2004 Spring Steelhead Report

By John Nagy

     After a brutal January and February of cold, snow and ice, a welcomed thaw in late February and early March cleared all the Lake Erie tributaries of ice. The tributary mouths are open with Lake Erie surface ice breaking up on a daily basis.   

     In Pennsylvania, the ice-free tributaries contained many wintered-over steelhead especially in the upper parts of Elk and Walnut Creeks. Crooked, Raccoon, 4-Mile, 7-Mile, 12-Mile, 16-Mile and 20-Mile have also been very good. Pennsylvania steelheader’s can anticipate fresh fish ("chromers" as they say!) this spring but these runs will not be as intense (in numbers) as earlier fall runs.

     Nevertheless, there are plenty of wintered-over steelhead to be caught in the Pennsylvania tributaries, which can be categorized as pre-spawn, spawning, post-spawn or drop-down fish.

     As the days get progressively longer and tributary temperatures get consistently in the 40-degree range (on a daily basis) steelhead start their spawning rituals and start making redds. Anglers should avoid fishing on the spawning beds if there is known natural reproduction in that tributary (like Cattaraugus Creek in New York). This is not critical on tributaries that are smolt stocked, which is normally the case on the southern shore tributaries of Lake Erie. Try swinging a Lake Erie emerald shiner imitation above a spawning bed (without letting it drift down through the bed). This tactic can result in some vicious takes particularly from the males who are fighting other males for spawning rights.

     The drop-down steelhead can be especially ravenous since they are in a true feeding mode for the first time since entering the tributaries. These fish will aggressively take flies like egg patterns, nymphs, wooly buggers and streamers, particularly as the tributary temperatures get into the 40’s and 50’s.

     Ohio steelheaders are patiently waiting for the Little Manistee strain steelhead runs, which progressively increase in numbers in March and peak in April. The severe winter of 2003 should push spring steelhead fishing in Ohio all the way into late April and even early May.

     Interestingly last fall Ohio experienced unusually heavy steelhead runs in their tributaries. These runs were primarily stray Pennsylvania steelhead that were lured into the buckeye tributaries due to excellent fall rains. Expect many of these fish to be in the Ohio tributaries this spring also.

     Steelheader’s can also anticipate a spring run of Little Manistee steelhead in Michigan’s Huron River (western most Lake Erie tributary) this spring. It is to be noted that these fish are all right adipose fin clipped by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

     Cattaraugus Creek in Western New York gets a great run of spring steelhead (estimated to be 25% wild) but can be very difficult to fish in the spring due to high/stained water from snow melt and spring rains. Steelheader’s in New York have some excellent alternatives including 18-Mile Creek near Hamburg, Silver and Walnut Creeks just south of Cattaraugus Creek and Chautauqua and Canadaway Creeks near Westfield and Dunkirk, New York. All these tributaries have smaller watersheds and are usually fishable when the "Cat" is high depending on their run-off rate.

     The Ontario steelhead tributaries on the northern shore of Lake Erie are closed to fishing until April 24 in order to protect wild steelhead natural reproduction. With the great snow pack this winter Ontario steelheader’s are expecting a great spring steelhead season that should extend into early July with good run-off from snow melt and spring rains.

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More detailed information on fly fishing the Lake Erie Steelhead tributaries is available in John Nagy’s book: “Steelhead Guide, Fly Fishing Techniques and Strategies for Lake Erie Steelhead”, (revised and expanded, 3rd edition). Signed copies can be obtained on the web at: http://groups.msn.com/JohnNagySteelheadGuide/