2026 Steel Quest - Grande Ronde River Oregon

October 3, 2026 - January 3, 2027

Official Rules

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

1. General Information

1. The 2026 Steel Quest - Grande Ronde River event 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. Anyone can participate in the 2026 Steel Quest - Grande Ronde River event and it is for all ages. For those participants sharing a mobile device, participants must login to their own account to submit their catches..
   
   

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

5. 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.
   
   

6. 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.
   
   

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

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

9. 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

10. The app will work even when out of cell range, however for catches to qualify they must be synced with Angler’s Atlas server. This can be done through a wifi connection or by cell tower. 

11. 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). 

12. A great resource is the MyCatch YouTube video that shows how to complete an entry.
    
    

 

2. Catch Reporting Rules

1. This event is primarily for Steelhead, with incidental catches counting towards most species and most fish categories.

2. Fin Check Rule: As this is a conservation event, we are collecting data on the ratio of wild versus hatchery caught fish. When reporting catches through the app, we encourage all anglers to take a photo of the back of the fish behind the dorsal fin to establish presence or absence of the adipose fin. This is called a “Fin Check” photo, appearing when you select “Add Catch” on the app.
   
   
   

3. Released Fish Rule: Please keep them wet and in the water. You can still take a measurement photo by placing a measuring device beside or on top of the fish. This can include measuring tapes, net measures, or reference objects of known size, such as a proof ball. These will help in data collection but will not be used for longest fish prizes. 

4. Harvested Fish Rule: Length prizes will be available for harvested fish. This is a total length measurement event, not fork length. All fish must be measured with the right side down. Below are the rules for how to properly measure the length of your harvested fish:

1. If measured with a commercially produced bump board, the fish’s nose must be visibly touching the bump end of the board, and the fish must be placed on top of the board. Expandable (sliding) bump boards are allowed, provided the submission photo clearly shows that the board is fully extended otherwise a penalty will be applied

2. If measured with a homemade bump board, all of the above measurement rules still apply, plus participants must provide a verification photo of the empty board, showing the bump board with a measuring tape placed alongside to confirm measurement accuracy. This verification photo must be sent to [email protected]. Unverified boards may not be accepted.

3. If measured with a soft tape measure, the fish’s nose must be positioned at the zero mark of the tape. The tape measure should be placed on top of the fish, so the measurement increments can be seen. Due to the curvature of the fish, a length penalty will be applied to account for reduced measurement accuracy.

5. Release Video Rule: You will also be prompted with an option to take a release video. This qualifies you for any release prize categories.

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

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

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

11. 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.

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

13. 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.
    
    
    

3. Event Location and Times

1. Event boundaries are the Grande Ronde River in Oregon and includes the Wenaha River in Oregon. See the map attached to this event.
   
   

2. The event runs from Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 6:00:00 am to Sunday, January 3, 2026 at 6:00:00 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.
   
   

Early Bird Prizes

13 Weekly Challenges

 

Monthly Prizes (covering Oct, Nov and Dec)

 

Grand Prize

2. Prizes will be awarded as gift certificates. 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 monthly prizing category.
   
   

4. Awards will be announced on or by January 15, 2027 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 2026 Steel Quest - Grande Ronde River 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. 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.
   
   

8. 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.
   
   

9. 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).
   
   

10. 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.
    
    

11. 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
    
    

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

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

6. Liability Waiver and Assumption of Risk

1. By registering for and participating in this event, participants acknowledge that fishing and boating activities involve inherent risks, including but not limited to injury, illness, death, property damage, adverse weather, water hazards, equipment failure, and the actions of other participants.
   
   

2. Participants voluntarily assume all risks associated with participation in this event and related activities.
   
   

3. To the fullest extent permitted by law, participants hereby release, waive, and discharge Angler’s Atlas, MyCatch, event organizers, sponsors, partners, volunteers, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, or expenses arising out of or related to participation in the event, including claims arising from negligence.
   
   

4. Participants agree to indemnify and hold harmless the above parties from any claims brought by third parties arising from the participant’s actions or conduct during the event.
   
   

5. Participants are solely responsible for their own safety, equipment, compliance with all laws and regulations, and for securing appropriate insurance coverage if desired.
   
   

 

7. 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]).