Department staff went to Canyon Creek in early December to conduct brown trout redd counts. A redd is where a female trout digs a depression in the gravel with her tail, deposits her eggs, and waits for a male trout to fertilize them. She then covers the eggs with loose gravel and the male and female swim away, leaving the eggs sheltered. The redd count survey is a long-term monitoring effort that has been conducted since 2005. 

Biologists counted 43 redds along the stream section between 7C and OW Bridge. The highest historical redd count between 7C and the OW Bridge was 106 in 2016, after gravel enhancements in 2013 and 2014. There was a decrease in counts in 2020; however, current redd counts are similar to the 2019 survey and higher than the historical average of 41.

During the survey, biologists saw quite a few trout of multiple sizes throughout the stream. If you’ve never been out to Canyon Creek, it is highly recommended, as the stream is beautiful. There are also some monster wild brown trout just waiting for the right angler to come along!