2025 Deschutes River Hatchery Steelhead ECREEL

August 16 - October 19, 2024

Official Rules

1. General Information

1. The 2025 Deschutes River Hatchery Steelhead ECREEL is an online event run through Angler’s Atlas website and the mobile app MyCatch. The app is available for both iOS (Apple App Store) and Android (Google Play Store).The event will be run using the MyCatch mobile app, which is a property of Angler’s Atlas.

2. This event is free to enter.

3. NEW FOR 2025 - When an angler registers, they will receive a unique referral URL / QR code. Anglers can share this URL / QR with friends to refer them to sign up in the event. We will be awarding referral prizes to the participants who shared the referral. For a referral to qualify, the referred angler must log a valid trip before the end of the event.

4. Anyone can participate in the 2025 Deschutes River Hatchery Steelhead ECREEL - and it is for all ages. For those participants sharing a mobile device, participants must login to their own account to submit their catches..

5. Catches must be submitted through the MyCatch app for approval.

6. In order for catches to be sent properly, you must use the same login email and password for both the Angler’s Atlas website and the MyCatch app.

7. Contestants must register for this event through the Angler’s Atlas website or the MyCatch app. We recommend anglers practice using the app before the event begins. Here is a link to some helpful videos to familiarize yourself with the app.

8. You will receive an automatic email confirming that you have entered the event. 

9. By participating in this event your name may be publicly visible. 

10. Protecting anglers’ privacy is a priority, and any location data collected during the event will not be released to the public. Our promise to anglers is “Secret Fishing Spots Stay Secret”. See below for further details

2. Catch Reporting Rules

1. This event is for hatchery Steelhead only. No other species, nor wild Steelhead will be permitted.

2. Hatchery Steelhead can be identified by the absence of the adipose fin which is located between the dorsal fin and tail. Wild Steelhead will have the adipose fin intact. Refer to the image below for an example of this:

3. In order for each catch to qualify, a photograph of the fish on a measuring device must be taken using the MyCatch app (ie. photos cannot be uploaded from a photo gallery or other source).

4. All contestants must have GPS/location services enabled on your cell phone for their catches to qualify. Your location data will be protected. For more information, see details below.

5.  This is a total length measurement event, not fork length. The total length of a fish is measured from the tip of the nose or jaw to the tip of the tail (see picture below). The tail can be naturally pinched to the width of the measuring board.

6. Each fish must be entered only once. Fish should be entered as soon as possible after catching and at the fishing site

8. The photo must be taken from a birds-eye view looking down on the fish.

9. The mouth is allowed to be open, closed, or anywhere in between, so long as the fish meets the other above requirements

10. There are to be no fingers placed in the gills or mouth of the fish. Any fingers in the gills or mouth of the fish will disqualify that fish. This rule applies to the Measurement photo only.

11. All fish must be measured with the right side down.

12. If you measure your fish entry on a commercially produced bumpboard, these rules must be followed:

1. The nose of the fish must be visibly touching the bump end of the board; 

2. The fish must be placed on top of the board;

3. The entire fish showing the head and tail must be visible in the measurement photo. We must also see past the head and tail in the photo. 

4. Expandable (sliding) bump boards may not be allowed if the fish passes the expandable section.

13. If you measure your fish entry on a homemade bumpboard, these rules must be followed:

1. The measurement rules are the same as above.

2. You must provide a photo to the organizer of the empty board to verify proof of measurement accuracy, which includes a measuring tape alongside the bumpboard measurements for verification. This photo must be sent to [email protected]. 

3. Homemade bumpboards must have a solid edge or "bump" for the fish to be set against and it must line up with the 0 mark on the tape. 

4. Unverified boards will NOT be accepted

14. If you measure your fish using a tape measure, these rules must be followed:

1. The fish nose and the start of the tape must be aligned by placing both against a solid edge;

2. The fish's nose must be aligned with the zero mark on the tape;

3. The tape measure must be beside the fish, not on top of the fish or covering it in a way that obscures the measurements;

4. The entire fish showing the head and tail and past the tail must be visible in the measurement photo. 

5. *Rapala roll out tapes will be treated as a tape measure*

15. In order to reduce handling stress on the fish, anglers may submit photos of their fish in a standard or measure net.  Your catches will not qualify for length-based prizes (longest, shortest, and hidden length), as an accurate measurement can not be read in the photo. The catches will still count towards most fish entered, most fish released, and best release video prizes.

16. Soft fabric or flexible measuring tapes will not be allowed for use.

17. If an entry submission comes in where a measuring rule is not followed, the fish may still be approved but a length penalty will be applied. The penalty will apply to the observable length of the fish at the discretion of the Organizer. The set penalty amount will be 1 inch. The entry may also be rejected.

18. A second photo, often called the Hero Shot, is to be used as a hero shot and is optional for this event. 

19. You will also be prompted with a third option which is a video of the release of your fish and this is also optional for this event. Filming a release video of your catch qualifies you for the most fish released and best release video prize categories. The best release video will be chosen by the panel of event directors. 

20. Fish will be approved for length only to the last physical mark crossed. 

21. Event organizers reserve the right to adjust entries. They also have the right to ask for a picture sent to them of your measuring device.

