# do steelhead reproduce in ohio



## WISH IT WAS YOU (Jul 25, 2006)

i was reading that the steelhead fishing is give and take for ohio i thought that they reproduce i am confused i want to know from you diehearts


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## freyedknot (Apr 10, 2004)

no they do not, it is mostly a put-n- take fishery.


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## Whaler (Nov 16, 2004)

Freyedknot is right !


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## WISH IT WAS YOU (Jul 25, 2006)

do you know why they cant 
because they do in michigan i am guessing the water temps is the problem


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

There are a few streams that get very limited reproduction, but you got to remember, these guys stay in the stream through summer. If it isn't spring fed,
and if it gets a lot of runoff, the water gets too warm and they die off. 
I found this guy in a tiny, very tiny trib of the Cuyahoga a few years ago-


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## Net (Apr 10, 2004)

_"While Division of Wildlife biologists have noted a small amount of natural reproduction, it varies greatly from year-to-year." 
_http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/Fishing/fairport/steelhead.htm


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## liquidsoap (Oct 22, 2005)

Thats an awesome pic CreekCrawler!


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

they are fertile and could reproduce if the water stayed cooler, but just because they dont sustain the fishery doesn't mean its put-n-take. those fish live through the run and come back every year, let them go and they come back bigger the next year, let them go enough times we might start seeing more 10-15lb fish


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Thanks Liquid - That photo was in my fishtank. Kept the lil fellow for a year.
I got a 120 gal tank with giant pumps and ran lines outside in the ground to chill it. Here's a pic of the lil tyke when I first got him/her - about 2" long.


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## WISH IT WAS YOU (Jul 25, 2006)

wow nice pics creek i have all ways wanted small trout in my fish tank hod did you get that i am guessing a net but wow


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## Alaskariverrat (Mar 13, 2006)

I saw fry to fingerling size rainbows in the chagrin. Not sure if they make it beyond that.


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## GobyOneGnoby (Apr 21, 2004)

I've had the chance to talk to a few people who are in the wildlife and fisheries management fields on this topic. They're in agreement that it's not the first year in the stream, but the second that snuffs most of them out. It's the combination of high water temps. and the silt that lead to their demise. Some of the cooler and cleaner streams support natural reproduction, but not in great numbers.


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## TIGGER (Jan 17, 2006)

I have had seen some small steelhead fry in the tribs. of the grand river. Off into the little cooler creeks past Vooman rd. I believe it is very very limited to a few special spots.


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