You’ll find a lot of info on the steelhead forum , check out the beginners for steelhead also , but water levels play a big factor

 

Yup. Have been doing that and youtube, as well as listening to my wife who knows a heck of a lot more than myself.
Takes a lot of time and much of that time is wasted on repetition of things already learned.
I figure that (you never know) someone who isn't into writing articles or making videos, might hit on some things missed.
Never hurts to ask.

 

Amount of rain/river levels, temperature, length of daylight all factor in the equation. I believe that the rainfall is most important since I have witnessed the rare early fall with high river levels that provide an early push of some silver fish.

Although, a few consecutive cool mornings will bring fish into the rivers - mostly low in the system but some much higher up in the river systems than I would expect for early season. Even during hot and dry Septembers, the Metroparks finds a few steelies by the nature center in late September for displays in the steelhead expo.

 

Lack of rain will delay them.

 

Not arguing (what do I know) but last year was as dry as I have seen it and I heard people were seeing them on the piers during the end of august. Not a lot mind you, but some were being caught.

I don't care if they are in the rivers, as long as they are within casting distance.
I am far from brave enough to take my Yak out there.

 

The runs are related to spawning activity. As with all fish it's a combination of factors. Length of day and temperatures are probably the top two keys for staging. When the right time and the right temperature are getting close fish will stage just outside of streams and make short runs up stream. The prime runs occur when all the ingredients are right. Increased water flows are a trigger, for stream runs. Research has shown steelhead will just run along the shoreline and go through their cycle if flows don't go up. You need rain for the streams flows to produce runs. I'm guessing temps in the mid to low 60s will get things rolling. I'm not a steelhead fisherman, but I sure have handled a few hundred thousand.

 

These fish are Spring spawners not fall spawners ! The old London strain was a fall spawners!

 

In earnest, Mid-Sept to October if you're fishing the harbors, Mid Oct-November if you're wading the streams. A few always show up before that, but if you're making the trip from further away better to wait until the fishing improves. I'd watch for a good blowout in October and head out once everything is dropping back into shape.

 

Rocky is drying up wont be much more than a creek in another 20 years...been watching it for years ....gets lower and lower every year...