# Where are the steelhead?



## jpmarko (Feb 26, 2010)

I know I’m not the only one in Michigan who’s had trouble finding the steelhead. There are certainly a few around, but I hear terrible reports up and down the coast, including in this forum. Some guys blame the weather, but a few guys have wondered whether the suffering baitfish population in the last few years hurt the steelhead population. My understanding is that steelhead don’t need alewives to the extent that chinook do. They can survive off bugs and other forage. But we all know they do like to eat alewives. Could the poor alewife year classes in the last few years have affected young steelhead survival at the time so that we don’t have many returning adults? Or are they all in Wisconsin or the middle of the lake or somewhere? Just curious about other opinions.


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## syonker (May 7, 2004)

More than likely a "perfect storm" of variables at work this fall resulting in less than stellar nearshore/pier/surf steelhead fishing this year IMO.

Speaking of storms, I would like to add to the list of variables the last big sustained rain we experienced November 17th-19th which really pumped a lot of water into our rivers which I theorize triggered a major early run of steel.

In addition, the frequent high winds that began November 15th have really churned up the shoreline dumping a bunch of debris into the water. Finding fishable days with winds under 20mph have been a challenge for my fishing schedule(pic from 11-24-17)


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## B.Jarvinen (Jul 12, 2014)

Maybe something to do with that crazy warm spell in October, after a crazy warm spell in September?


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I believe the DNR cut Steelhead plants a few years back, around the same time they started drastically cutting King Salmon plants. The east side is having poor runs this fall, too.


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## EZDUZIT (Jan 14, 2003)

Fishndude said:


> I believe the DNR cut Steelhead plants a few years back, around the same time they started drastically cutting King Salmon plants. The east side is having poor runs this fall, too.


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## EZDUZIT (Jan 14, 2003)

I was wondering if because lake Michigan was warmer than normal they are going to come in later?


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## syonker (May 7, 2004)

Fishndude said:


> I believe the DNR cut Steelhead plants a few years back, around the same time they started drastically cutting King Salmon plants. The east side is having poor runs this fall, too.


I fish out of Whitehall & I checked the DNR fish stocking dbase for rainbow/steelhead plants for Muskegon & Oceana Counties from 2010 until 2016 & the planting numbers haven't changed as per this dbase.


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## slightofhand (Jul 21, 2010)

Weather related. They were pretty scarce on the open water this year as well, but the number of specimens pushing and over 20lbs caught in the past few weeks show no correlation to baitfish abundance. High water and a lot of fish ran up past where they normally would in rivers like the grand. Elsewhere, your traditional holes Aren’t ideal where water levels are in some cases feet higher than normal. Give it some time, warmer than normal and wetter than normal. It will be off the hook when it sets up. Right now separates boys from men. I am sucking it mostly but I know guys who are very steady with alternate tactics and presentations


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## BMARKS (Nov 6, 2017)

it might just be me or where i fish but i have had a very good fall. my father brother and i have put about 30 steelhead in the drift boat this fall. fishing weekends only since late october. the later rain made a huge push as far as ive seen. just gotta get down to em quick. most we have caught have been on plugs or yarn.


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## andyotto (Sep 11, 2003)

Fishndude said:


> I believe the DNR cut Steelhead plants a few years back, around the same time they started drastically cutting King Salmon plants. The east side is having poor runs this fall, too.


Numbers were down this summer in open waters of Lake Huron as well.


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## toto (Feb 16, 2000)

I don't think the weather patterns are helping much. Too much wind one day, lots of easterly winds another, up and down weather, just makes it rough.


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## danthebuilder (Nov 22, 2011)

Records were set in october for rainfall over most of west michigan. The rain didn't really stop much in november & our rivers never really got the chance to recover. The water at the piers have also been way too churned up. 

Its been a great year if you fish for whitefish during the day.


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## Munuscool (Jan 12, 2016)

I've done pretty well up in the U.P. Most I've caught in one fall so far. Started catching them in October and surprisingly, still catching them right now. Spawn sac bite is still producing.


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## JungleGeorge (Apr 18, 2013)

Fished many miles of different rivers, different distances away from the lake , and overall the amount of Fish willing to bite is defiantly down . Whether they aren’t present , or tight lipped is the question. But the water has been considerably higher then average flows for six weeks....


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## tda513 (Oct 24, 2011)

It's been tough, but I feel much of that is due to the conditions. In southwest Michigan we've had a tremendous amount of rain since the beginning of October so high rivers has been the norm. When conditions are good fishing has been decent. From what I've heard the St Joe has seen a ton of fish push all the way to Indiana, and I've seen some good reports from there.


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## sslopok (Aug 24, 2009)

andyotto said:


> Numbers were down this summer in open waters of Lake Huron as well.


I never have issues finding big, healthy Lake Huron steelhead in the summer and this past summer was awful. I spent a month over in port sanilac/lexington area in July and never caught one. I only had one rip! I’m seeing way more walleye and less steelhead...wonder if there is a connection there.


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## andyotto (Sep 11, 2003)

sslopok said:


> I never have issues finding big, healthy Lake Huron steelhead in the summer and this past summer was awful. I spent a month over in port sanilac/lexington area in July and never caught one. I only had one rip! I’m seeing way more walleye and less steelhead...wonder if there is a connection there.


I found the same more walleye less steel. But the two years before steelhead fishing was great. Hopefully this year was an anomaly. The weather was wacky.


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## sslopok (Aug 24, 2009)

In port sanilac we were catching 1 or 2 BIG walleyes in a trip 2 years ago. This year I think more rats snuck outta bay, we caught fish under 20 inches for the first time and were catching 4 plus a trip sometimes.


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## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

sslopok said:


> In port sanilac we were catching 1 or 2 BIG walleyes in a trip 2 years ago. This year I think more rats snuck outta bay, we caught fish under 20 inches for the first time and were catching 4 plus a trip sometimes.


Lots of dinks in Grindstone as well. Taken with a grain of salt, someone told me a DNR person said many of the small walleye up and down the thumb this past summer came from the St Clair river. The way we were catching them on the river earlier in the year, literally as fast as you could get your hook back in the water, I wouldn't doubt a portion of them had to move into Huron in search of food.


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## slightofhand (Jul 21, 2010)

Cold front pushed quite a few in. Talked to a couple of guys fishing at least three different wmi rivers, all landed 15+ steel the past two days....mostly chrome. They are coming in now!


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## syonker (May 7, 2004)

I've been with my daughter helping her try to stick a cervid, but I'm wondering if any of the pier/surf folks were able to ambush this chrome as they were staging for this run?


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## Samifish (Apr 6, 2015)

Caught a clean lookin one today but only the one bite - after throwin spoons and roe and then a drifted crawler on the ultralight did the trick! First one of the season for me!


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## slightofhand (Jul 21, 2010)

A couple of SW MI rivers and tribs got firing good the past few days, there was some ice flow over the weekend but this week should shape up nice again! Bags under floats..


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## GRUNDY (Jun 18, 2005)

Put 4 hours in on Sunday Afternoon with not even the slightest hint of a bite. This weekend might be good with the warmer weather


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## MinnowChaser (Nov 21, 2016)

Its been a great year if you fish for whitefish during the day.[/QUOTE]

Yeah I’ve caught more whitefish trout fishing this fall than I ever have...it’s been crazy.


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