# Skamania



## BigFishAddict (Feb 25, 2012)

Anyone ever try for the summer run steel? I've been looking into it recently and wanna try it out.


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## grant778 (Nov 22, 2014)

I was thinking about going to New York to fish for skamania this summer but I don't think I will end up going. They are in the Salmon and little Salmon rivers in NY. Also, some summer run steelhead are in the pere marquette in Michigan, but not a ton. They apparently have some huge residential brown trout in that river during the summer though. And I believe that the steelhead, salmon, and most of the browns in that river are wild as well which is nice to see.


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## pafisher (Mar 10, 2013)

There are very few Skamania in the SR and the Little Salmon does n't have any water to bring them there.Try the Indiana streams for the summer steel,they do get a run there.


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## grant778 (Nov 22, 2014)

pafisher said:


> There are very few Skamania in the SR and the Little Salmon does n't have any water to bring them there.Try the Indiana streams for the summer steel,they do get a run there.


I wasn't even aware Indiana had a steelhead program. Thanks for the info I am definitely going to check it out.


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## BigFishAddict (Feb 25, 2012)

Yeah I read they stock a few creeks every year in April.


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## MadMax1 (Aug 27, 2012)

I was actually logging on today to ask the same question! too bad not much response on the thread. I was curious because I just got back from a fishing trip on Pere Marquette for browns, and while canoeing down we saw 2 Skams! We receive a few stray species in OH rivers and stray steel stock to unstocked OH tribs, I wonder how many Skams (or if any) make it. Does NY or PA stock Skamania in Erie tribs? On a side note - having a 20" brown come up at a mouse pattern at night, miss 4 times, then hook up on the 5th strike was badass - night fishing on the PM was a fantastic experience!!


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## pafisher (Mar 10, 2013)

As far as I know Penna. does not stock them anywhere but NY has in the Lake Ontario tribs in the past,don't know if NY is still doing it.Indiana has a Skamania program and they get a return starting about now.


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## MadMax1 (Aug 27, 2012)

Yeah I had heard about St. Joe.... Was surprised to read about an Indiana program too. According to the map, looks like most the river lies in Michigan - I have a friend who lives in Chicago and have driven through Gary Indiana on the way there, that's what comes to mind as far as the Indiana waterfront goes ...place looks like the CLE flats times 100. At any rate, there's got to be a few strays in OH Tribs. But you probably miss a lot of other great fishing just trying to target those things during the summer here... I would be interested to hear if anybody's had any success here. My uncle got one trolling in Michigan for Kings last year, very skinny looking compared to the breeds here


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## pafisher (Mar 10, 2013)

The couple streams I'm aware of in Indiana are near Michigan City.They have a lot of timber in the water and are mostly long deeper runs,not great for the fly but very good for the pin or spin outfit.That area near Gary is not where you want to go.


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## Flowie (Jul 2, 2015)

Ive lurked here for about a year...I live on the St. Joseph river in South Bend Indiana...they do indeed stock the river with steelhead and salmon.




















Between the NW creeks, Michigan Stocking and the IDNR trout and salmon schedule theres over a million fish put into the system
Heres a pdf of specific trout stocking locations and dates


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## Flowie (Jul 2, 2015)

Oops
Heres the steelhead salmon stocking plan

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-lake_michigan_stocking_update14.pdf

If anyone wants the trout stocking plan/dates location its available on the indiana dnr website


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## pafisher (Mar 10, 2013)

How big was that first one Flowie?It looks like it could be pushing the high teens! Those are nice fish but a little far for me to pursue,I live in SE Penna. but my daughter lived in NW Ind.for a couple yrs and I fished the Trail Creel a couple times.I fish the Ontario and Erie tribs in NY,Pa.,and Ohio. for the Steel and Salmon.


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## Flowie (Jul 2, 2015)

I rarely weigh them...it was 34.5 inches long...im guessing 15 to 16 lbs.
Fish here average 28-32 inches and 8 to 12 lbs depending on season and sex.
Michigan plants Manistee strain and Ganaraska strain fish in the St. Joseph...they are bigger and built like tanks compared to Skamania.

Trail creeks ok...lots of fish but lots of people too. Things are less condensed where I live, plus I can wade, bankfish or use my boat depending on season etc.


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## fly_ohio (Oct 31, 2014)

Flowie, with the summer we have been having do you think the fish will have a chance and will spread out around the Joe if the water temps stay under or around 70? I've always wanted to float it, but from what I've heard the creek mouths can turn into a circus and I'm not really interested in harassing dying fish either.


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## Flowie (Jul 2, 2015)

They passed 11 fish through the ladder at S. Bend 2 weeks ago, although I have seen more fish than that landed up at twin branch dam. There are always some fish in the system, some swim up and never go back to Lake Michigan. If you are going to float the St. Joe remember from Mishawaka to Lake Michigan are 5 dams and its 53 miles from South Bend to the Lake. I would wait until it is below 4000cfs discharge as well or you will have a tough time staying on a spot, unless youre an olympic grade paddler...which I am not.

The other thing to know about the St. joe is there are vast stretches steelhead just plain skip...like from the impoundment above the SB dam all the way to Viewing Park....its a silty slow stretch and they will swim right through it to get to the rapids and gravel upstream. Heck, I cant even catch a smallmouth bass in that stretch and this river is full of them.


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## Chef T (Feb 28, 2011)

You should give it a go! Summer steel are the hardest,crasiest fighters in the Great Lakes. They hit like a freight train and jump with reakless abandon.
Your best bet is either Indiana or Michigan streams. Ive caught skams in both states and each experience is unique. This is a good year due to lower summer temps. Ill spot drop two rivers that are stocked with Skams: St Joesph and The Big Manistee. Do the research and concentrate your efforts there.
Good luck!!


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