Species › North America · Freshwater › Steelhead

Freshwater · #29 most targeted in the US

Steelhead

Oncorhynchus mykiss · steelhead trout, sea-run rainbow, chromer

Water temp
45–57°F
Peak season
Oct–Mar
Best light
Dawn · Dusk
IGFA record
—
Steelhead (Trout.jpg)

Photo: Jonathunder · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

A steelhead is a rainbow trout that has spent one to three years in the ocean or in one of the Great Lakes before returning to its home river to spawn. Fresh from big water it is bright chrome with a steel-blue back, small black spots and only a faint hint of the pink stripe, which deepens into full rainbow colors the longer the fish holds in freshwater. Steelhead are longer and leaner than resident rainbows, with a squared tail and a thick wrist. Unlike Pacific salmon, many survive spawning and return to the ocean, sometimes to spawn again.

Native steelhead run rivers from Southern California to the Alaska Peninsula and Kamchatka, with the storied fisheries in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and British Columbia. Winter-run fish enter rivers from November through April ready to spawn; summer-run fish enter from May through October sexually immature and hold for months, making them the most aggressive takers. Great Lakes steelhead are introduced fish that behave the same way, running tributaries of Erie, Michigan, Ontario, Huron and Superior from September through April and growing fat on alewives and smelt. They prefer cold water, 45 to 58 F (7 to 14 C), and bite best as rivers drop and clear after a rain.

In the river, steelhead hold in walking-speed water 3 to 6 feet deep: tailouts, the inside seams of runs, behind boulders and along ledges. They do not feed much in freshwater, but they will strike eggs, nymphs, flies, plugs and spinners out of aggression or instinct, which is why presentation and water selection matter more than lure choice. Fish move upriver after rain and hold during low, clear water, and the first hours after dawn are the most productive.

Steelhead anglers measure success in fish per day, and one is a good day. The fish's power, its jumps, the wild rivers it lives in and the difficulty of the pursuit have built a culture of its own, from Deschutes swung flies to Erie-tributary egg sacs under floats. Wild Pacific stocks are depleted and heavily protected, so hatchery fish are the main harvest and wild fish are released.

Typical size24–30 in; 5–10 lb (2–4.5 kg)
Trophy15 lb+ in the Great Lakes and most Northwest rivers; 20 lb+ on the Skeena, Olympic Peninsula and Clearwater
Table fareGood — hatchery fish are firm and salmon-like; wild fish are released in most Pacific rivers

How to catch

Float fishing (centerpin or spinning)Drifting an egg sac, bead, jig or nymph under a float at the exact speed of the current is the most effective steelhead method in both the Great Lakes and the Northwest. Set the float so the bait rides 6 to 12 inches off bottom, mend to keep the float drifting ahead of the line, and strike at any dip.
Drift fishingA pencil lead or slinky weight on a dropper with a short leader to a single egg, yarn ball, cured roe or Corky-and-yarn, cast upstream and allowed to tick along bottom through a run, is the traditional Northwest approach. Learn the difference between a rock tap and the soft, rubbery pull of a steelhead, and set on anything that stops.
Swinging flies with a Spey rodTwo-handed rods of 12 to 14 feet with Skagit or Scandi heads and sink tips let you swing streamers and intruders across broad runs and tailouts. Cast across and slightly down, let the fly swing slowly through the holding water and point the rod at the fly; summer-runs and aggressive winter fish will hammer it on the swing.
Indicator nymphingEgg patterns, stonefly nymphs and small beads dead-drifted under an indicator through pockets, seams and the heads of pools catch steelhead when they are holding in clear, low water. Use a 10- to 11-foot single-hand rod for line control and 8 to 10 lb fluorocarbon tippet.
Side-drifting and plug pulling from a drift boatGuides on Northwest rivers side-drift eggs and beads from a boat moving with the current to present baits over long stretches of water, or back plugs such as diving minnow plugs downstream into holding runs from an anchored or slowly dropping boat. The plug bite is savage and the rod loads deep.
Spinners and spoonsA 1/4- to 1/2-ounce inline spinner or a 2/5- to 2/3-ounce spoon cast across and slightly upstream and retrieved slowly so it works just above bottom through the swing is a simple and deadly method for migrating fish, especially in colored water after a rain and in tailouts at dawn.

Gear

Rod9'6"–10'6" medium spinning or 11'–13' float rod; 7–8 weight single-hand or 12'–13'6" 6–7 weight Spey
Reel2500–3000 spinning, centerpin, or a 7–8 weight fly reel with a smooth drag
Line10–15 lb main line with 8–12 lb fluorocarbon leader; 8–12 lb tippet for flies

Lures

Beads (egg imitations)Marabou or jig under a floatInline spinnerCasting spoonDiving minnow plugIntruder or streamer flyEgg-pattern flyStonefly nymph

Baits

Cured salmon or trout roe (egg sacs)Single salmon eggsNightcrawlersLive or preserved minnows (Great Lakes)Sand shrimp (Northwest)

Regulations

A fishing license plus a steelhead or salmon/trout stamp and a catch record card are required in most states, hatchery fish (identified by a clipped adipose fin) are typically the only fish that may be kept, wild steelhead are catch-and-release in most Pacific rivers, and seasons, bait and barbless-hook rules change river by river and often mid-season by emergency order.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: not listed — IGFA does not keep a separate record for steelhead; they are recorded under rainbow trout (48 lb, Lake Diefenbaker, Saskatchewan, 2009, Sean Konrad). State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

What is the difference between a steelhead and a rainbow trout?

Genetically they are the same species, Oncorhynchus mykiss. A steelhead migrates to the ocean or a Great Lake, grows large and silver on an abundant diet and returns to the river to spawn, while a rainbow stays in freshwater all its life. Steelhead are longer, leaner, chrome-bright on arrival and far more powerful than resident rainbows of the same length.

When is the best time to fish for steelhead?

Right after a rain, as the river drops and clears from brown to green, fresh fish move in and bite well. On the Pacific coast winter-runs peak December through March and summer-runs from July through October; in the Great Lakes the best windows are October through November and March through April. First light is the most productive hour on any river.

Can you keep wild steelhead?

In most Pacific Northwest and California rivers, no: wild steelhead with an intact adipose fin must be released, and only hatchery fish with a clipped adipose fin may be kept. Great Lakes states generally allow harvest since all their steelhead descend from stocked fish, but limits vary by state and tributary.

What is the best bait for steelhead?

Cured salmon or trout roe, as an egg sac in the Great Lakes or as a cluster or single egg in the Northwest, is the top natural bait because steelhead key on eggs drifting in the current. Plastic beads that imitate a single egg, drifted under a float, now catch as many fish as real roe on most rivers.

Bite forecast — Steelhead

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Steelhead.

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