# Steelhead fishing



## danishmaggot (Jul 16, 2008)

So are we still in steelhead fishing season or is it to cold now? 
Also does anyone know any good places to catch them in the Lorain area?


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## CoolWater (Apr 11, 2004)

The fish don't mind the cold.  They can be fished all winter off and on based on the weather. From Lorain you would have 2 stocker tribs a very short drive... the Vermilion and Rocky Rivers. You can google all kinds of info on maps of public access for those. The ODNR website I'm sure has maps. The Black River gets strays, would also be close... I'm not too familar with it and not sure if it fishes well in the winter. Cold Creek Trout Camp never freezes so it's almost always an option, can be crowded often - especially when the other tribs aren't fishable.


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## danishmaggot (Jul 16, 2008)

Thanks for the info


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

Are those actual lake run steelhead or just river stocked rainbows ?


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## CoolWater (Apr 11, 2004)

The main tribs get Manistee strain steelhead. Cold Creek gets strays of those as well as stocker rainbows.


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## normd (Jul 5, 2005)

Here is some Steel I took from the Maumee back in 1999.


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## zpyles_00 (Dec 15, 2004)

Hey fellas, i'm am more than brand new to steelhead fishing, i haven't even purchased the rod & reel yet, but I am definetly going to hit it hard this year. I've been going up to Michigan to the Muskegon River and have caught tons of Rainbow Trout and King Salmon but i've yet to catch a Steelhead and I have now learned that my approach (rod, reel, line, method, bait, etc....) has been all wrong. 

I've been reading up quite abit about what I need to get started, 9-10'6" noodle rod, a good anti-reverse reel, 8lb Hi-vis floating mono for base line or the Butt they call it, 4-6lb Fluorocarbon for my leader or tippet so its called i've learned, and some floats of various sizes depending on speed and depth of water flow, staggered split shot placement, etc............does this all sound correct?

I also have a list of the top steelhead rivers in ohio that i wouldn't mind trying before i head back up for the big steely run on the muskegon, i haven't been there that time of year so i'd like to have a fish under my belt before i head up. 

I seen the pics of the steelys caught out of the maumee which i walleye fish quite often but I had no idea that it has steelys as well, nor have i seen it listed on any of the steelhead rivers list?

Any help would sure be appreciated, i'm ready for a new challenge!!!

Thanks, 

Zach


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

When trying the Maumee for steelhead , what would be the best method since they are few and far between ? Like what bait, lures, tips, tricks , best times of the year, etc. Not asking for anybodys secret spots or anything but maybe a few pointers. The only way Ive fished steelhead is with a spawn bag drifting with the current.


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## bassmanmark (May 17, 2005)

A spot almost right in Lorain is Old Women's Creek and there are a lot of Steelhead in there. Also Chance Creek and any tributary off the Vermilion down from the dam at Wakeman. You can also fish through the ice for steel at the mouth of the Vermilion or in any deep hole in the Vermilion...aka the powerline hole....down from rt. 2 towards the lake. There are basically no stocked rainbow in the rivers up in northern ohio...just some in Cold Creek. And I hate Cold Creek...it's just fishing in a barrel. And the Maumee isn't worth your effort for steel. Head either north or east and you will catch way more. The Huron river also has a good amount of steel in it. Just like the Vermilion did before they started stocking it a few years back...I actually caught more fish in the Vermilion on the London strain stocked in other rivers than I do now when they stock the V with Manistee. I know the Manistee is a bigger stain and more resistant to disease but I liked the London stain with the fall run more than the spring run Manistee. Also Steelhead season runs from Oct-late April for the most part. Some may enter earlier and some may stay longer. And minnow type fly or jig works well. Fish it real real close to the bottom. Tip with maggot or waxworm...or a worm or sucker spawn in white or beige or a spawnbag or just about anything works for steel...they are junk eaters...any small stonefly or egg sucking leech or pheasant tail or hare's ear or dan z zonker or dace. I like to use a 1/64th black maribou jig with a chrome head tipped with 2 maggots fished on the bottom with a tiny indicator. Just make sure the jig or fly or minnow or whatever you use bounces along the bottom and goes with the current without much resistance. The more natural it looks the better...4lb fl.carbon will get you more bites but you will lose more fish. Your backing can be freakin 20lb that doesn't really matter much.. I use 10lb and never have a problem. And it doesn't need to be anything special...normal mono works fine. Don't waste your money on anything expensive. The important part is the fl. carbon. A "perch" rig works well also...a egg pattern with a jig or dace dropper works well. Anymore question on exact spots on the Vermilion,Huron,Old Women's Creek, Pipe Creek, Black, Chagrin or Grand just give me a shout. I know the Vermilion area really really well along with the Huron and Chagrin. And the Elk or Walnut in PA. Also if you are looking for other good information on how things are looking on any of the rivers call Craig at Erie Outfitters or check him out online....ErieOutfitters.com


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## Jim Barger Sr (Sep 6, 2004)

Any steelhead that you may catch in the Maumee would be by chance while fishing for other species. I doubt that you would have much success targeting them specifically. Better to travel east for a couple of hours


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## mrm123 (Apr 13, 2004)

Norm, its Mike M. Tim and Carl's buddy from Central. Nice fish. 20yrs of knowing you and never new you fished. Look me up I just moved to a private lake near Toledo with some hawgs in it.


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## pig (Mar 8, 2008)

a spot thats really over looked for steal head in the maumee river is were the toledo city storm water dischared is i worked there when they expanded a couple years ago and they would kill about ten steels aday not to mention the catfish and bass the steels would range from 18 26in there a spot were the water comes out and i would stand there and look down and count them by the dozens


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## nooffseason (Nov 15, 2008)

pig said:


> a spot thats really over looked for steal head in the maumee river is were the toledo city storm water dischared is i worked there when they expanded a couple years ago and they would kill about ten steels aday not to mention the catfish and bass the steels would range from 18 26in there a spot were the water comes out and i would stand there and look down and count them by the dozens


What is killing the fish? Are you saying just the poor quality of the storm runoff is killing them?


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## pig (Mar 8, 2008)

no the place was under construction and they did not have there screans in place so the fish could swim up in the plant then when they would turn on the pumps to test the new plant and they would shread the fish up now theres a screan to prevent them from swiming up to far in the plant


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## phisherman (Jun 10, 2004)

My only Maumee steaalhead came on a 1/4 oz lead head and a pink/white recycled tail. Fun catch while walleye fishing.


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## ERIE REBEL (Jan 28, 2006)

I got a steelhead about fourtenn years ago in the Maumee River.I t was taken with an eighteen horse Evinrude.yep thats right while we were making the run up the river and I hit something.I turned around to see a fish doin the kickin chicken on the surface so we turned the boat around and grabbed the net thinking it was a warreye.I was amazed to see that we had a twenty-one inch Steely.I saw one in the river a few years later that was floating.It had recently died.the cause of death was evident as this one was obviously hit by a boat also.This fish was close to twenty-four inches long and this was in early may which really suprised me.


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## zero410 (Feb 26, 2010)

hey bassman mark where are those spots on old womans creek and the huron river?as far as i knew you couldnt fish in old womans creek cause it was a nature preserve.and i have heard the guy say at the bait store that the huron was good but he never mentioned any spots to fish.ive been fishing a lot at the old coho dam but never caught any steel head there.thanks in advance.


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