor do you need a tag to fish for them.

DrTheopolis said:

In my experience, those transplanted surplus hatchery steelies they put in lakes taste about like the dirt on the banks of said lakes.

But fun to catch in a stockerpond.

And you don't need to tag them, nor do you need a tag to fish for them.

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This^^^, those fish are ones that they have already ripened and live spawned, meat will be white, mushy, and not that great...At least that has been my experience.

I have caught plenty that were super pink. Just depends on the brooder.

We're not talking about brooders, which can vary in quality, we're talking about surplus steelhead from the hatcheries that they put in lakes.

Different animals.

My buddy ended up catching a 26" steelhead but it was superdark so we put it back lots of fun though