Great Lakes Steelhead

a starting guide to what, where, when, & how

What is a Steelhead?

Identification
Oncorhynchus mykiss Rainbow trout & steelhead have no taxonomic differences (note same gen. & sp.) Native in the Americas in the north Pacific ocean from eastern Bering Sea to southern California / northern Baja, now reduced to north of Los Angeles Native in Asia from western Bering Sea to Kamchatka and further south to Japan Introduced to the Great Lakes in late 1800s

Biology

Belong to the family Salmonidae includes salmon, trout, and char

Taxonomically identical to rainbow trout

Are anadramous form of rainbow trout (return FROM the sea to spawn) Born in freshwater, spend 1-3 years rearing and growing before swimming out into open water Spend 1-4 growing years in open water before returning to their native streams to spawn

Are iteroparous (multiple spawn), not semelparous (one time spawn)

Winter-run populations mature in open water and run upriver to spawn (run from Nov-April) Summer-run populations mature after run into freshwater to spawn (run from May-October) Average lifespan 6-8 years

Males dominate early portion of runs, females dominate later portion. Most repeat spawning fish are female (males spawn with more than one female and expend large amounts of energy, reducing their survival %)

Great Lakes stocking history

1876 McCloud tributary strain reared and released into MIs Au Sable River (drains into Lake Huron), heavy stocking program begins 1878 Same strain released into NYs Genesee River (drains into Lake Ontario)

1883 the Ontario government stocks Lake Superior streams near Sault St. Marie with what was thought to be upper McCloud River rainbow trout (later upper McCloud found to be spawning tributary for steelhead)
Early 1890s steelhead runs begin on Little Manistee River, a tributary of Lake Michigan (first known runs) Mid-1890s difficulty with brood stock in MI causes hatcheries to change fish to Klamath River strain Late 1890s OH, PA, & NY stock Lake Tributaries with McCloud strain

1893 US Fish Commission intentionally collects McCloud strain steelhead eggs for introduction in the US 1900 steelhead introduced and present in CO, CT, ME, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, PA, UT, VT, WI, & WY (many stockings were unsuccessful) 1900s-1940s runs begin to establish

Great Lakes stocking problems

1950s Lake Michigan steelhead population crashes due to arrival of sea

lamprey and alewife from Atlantic Coast ocean-going vessels

1960s Lake Ontario gets stocked with coho and chinook salmon to help

eradicate the alewife problem

1970s to present heavy stocking program by PA in Erie and NY in Ontario

produce large #s of fish without suitable habitat to sustain natural reproduction

Seasons
Winter-run populations mature in open water and run upriver to spawn

(run from Nov-April) - JUST AFTER PACIFIC SALMON RUNS

Fishing is river flow and weather dependant Runs can start as early as mid-late October and extend until 2nd week of May

Summer-run populations mature after run into freshwater to spawn (run

from May-October) - BEFORE PACIFIC SALMON RUNS

Fishing is river flow dependant Runs can start as early as May and extend until early October

The Great Lakes

The Great Lakes

Flow Direction
Lake Superior via St.

Marys River into Lake Huron

Lake Huron via St. Clair

River into Lake St. Clair

Lake St. Clair via Detroit

River into Lake Erie

Lake Erie via Niagra

River (Niagra Falls) into Lake Ontario (Welland Canal circumvents Niagra Falls)
Lake Ontario via St.

Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean

Steelhead Fishing Opportunities

Lake Erie

Seasons of the Lake Erie Tributaries

Lake Erie tributaries are fall and spring fisheries (smaller creeks freeze in the winter) Predominantly a steelhead fishery Variables that will trigger spawning run

Lake shore temperatures & photo periods becoming shorter (68 degrees F) cause them to stage in estuaries Water temperature (river temps between 54-60 degrees F) Water flow - rain & water tables affect river flow in fall, snowmelt & rain in spring Water flow
Heavier flows give fish confidence to push upriver, extreme cases will seek relief in slower water Steelhead use clarity for cover Seasonal fall temps at 45 degrees, spring temps in mid-high 30s Overcast & cloudy days ideal

Behavior in tributaries affected by:

Water clarity

Water temperature

Light levels

*NOTE:

Lake Erie fish run smaller, averaging 6-8lbs, but due to quantities of fish stocked by NY, PA, & Ontario, catch ratio tends to be higher

Lake Erie Tributary Flies & Techniques

Flies

Egg patterns (small size #8-14) asst colors

Glo Bug Sucker Spawn Crystal Meth Hares ear Pheasant Tail Prince Nymph Egg sucking leech Wooly Bugger Marabou Spey

Nymph patterns (size #6-14)

