PENDLETON — Salmon and steelhead are returning to spawn in McKay Creek, a tributary of the Umatilla River near Pendleton, thanks to a fish passage project that dropped part of the weir that blocked passage for decades.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reminded anglers in an announcement Dec. 16 that salmon and steelhead fishing remains closed in McKay Creek. ODFW has received reports of anglers fishing for salmon and steelhead in the area, which is mostly private land.

“McKay Creek is only open to trout fishing, not fishing for salmon and steelhead,” according to ODFW district fish biologist Taylor McCroskey. “We are going through an experimental process, but once that is complete and we get an idea of how the fish are using the recently opened habitat, opening it to salmon/steelhead fishing could happen in the future.”

Since the weir was lowered in 2023, fisheries co-managers from ODFW and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation have documented 112 salmon and steelhead redds (nests indicating that fish have spawned).

The experimental weir project is part of a larger effort to restore fish passage at McKay Creek Reservoir Dam, which is one of the highest fish passage priorities in the state. The McKay Creek drainage produces some of the coldest water in the Umatilla basin, making it ideal spawning/rearing habitat for salmon and steelhead.

“We could definitely see a higher number of salmon and steelhead returning to the Umatilla basin in the coming years because of this now available habitat in McKay Creek,” McCroskey said. “We thank anglers for respecting the closure and being patient, as we hope to eventually reopen fishing there.”

Portions of the Umatilla River are open for hatchery steelhead fishing Jan. 1 through April 30 and Sept. 1 through Dec. 31 and for coho and Chinook salmon fishing at other times of the year.