Steelhead Fishing: The Metal Head is One Tough Fish

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It seems like no other fish can instill the deep rooted passion that the steelhead can implant. But when you do hook one of these chrome trophies it makes all those hours spent on the water worth while. Read more and learn when and where to catch steelhead, and how to choose tackle.

Two distinct strains of steelhead are stocked in Lake Ontario. The winter run "Washington strain" enters the tributaries of  Lake Ontario in mid-September, with the run PEAKING in mid-October through November. Lake Ontario is the closest to my home in Massachusetts and actually has one of the best steelhead stocking programs in the country.

The winter run for the Washington will slow considerably as water temperatures drop into the 30's. However, warming periods will bring new fish into the tributaries throughout the winter months. Many love the winter fishing, because of the small crowds and the surprisingly good cold-water fishing.

The "Skamania steelhead strain" is a summer run/spring spawner which was developed by the State of Washington from wild stocks on the Washougal River. The Skamania are only stocked in the Salmon and Little Salmon River and usually can enter the river in May with the bulk of the run coming in the late spring and summer.

What's it like to catch a steelhead?

Steelhead are powerful competitors, and pound for pound can match up with anything that swims. Many steelhead are lost within the first long run of the hookup - any little mistake made by angler or flaw in their equipment will often result in a lost fish.

The initial power run

• Don't try to stop or turn the fish on the first long run, try to get line back on your fly rod as quickly as possible - hold the rod tip high, and let the drag do the work. 
• If the steelhead gets distance on you downstream, in fast water, you usually have to chase it down.
• Keep the pressure on the fish and don't play the fish to exhaustion, especially if you intend to release it.

Although many like to chase steelhead with a fly rod, some of the other successful fishing techniques are spin tackle with spinners, spoons, and the very popular, float and salmon egg combo.

 Here is a video explaining steelhead fly rod setup!

 

Steelhead Water

Look for areas of pocket water formed by boulders in fast current. Logs or boulders, can buffer the fast current and also provide security. Steelhead seek-out spots of the river with moderate to fast flow with a medium depth range of  3-4 feet.

Steelhead do not prefer the bottoms of deep holes like Chinook Salmon . But when faced with low water conditions or heavy angling pressure they will seek-out a large pool, usually holding in the head and also in the tail out. Also look for seams in the river where two currents come together.

A mint silver colored fish color or "chromer" is a fresh run fish that recently left the lake and entered the river system. The longer the steelhead has been in the river, the darker in color it will become. Fresh run chromers are usually the most aggressive and easiest to catch. Steelhead prefer river temps in the 45 to 58 F range.

 On sunny days fishing is best at dawn and dusk, because steelhead have an aversion to bright light. On overcast rainy days, steelhead will remain active and moving all day.