Streamer patterns (size #4-12)

Techniques

Traditional indicator techniques 90 degree rigs Tight-line nymphing Swinging flies

Lake Erie Tributary Access & Locations

PA Tribs

Lake Erie Pennsylvania map (click for map)

4-Mile through 12-Mile creeks

4-Mile through 12Mile Creeks (click for map)

4-Mile through 12-Mile creeks

Smaller creeks
8-Mile, 12-Mile clear before other rivers Can generally be crowded (easy access) Smaller, more intimate rivers All limestone creeks All creeks usually only accessible north of Rte 5

Lower Elk Creek

Lower Elk Creek (click for map)

Lower Elk Creek

Premier western Erie creek Largest runs of fish Wild reproduction Good access & room to roam

Upper Elk Creek

Upper Elk Creek (click for map)

Upper Elk Creek

Good access and fishing when lower river is crowded Good holding water later fall/winter More intimate fishing conditions

Lake Erie Tributary Access & Locations

NY Tribs

Cattaraugus Creek

Cattaraugus Creek
Lower section (Gowanda & Seneca Nations) Lower middle section (lower Zoar Valley) Upper middle section (upper Zoar Valley)

Cattaraugus Creek
Upper section (Springville dam)

Other Western NY Erie Tributaries

Chatauqua Creek Canadaway Creek 18 Mile Creek Silver Creek

Lake Ontario

Seasons of the Lake Ontario Tributaries

Lake Ontario tributaries are fall, winter, & spring fisheries (larger rivers dont freeze, but slush becomes an issue) Salmon, brown trout, and steelhead fishery Variables that will trigger spawning run

Lake shore temperatures & photo periods becoming shorter (68 degrees F) cause them to stage in estuaries Water temperature (river temps between 54-60 degrees F) Water flow - releases from reservoirs and fall rains

Behavior in tributaries affected by:

Water flow

Heavier flows give fish confidence to push upriver, extreme cases will seek relief, including side channels
Steelhead use clarity for cover Seasonal fall temps at 45 degrees, spring temps in mid-high 30s

Water clarity

Water temperature

Light levels
Overcast & cloudy days ideal, but due to depth and harder rock substrate, sometimes sunny days are excellent

*NOTE:

Lake Ontario fish run larger, averaging 10-12lbs, often exceeding 15lbs.

Lake Ontario Tributary Flies & Techniques

Flies

Egg patterns (larger size #6-12) asst colors

Glo Bug Estaz egg Sucker Spawn Prince Nymph Black Stonefly Caddis Egg sucking leech Articulated flies Marabou Spey

Nymph patterns (size #6-14)

Streamer patterns (size #1/0-10)

Techniques

Traditional indicator techniques 90 degree rigs Tight-line nymphing Swinging flies

Lake Ontario Tributary Access & Locations

Oak Orchard Creek

Creek runs NE from Albion NY to the lake Most notable for brown trout (sight casting for 10-20lb fish) Heavy salmon runs, larger eggs work well Steelhead runs are best in spring

Salmon River

Salmon River

Salmon River (click for maps)

Steelheading gear

Rods & Reels

Rods

Erie Tribs
6 & 7-weight rods

Ontario Tribs
7 & 8-weight rods

Reels

Line holding device Sturdy drag Sealed drag (winter)

Lines

Long belly lines for mending Cold water specific lines Sinking lines/sink tips for spey/switch

Clothing
Waders

Breathable fabric Room for insulation Amenities

Boots

Studded (ALWAYS!) Non-felt to avoid snow buildup

Layering

Wicking base layer (Capilene) Mid-weight mid-layer Insulating fleece/wool

Outerwear

Waterproof & breathable Ample storage

Headwear/Gloves

Sunglasses

Doing your homework

Talk to anglers whove been there
UrbanAngler.com & employees

Books/videos Location & Scouting

The internet is your friend!

Google Earth / Google Maps
Access roads, direction, river characteristics

USGS gauge information water flow Fishing reports & conditions

Weather.com FishErie.com FishSalmonRiver.com OakOrchardFlyshop.com CattaraugusCreekOutfitters.com

UrbanAngler.com for gear, help, & expertise

FIN

Credits
Salmon River Maps courtesy of NYS DEC (available on the NYS DEC website) Angler photos are copyrighted and courtesy of Richard Farino & Raymond Nason all rights reserved Product imagery courtesy of Simms Fishing Products and Sage Fly Rods Great Lakes stocking history info taken from: Flyfishing for Great Lakes Steelhead Rick Kustich Steelhead Guide to Fishing Lake Erie Tributaries John Nagy Trout (Wildlife Series) Judith Stolz