Tolowa Nation Collects Chinook Broodstock From Smith River
Staff and volunteers netted more than 100 fish on the Smith River to supply broodstock for the Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Fishing
Staff and volunteers from the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation's Fisheries Division and Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery collected Chinook salmon broodstock from the Smith River at Ruby Van Deventer County Park. The fish were transported by live-well trailer to the hatchery to be held until ready to spawn.
Why it matters
The Nation and hatchery are propagating broodstock taken from the mainstem Smith River to produce fish with genetic diversity more representative of the whole watershed. The eggs produced from spawning are hatched and reared for release the following year.
Crews deployed a 300-foot seine net with 2-inch mesh that encircled more than 100 fish during the October collection. The source does not state how many fish were kept as broodstock after sorting by species, sex and wild or hatchery origin.
The players
Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation
The Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation is a federally recognized tribe whose ancestral homeland lies along the Smith River and the northern California and southern Oregon coast.
Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery
Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery is a salmon hatchery on the Smith River system that holds and spawns broodstock for release of juvenile fish.
California Department of Fish & Wildlife
The California Department of Fish & Wildlife is the state agency responsible for managing the state's fish, wildlife and habitats, including salmon fisheries.
The details
Divers and staff sorted the fish by species and sex, and checked each for an adipose clip to determine whether it was wild or hatchery origin. The net was set by boat across the channel on the north riverbank, pulled upstream and back to shore, and weighted with a lead line and float line to keep it upright.
Timeline
October: staff deployed the seine net to collect broodstock from the Smith River.
Fall 2026: staff and volunteers completed the broodstock collection.
Season Trajectory
The Rowdy Creek program draws Chinook broodstock from the mainstem Smith River rather than relying only on hatchery-origin fish, a practice aimed at broadening the genetic makeup of the fish released each year. This fall collection supplies eggs for next year's release cycle on the river.
Anglers and river users on the Smith River can expect the broodstock collection to be part of the seasonal salmon management picture. The broodstock program's releases are intended to support future salmon returns on the river.
The takeaway
Sourcing broodstock from the mainstem river rather than only from hatchery stock is one way managers try to keep released salmon genetically closer to the wild population. Anglers interested in the river's salmon can follow seasonal management updates from the responsible agencies.
Further reading
For more on salmon and river management, explore Fishing coverage across California waters.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Del Norte Triplicate.
