Being a Steelhead Isn’t Easy

Steelhead don't feed after leaving the ocean. Although they will strike at things like fishing lures, their digestive systems shrink and lose the ability to absorb energy and nutrients from what they eat. Steelhead kelts will begin to move downstream towards the ocean and restart their digestive system. This process was observed by Zachary Penney, when he was at the University of Idaho studying the physiology of migrating and spawning steelhead.

Once they are done spawning, steelhead kelts have to refill their gas tanks. They will feed as they move downstream and when they re-enter the ocean, much like when they were a young smolt. The Nez Perce Tribe operates a program to collect and help kelts recover. The fish are held in the hatchery and fed until they are released in the fall during the upstream migration as a way to get more spawners when runs are low. This is a conservation measure because very few kelts make it back to Idaho on their own to spawn again, 1% or less. Those that do bear witness to an incredible story, because it isn't easy being a steelhead.