22. The app will work even when out of cell range, however for catches to qualify they must be synced with Angler’s Atlas server. To learn how to submit a catch into the event you can watch this MyCatch video for more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS65wMakQHA

23. Fish only appear on leaderboards after they have been reviewed and approved by the organizer. To see if your fish was recorded successfully, check the Log View of your app (2nd icon from the left at the bottom). Here is YouTube link showing how to submit a catch on the app. 

24. Our Catch Approval Team reviews and judges all fish. Once a submission has been approved, it will appear on the appropriate leaderboard(s). Entries will not show up immediately after you sync them.

25. A great resource is the MyCatch video that shows how to complete an entry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS65wMakQHA
    
    

3. Event Location and Times

1. Event boundaries are downstream of Sherars Falls on the Deschutes River, Oregon. See the map attached to this event.

2. The event runs from Saturday, August 16, 2025 at 5:00:00 am to Sunday, October 19, 2025 at 9:00:00 pm (Pacific Daylight Time)

3. All catches made within the start and end times must be synchronized with the Angler’s Atlas server within the event times to qualify.

4. At the discretion of the event director, event days may be shortened, postponed or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions.
   
   

4. Awards &  Prizes

1. Prizes - Prizes for this event will be distributed in accordance with the prizing categories below.

2. PLEASE REPORT ALL CATCHES! Reporting all fish is essential to the success of this citizen science project.
   
   

2. Prizes will be awarded as cash or as gift certificates to participating local retailers. Cash prizes are awarded through PayPal or Amazon e-gift Card only. Prizes will be paid out at the end of the event. Gift certificates from participating local retailers will be available at the vendors' place of business.

3. A participant can only win one prize placing per prizing category.

4. Awards will be announced on or by October 31, 2025 and anglers will be contacted directly using the contact information provided in the event registration process.

5. In the case of a tie, the tie break will go to the first fish recorded by time. If a tie still exists, the tie break will go to the person with the highest number of fish reported. 

6. Anglers have up to 60 days to claim their prize. Anglers that do not claim their prize within this period forfeit their prize.

5. General Rules

1. By registering and participating in the event, all participants agree to abide by the rules and regulations they have received as set out in this 2025 Deschutes River Hatchery Steelhead ECREEL event rules.

2. Anglers can only submit catches that they have caught themselves.

3. This is an individual event, so you cannot enter as a partnership or team. Anglers are free to fish alone or with other event or non-event anglers, but each registered angler may only enter their own fish. 

4. All fish entered for this event must be caught via angling i.e. using hook, line, rod and reel. Fish caught by non angling (i.e. use of traps, trap nets or cages) is not permitted. Usage of a landing net to land a hooked fish is allowed. 

5. Each contestant must have in their possession a valid fishing license for their respective jurisdiction or be exempt under regulations of their jurisdiction including all the applicable endorsements and supplemental tags issued by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

6. Each contestant must conform to the general sport fishing rules and regulations including possession and bag limits that are in place for the jurisdiction in which they are fishing. 

7. Promoters and organizers assisting in the event operation are not responsible for death, injury, damage, liability, theft, fire or any loss to any contestants.

8. Any angler found to be cheating will be disqualified from the event. Angler’s Atlas also reserves the right to ban anglers from competing in future events.

9. In the event of disqualification, any paid entry fees will be forfeited and not refunded.

10. All rules have loopholes. It is our intention to provide an honest sportsmanlike event. In the interest of good sportsmanship, contestants are reminded the spirit of the rule will prevail in all judgments.. All decisions made by the tournament Organizer are final. 

11. All questions or concerns relating to the rules of this event are to be referred to the MyCatch Approval Team. Their decision will be final in all cases. No other person can be considered a spokesman for the rules during the event. The contact email for this event is [email protected] (please include the name of the event in your email).

12. Any contestant has the right to make a protest against another contestant by contacting an Organizer through email and must be completed and presented no later than one hour after the close of the event. Their decision will be final in all cases. A $100.00 dollar protest fee may need to accompany the protest. The fee will be returned if the protest is found to be valid.

13. To ensure the best chances of survival for the fish, all participants are to handle fish safely. Blatant abuse to fish or the resource is reason for disqualification

14. All participants must follow boating safety regulations in your jurisdiction.

15. All photo and video submissions may be used by Angler's Atlas or our event partners for future use.
    
    

6. Data Privacy and Fisheries Research

“Secret Fishing Spots Stay Secret” — This is our primary commitment to anglers who report their catches through MyCatch. So what does this mean in practice?

1. Angler’s Atlas does not release MyCatch GPS data to the public. It is treated as confidential and is only provided to fisheries researchers under strict conditions.

2. Every research team we work with who receives location data must sign a data sharing agreement that sets the terms of use for the data consistent with 7A.

3. Data is anonymized before it is provided to the researcher.

4. Researchers agree not to share the data with anyone else.

5. Researchers cannot use the data for any purpose other than the research specified in the agreement. 

6. Exact location data cannot be published as part of the scientific research. Instead, it has to be generalized to a larger region so the location cannot be reverse engineered.

7. Angler’s Atlas may release data to a law enforcement agency if compelled to do so under court order.
   
   

These data privacy rules are designed to protect our angler’s private data, to conserve the fisheries, and to make sure we maintain a trusting relationship with our anglers into the future. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to reach out to Angler’s Atlas President directly by email ([email protected]).