Founder
The Steelhead Site
Overview of Great Lakes Steelhead
The Steelhead is similar to a rainbow trout. A Steelhead is only slightly different from a genetic standpoint compared to a rainbow, but the steelhead size and more predator temperament greatly differ from their counterpart, the rainbow trout.
The Steelhead is a migratory species in the Great Lakes. While Ocean run fish can cover a thousand of miles water before returning to their spawning areas and the rainbow trout spend their life in the streams they were born, the Steelhead of the Great lakes have a different life. Steelhead are a hatchery fish which are then released into the streams as smolts. They head out into the Great lakes to feed and grow to a larger size. Years later they return to the streams systems. After spawning, they return back to Lake and start the process over. A Steelhead is a rainbow trout on steroids. The Great Lakes steelhead are quite larger than rainbow trout in size and weight. Great Lakes Steelhead may look like the rainbow trout, only much larger and stronger.
The fishery contains several varieties of Steelhead that run at different times during the season. The Ganaraska, Skamania, Chambers Creek and Little Manistee or Michigan
Ohio Steelhead Fishery
The Division of Wildlife annually stocks five Lake Erie tributary streams with 6-8" yearling Little Manistee River (Michigan) strain of steelhead. These fish migrate out into Lake Erie and spend the summer in the cooler part of the lake before returning to streams during the fall through the spring. Steelhead trout caught by anglers in the streams typically average 25" long and weigh 5-6 pounds. These fish have usually spent 2-3 summers out in the lake (see growth chart below). However, there are a good number of fish that are over 30 inches and weigh more than 10 pounds and have spent up to six summers in the lake.
Michigan Steelhead History and Management
Michigan's Steelhead developed primarily from McCloud River strain in to what we now call Michigan Steelhead. Over the last 120 years, many strains have combined, evolved and contributed to the genetic development of the Michigan or Little manistee strain.
Michigan's Steelhead program began in 1876 with both hatchery and wild fish. Cambell's Creek and McCloud strains from California along with fish from the Klamath River in Oregon were first planted in the AuSable River. The success of the early program resulted in the planting of Steelhead into many tributaries throughout the state.
By 1903 Michigan was planting 800,00 fry that were widely distributed over 50 counties. 1908 saw plantings of over 1 million fish with numbers increasing to 2.5 million by 1911. 1914 planting were reaching nearly 5 million fish much of the stock coming from Michigan's Paris hatchery. These numbers were supplemented by 4 million wild fish from the Pine River.
Michigan's modern Steelhead program began in 1966. Eggs were taken from wild Manistee, Little Manistee and Platte River adults. Since, 1968, the Little Mainstee River has been the primary source Michigan Steelhead eggs. Today it supports annual runs of over 10,000 adults and is maintained entirely by natural reproduction. The facility on the Little Manistee produces over 5 million eggs each year that go to hatcheries in Michigan and other states. Recent creel studies have shown that many fish caught in Michigan waters are wild fish that have evolved and adapted well since the late 1800's. Michigan has come to the forefront of management and preservation of it's great resource in Steelhead.
Wisconsin Steelhead History and Management
Wisconsin began its program in 1884. The Fox river received McCloud and Crooks Creek strains from the Wisconsin fish Commission, while the region of Ashland County received fish from the US Fish Commission. The early plantings of fish met with limited success for the stream fisherman. Most of the surviving Steelhead were being harvested form Lake Michigan by the commercial fishing fleets.
In 1925, Wisconsin moved to protect the Steelhead by not allowing commercial pound net fishing for the chromer’s in Lake Michigan. Unfortunately for Wisconsin, most of the natural Steelhead reproduction at the time was on the Michigan side of the Lake.
By 1963, Wisconsin had committed itself to the Steelhead. Stockings at the time ranged from 10,000 to 600,000 yearlings annually. Fingerling programs saw stocking from 130,000 to 1,000,000 per year on Wisconsin tributaries.
Finally, in 1983 Wisconsin settled on three strain to comprise it's Steelhead program. Spring run Ganaraska from Ontario, summer run Skamaina from Indiana, and fall/winter run Chambers Creek strain from the Lake Ontario region of New York State.
Today, many northern Wisconsin streams have substantial natural reproduction of the Steelhead. The success of the program is illustrated in a near 30% return to creel statistic that is boasted by Wisconsin's DNR fisheries managers.
Indiana Steelhead History and Management
The state of Indiana also began its Steelhead program in the late 1800's. 1889 saw the first plantings of McCloud River strain into the St. Joseph River. The early plantings met with dismal success, and with only 3 tributaries to Lake Michigan, Indiana's initial attempts failed.
In 1968 Indiana tried again to introduce the Steelhead, this time with fish obtained from the Wisconsin DNR. This attempt only provided a very limited fishery and again looked like another failure for Indiana.
Enter the Skamania
Then in 1971 Washington's Skamania strain was introduced to Indiana tributaries. For the next decade the DNR struggled with the Steelhead, but found that the Skamania could handle the rigors of a managed fishery and adapted well to the hatchery environment. Increased funding and the deployment of new hatchery and management facilities gave the Indiana DNR the boost they needed. By 1982 the Indiana Skamania program had become a success, providing its tributaries with good numbers of returning fish, and Lake Michigan fisherman with a great summer sport Fishery. Today, Indiana's Skamania program is unmatched and provides the best summer Steelhead fishery in the Great Lakes. Their efforts and resulting success has positioned Indiana as the premier source for Skamania eggs, fry and fingerlings in the Great Lakes, if not in the entire US
Illinois Steelhead History and Mangement
Finally we have the Illinois Steelhead contingency to Lake Michigan. The Illinois Steelhead program began in 1893 with the stocking of fish after the Chicago World's Fair. With no tributaries to Lake Michigan, Illinois was limited to stocking the harbors and Lakefront. With the successes of neighboring Wisconsin and Michigan, Illinois anglers received and indirect benefit. They were catching Steelhead in Illinois waters that had wandered from Wisconsin and Michigan. Since the mid to late 70's, Anglers along the lake front caught fair numbers of Steelhead, with no or little management of the Illinois Steelhead fishery. Then in 1987 the Illinois department of conservation planted 2400 Skamania and Arlee strain in Chicago and Waukegon. With no natal waters to call home, plantings along Illinois Lakefront were limited and the fish have little reason to return. In fact, fish planted in Waukegon and Chicago have been caught in Lake Ontario and Lake Erie respectively. A testament to the migratory nature of these great fish.
Since 1989 Illinois has planted about 50,000 fish annually at three locations along the lakefront: Waukegon, Highland Park and Burham Harbor. Many of the Steelhead are stock obtained from neighboring Indiana.
