Steelhead Trout are migratory Rainbow Trout. Adults spawn in the Tualatin River from April to June. Juvenile fish spend 2-3 years in freshwater before migrating to the ocean as ”smolts”. After spending 2-3 years in the ocean, adults migrate back to freshwater to spawn. Unlike salmon, Steelhead Trout can return to the ocean and back to freshwater multiple times to spawn. Steelhead Trout that survive spawning and return to the ocean are called “kelts”.
Steelhead Trout are raised in Oregon hatcheries and released into the Willamette River, but not the Tualatin River. Hatchery-raised Rainbow Trout are released into a few lakes in the Tualatin River watershed. Steelhead Trout were listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened in 1999.
