# Steelhead "Trout"



## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

I've asked this on differnt threads before but I wanted to make one of my own. 

Whats the difference between a stocked "steelhead" and Apple Creek "trout". I know that steelhead have the migratory instinct but are they bread any differently? Are fish that are stocked into Apple Creek and other inland streams that contain Rainbow trout the same fish in the hatchery as the steelhead that are stocked into the Rocky, Chagrin, etc.. as juveniles? Or are they hatched differently?


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## steelheadBob (Jul 6, 2004)

There no such place called apple creek.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

LilSiman/Medina said:


> I've asked this on differnt threads before but I wanted to make one of my own.
> Are fish that are stocked into Apple Creek and other inland streams that contain Rainbow trout the same fish in the hatchery as the steelhead that are stocked into the Rocky, Chagrin, etc.. as juveniles?


Presently, technically-yes.(they have the same scientific name!) In REALITY-no. "Steelhead" are Lake(or ocean) run rainbow trout. They Use TO BE one strain before Phil Hillman(the State fisheries biologist who began the current strain stocking of steelhead) got into the game. The ones in the tribs are from the Little Manistee River strain and the ones in the inland streams, are not. One big difference, the inland stream strain are Fall spawners, the Manistee strain are Spring spawners. Also, one summer in L. Erie makes a big difference in the size(and temperment!!) of the fish.
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/6166/Default.aspx


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## GRADY228 (Jun 25, 2005)

You are wrong Bob!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Lundfish (Apr 7, 2010)

I have to agree with C. J.

The Little Manistee strain is originally from a stream in California. They were brought to Michigan to see how they did in the Great Lakes. It performed well with good returns and natural reproduction in the colder streams. 

The trout that stay in the stream their whole life are called rainbow trout. The trout that leave the stream and go into the lake or ocean (the original or what some call the true steelhead go from a freshwater river to saltwater and return to the place where they were born to spawn in freshwater) are called Steelhead.

There are many different strains of Rainbow Trout. Each strain will have fish that stay in the stream or river and fish that go to big water. 

Lake Erie fish cannot survive the warm summer temps of the rivers and are forced to go into the deep colder parts of Lake Erie. Some say that there is natural reproduction in certain places of certain rivers. I believe that this is true when there is a natural spring located in a tributarty which is hard to come by in Ohio.

Look up the different strains. Lake Michigan tribs can have the Little Manistee or Skamania (sp). Lake Superior has the Brule and they don't stock Michigan tribs anymore because there is plenty of natural reproduction. I'm hoping to catch my first "wild" steelhead this spring on a Superior trib!


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

Lundfish said:


> I have to agree with C. J.
> 
> The Little Manistee strain is originally from a stream in California. They were brought to Michigan to see how they did in the Great Lakes. It performed well with good returns and natural reproduction in the colder streams.
> 
> ...


Good info! Though, most of the Erie steelies I had the good fortune to outsmart, seemed pretty "wild" by my estimation!!(I know what you mean!)


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

> One big difference, the inland stream strain are Fall spawners, the Manistee strain are Spring spawners.


Actually, all rainbow trout(including steelhead) are naturally spring spawners. The reason why some spawn(or attempt to) in the fall are because they have been all screwed up so much with in the hatcheries that now some are fall spawners. For example, I noticed the hatchery bows in PA color up and attempt to spawn in the fall.

Now with the different steelhead strains(Manistee, Skamania, etc.), some strains "run" at different times. Some run in the fall, some in the spring, and some strains run in the summer, such as Skamanias. Even though different strains may run at different times, they all still spawn in the spring, unless they were messed up in the hatchery.

I honestly don't know what strain of rainbow trout are stocked in Apple, or any other inland river or lake. Everyone talks about all the different steelhead strains but I don't have a clue on the regular bows. I once heard from somewhere that PA's strain of inland stocked bows are McCloud River rainbows, but I don't know how true that is. They could just be a big mix of different stains. I know the PA steelhead are referred to as "mutts" because they are not just one single strain, but bread in to one "mutt" strain.


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

Alright thanks for all the info, but I'm asking a different question. Are all the fish in the hatcheries, stocked in all places? (inland lakes, tribs to erie and wherever else stocked from ODNR)


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## Lundfish (Apr 7, 2010)

LilSiman/Medina said:


> Alright thanks for all the info, but I'm asking a different question. Are all the fish in the hatcheries, stocked in all places? (inland lakes, tribs to erie and wherever else stocked from ODNR)


What? Do you mean; are all the same 'strain' stocked in different bodies of water in Ohio? Are you referring to private stocking? Clarify.


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## steelheadBob (Jul 6, 2004)

GRADY228 said:


> You are wrong Bob!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Just remember how many people r looking at this thread and remember your post the next time to can't find any open spot. Just sayin!


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## ngski (Aug 16, 2005)

I use to love that creek till they tore up some sturcture that held most of the RAINBOWS in that unmentionable place, now everytime they mention any stocking it's like ringing a dinner bell, locals come miles away to fill the bucket up with stockies.

Not sure where the local Trout Unlimited get there trout to stock in the creek, they may get it from a local hatchery.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

LilSiman/Medina said:


> Alright thanks for all the info, but I'm asking a different question. Are all the fish in the hatcheries, stocked in all places? (inland lakes, tribs to erie and wherever else stocked from ODNR)


I tried to answer this question in Post#3. The ODNR is not going to put Manistee strain steelhead in an inland trout stream or lake. They are "special", singled out and reserved for the Erie tribs. The other rainbows are the "mutts"-standard hatchery stock-as mentioned previously. 
Also, during initial efforts to start a steelhead fishery, the state stocked their "standard hatchery rainbow trout stock" in ALL waters(inland lakes and streams, as well as the Erie tribs). They were not as wild/hardy as the Manistee River strain, and they DID their spawning in the Fall or early winter, normally returning to the lake shortly thereafter which greatly diminished the value of the tributary fisheries. They simply were not available to catch in the tribs in the Spring! I am no fish biologist, just a reader and have had conversations with Mr. Hillman, fisheries biologist at Div. 3 HQ in Akron. The excerpt below adds some insight into what I am trying to convey:
http://www.cleveland.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2010/05/michigan_hatchery_problem_puts.html


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