05/28/2026
114,000 steelhead smolts were released into the Chilliwack/ Vedder River earlier this month. These smolts are the offspring of wild steelhead collected by volunteer anglers last winter. The smolts are raised at the Chilliwack River Hatchery (Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada), and in early-May each year staff from our Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery assist with their release. The adults will return to spawn (between December and April) after two - five years at sea. When fishing for this species, hatchery fish can be identified by their clipped adipose fin. All wild steelhead must be released.
Image: Dean Worrall