SEASONAL CHANGES

Steelhead enter streams to spawn, often doing so months in advance of actually spawning. The majority are late-winter and early-spring spawners. Over-winter spawning can occur in some streams (usually spring-fed) and under certain climatic conditions (constant headwater temperature, stream temperature of about 37° to 39° F. (3° to 4° C)

Through hatchery manipulation of stocked fish, it has been possible to control patterns. Indiana, for example, has stocked summer-run Skamania-strain steelhead from Washington into Lake Michigan for more than ten years. As well, Michigan recently stocked several different strains of summer steelhead from the West Coast into Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

Steelhead runs usually start in the fall and peak in the winter months where the streams do not freeze up, and where they do, the runs start again after ice-out and peak in early spring. Freeze-up usually halts steelhead runs around the Great Lakes and the West Coast.

Timing varies greatly from stream to stream, and is usually dependent on latitude -- more northerly streams receiving earlier fall runs and later spring runs. In Great Lakes and West Coast streams, however, steelhead start ascending them after the first fall rains raise water levels and drop temperatures, usually in September. Runs continue through December in the Great Lakes tributaries and in late March or early April, steelhead migrations peak. Spawning occurs shortly afterwards, roughly the same timing as on the West Coast.

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