# Steelhead



## Khersh88 (Aug 20, 2011)

I hope this is in the right place im sure its too early tho. I have some questions about steelhead run a few years ago i fished a place called walnut creek in pa it was early spring and man it was amazing!! I went to conneaut last spring or this spring not sure which one but i think last and it sucked horribly now my question is when do they start moving in the creeks in fall? And is it as active as spring? The reason im asking so early is because my buddy has a cabin up that way on the lake hes going to rent out to me and a couple people and id like to give him a general idea of when. He doesnt need a exact date just a general idea time frame and that way i can save up a few $ to go too. Thank you for any help.


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## mdogs444 (Aug 29, 2012)

The steelhead start moving into the tributaries in Fall (late Sept-Oct) and can be caught through spring (usually April-May). The difference for the most part is that PA steelhead spawn in the fall where OH steelhead spawn in the spring. The Oct-Nov run in PA is very good and the Mar-Apr run in OH is very good. 

The only bad thing about October in PA at Walnut and Elk is when the leaves start falling, it can be like casting into a bowl of oatmeal haha.


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

Steelheading on Walnut is much different than Conneaut. If you think Walnut was amazing in the spring, go in Oct or Nov and see what it's like. You will see TONS of fish in the holes. But it's also a lot more crowded in the fall. 

On Conneaut, for the most part you won't see any fish. I don't have much experience fishing Conneaut in the spring, but I have had good days in the fall. Compared to walnut, fishing on Conneaut is more "real". You just may need to cover more water to find fish, but they're there. Seeing you're comming from Warren, fish both!


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## Khersh88 (Aug 20, 2011)

Thanks for the scoop on the two and theyre differences. Ha ha not so sure about oh/ pa spawning times being opposite ha ha that wouldnt make any sense but i dont know alot about steelhead other than theyre good to eat and even better to catch. Thanks.


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## Lundfish (Apr 7, 2010)

Khersh88 said:


> Thanks for the scoop on the two and theyre differences. Ha ha not so sure about oh/ pa spawning times being opposite ha ha that wouldnt make any sense but i guess u have ur opinion. Thanks.


Ya I'd like to see the facts about that. Steelhead spawning like salmon...interesting.


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## Stickman (Dec 5, 2008)

It might make sense if there were different strains of steelhead that each state stocked. 

Mut vs. Manistee


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

Naturally, all rainbow trout(steelhead and non-steelhead) are spring spawners. Different strains may run at different times, but they all spawn in the spring.

Now some hatchery fish have been tinkered with so much that some do end up spawning in the fall. I have seen this with regular stocked rainbows as well as steelhead, but still the majority of the fish, stocked or wild, regardless of strain and run times, spawn in the spring.

Yeah, PA stocks the "mut" strain, which is a mix of a bunch of different strains of steelhead(and I think there's some non-steelhead rainbow strains mixed in too). Ohio is the Little manistee strain. PA created the mut strain to hopefully have good runs of fish fall through spring, although the majority of the fish run in the fall.


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## Lundfish (Apr 7, 2010)

All Steelhead are rainbow trout. We have generations derived from a California stream trout that was introduced to the great lakes.

Why would one spawn in the fall? A skamania is still a spring spawnner holding late ine the river.

Sure as man uses the hatchery we can take different fish and manipulate them. But really, how has a steelhead been manipulated to spawn in the fall? I think they just enter rivers sooner for the spring spawn. Please place facts proving otherwise.


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## flyphisherman (Jul 7, 2009)

I can't tell you "why" PA fish will spawn in the fall/early winter......but I can assure you that it happens.


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## Lundfish (Apr 7, 2010)

flyphisherman said:


> I can't tell you "why" PA fish will spawn in the fall/early winter......but I can assure you that it happens.


When do they hatch then? This makes a case for natural reproduction if they hatch in spring they could possibly go directly to the lake when it gets warm. That's what the salmon do in mi which is why there is so much natural reproduction.


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## mdogs444 (Aug 29, 2012)

It has to do with being two different strains stocked by Ohio and Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has a strong fall run and Ohio has a strong spring run. You can catch them in the rivers in fall in Ohio, but its a lot more difficult because the majority do not start running until late winter/early spring.


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## mdogs444 (Aug 29, 2012)

Here is a quick read on it. My terminology as far as when they spawn may be incorrect, but as far as why they runs are at different times is here...

http://www.johnnagysteelheadguide.com/2009/06/steelhead-of-lake-erie-by-john-nagy.html


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## FISHIN216 (Mar 18, 2009)

Lundfish said:


> All Steelhead are rainbow trout. We have generations derived from a California stream trout that was introduced to the great lakes.
> 
> Why would one spawn in the fall? A skamania is still a spring spawnner holding late ine the river.
> 
> Sure as man uses the hatchery we can take different fish and manipulate them. But really, how has a steelhead been manipulated to spawn in the fall? I think they just enter rivers sooner for the spring spawn. Please place facts proving otherwise.


I went there in november and december and I could see them spawning. Fly guys were all over them

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

Again, regardless of strain and run time(fall or spring), all rainbow trout are naturally spring spawners.

About some of the hatchery fish spawning(or attempting to) in the fall, I'm not really sure on all the facts, but with many gererations of fish being raised in the hatchery and not being exposed to nature my guess is since they were never really in the wild they don't really know what season it is, and somehow some way the biologists got them to be physically able to spawn in the fall. I think the reasoning behind this is maybe making the fish bigger or something for the spring trout stockings or something. Not positive. And it's not like all of the PA fish are fall spawners, just a select few messed up fish attempt to spawn in the fall. The vast majority still spawn in the spring.


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## Lundfish (Apr 7, 2010)

That link explained a lot. The 'mutt' being a cross between winter run Washington ocean steelhead, creek resident rainbows (spring run), and skamania (summer run).

O what man can do!


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

So if you mix a winter run steelie, with a spring run steelie, and a summer run steelie, what do you get? Massive runs of fish in the FALL! Cool link..learn something new everyday, didn't really know what strains made the mutts.

I find it interesting that the PA state record brown trout, a lake run fish caught in Walnut Creek, was caught in July!


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## Lundfish (Apr 7, 2010)

I would think they're staging at the river mouths right now and there are probably a good number in the river.


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

Check out the Metroparks Rocky River Report(just updated today). Fish have been caught in the river, and even shocked all the way up by the nature center already...


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