Steelhead reg clarification

This is probably a dumb question but I've been pouring over the regs but want to be sure i fully understand. Is there length or weight limits for a keeper? I only see a bag limit.

not a dumb question at all. regulations 30 years ago could probably explain to you in a paragraph or three. where does a person start without obtaining a lawyer how complex its become.

No size limit on steelhead.  As long as they have an adipose fin clip and the water permits take of hatchery steelhead (and I think just about all of them do by now), you can fill your limit with anything from adults to 5-inch smolts.  Retention of wild steelhead is no longer permitted in CA so just look for the clipped adipose on your fish.

No size limit on steelhead.  As long as they have an adipose fin clip and the water permits take of hatchery steelhead (and I think just about all of them do by now), you can fill your limit with anything from adults to 5-inch smolts.  Retention of wild steelhead is no longer permitted in CA so just look for the clipped adipose on your fish.

Yeah this.

Not only that, I think that you should not release hatchery fish.  Especially if the river you are fishing on does not have a hatchery on it.

Not only that, I think that you should not release hatchery fish.  Especially if the river you are fishing on does not have a hatchery on it.

100% agree.  Hatchery steelhead are intended to be harvested, and have been shown to have all sorts of nasty effects on wild steelhead runs.  Stay within your legal take limit of course, but go out there and bonk a limit of those hatchery rats!  You'll be helping the wild fish.

Food for thought! In many systems with hatcheries, the "wild" steelhead are simply the progeny of hatchery rats ...an adipose fin doesn't necessarily mean the fish is a decendant of the original native population.

Very true Cen Coast, especially the rivers with a long history of hatchery production and dams located far downstream of historic spawning grounds such as the American and Feather rivers.  Back in the 1970s, Eel River strain steelhead were dumped into the American to provide bigger steelhead.  Their genetics persist to this day, evidenced by whenever someone catches an unusually large 30+ inch steelhead from the American.  Native Central Valley steelhead are typically smaller than their coastal counterparts, usually topping out in the mid-20 inch range.

Would you keep this fish?  It has an adipose fun but it does not appear to be intact. Posted today on HTC caught in the Mad below the hatchery.

The mad is notorious for misclips. Personally I release all the fish I catch like that. Not worth leaving it up to the discretion of the warden.

Thanks for all the responses. Starting the first I'm going to be trying my hand at the mad... I'll keep an eye out for those miss clips.

No size limit on steelhead.  As long as they have an adipose fin clip and the water permits take of hatchery steelhead (and I think just about all of them do by now), you can fill your limit with anything from adults to 5-inch smolts.  Retention of wild steelhead is no longer permitted in CA so just look for the clipped adipose on your fish.

I thought that to be a "steelhead", it has to 16 inches long...

No size limit on steelhead.  As long as they have an adipose fin clip and the water permits take of hatchery steelhead (and I think just about all of them do by now), you can fill your limit with anything from adults to 5-inch smolts.  Retention of wild steelhead is no longer permitted in CA so just look for the clipped adipose on your fish.

I thought that to be a "steelhead", it has to 16 inches long...

that's true, but all the special regulation waters which allow steelhead retention also allow hatchery trout retention.

"A" Fin = last one on top before tail? do we need the report card this year? Going to get licence tomorrow so i'll find out then.

"A" Fin = last one on top before tail?

Correct. All salmonids have adipose fins. It's how they are marked here, by clipping it off. Other states mark hatchery fish by clipping the left ventral fin.

picture of Mad River Hatchery buddy just sent me last night