Why Am I Not Seeing Any Fish Right Now in Late January?

Cold water and low flows reduce the movement of winter steelhead up the North Umpqua River. Cold temperatures can slow down the metabolism of fish, making them less active and less inclined to move. Low flows limit the access into smaller tributaries where the steelhead will spawn. Also, the low flow conditions reduce the water velocity that the fish need for moving gravel to dig their redds (nests) at a preferred depth for survival of the eggs. This video was recorded around the Coho Salmon run before the winter steelhead run started. But the cold water temperatures impact both.