# Steelhead or Rainbow Trout?



## BMARKS (Nov 6, 2017)

riverman said:


> another pic of the same fish lake or river brown?


I stand by my assessment.


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## Mr Burgundy (Nov 19, 2009)

riverman said:


> another pic of the same fish lake or river brown?


Its a......FISH. That's about as far as I can get lol. Nice pics gents beautiful fish


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## GRUNDY (Jun 18, 2005)

riverman said:


> another pic of the same fish lake or river brown?


I vote LRB. 

So what is it? now I’m real curious.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

riverman said:


> another pic of the same fish lake or river brown?


Some observations in no particular order; The pic is old, based on the M-S watermark.


The blue halos on the cheek and gill plate are present, yet subdued. 

There are spots on the adipose fin but they are not bright red. 

The caudal fin looks slightly convex yet the fish does not have a kyped jaw. The fish looks female.
There isn't much red in the spots on the flanks but there are _some_ flecks here and there.

I vote fat resident Brown trout. But it's a toss up either way.


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## riverman (Jan 9, 2002)

Caught the fish lower PM plugging in late fall 2006. At the time there were nice browns in Lake Mi and I am probably 90% sure it was a runner. You never know for sure with the PM, that river can hold some pig fish. This picture is of a brown caught in 2003 at sixth street. That is a eight lb steelhead on the stringer with it. If memory is correct believe it was just a couple lbs shy of the state record at the time. Picture saved from the net, maybe this site.


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## NWMichiganOutdoors (Aug 7, 2019)

SkunkCity said:


> My buddy caught this fish yesterday in an unmentionable in NW Michigan. Is it a steelhead or a river rainbow?
> View attachment 464395
> View attachment 464397
> 
> ...


That spot looks familiar and if I’m right about it, that river isn’t known for big native bows like that. Looks like a native fish though


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## SkunkCity (May 15, 2019)

NWMichiganOutdoors said:


> That spot looks familiar and if I’m right about it, that river isn’t known for big native bows like that. Looks like a native fish though
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


It’s the spot you’re thinking of. It was a pleasant surprise to see a Rainbow of that size caught out of there. 


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## riverbob (Jan 11, 2011)

NWMichiganOutdoors said:


> That spot looks familiar and if I’m right about it, that river isn’t known for big native bows like that. Looks like a native fish though
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


 that must b a hell of a spot, must b the pretty stones, how can u tell that spot by just the picture?


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## riverman (Jan 9, 2002)

I could be totally wrong but the foam on top of the water and fishing from shore in hiking boots tell me behind a dam maybe.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

riverbob said:


> that must b a hell of a spot, must b the pretty stones, how can u tell that spot by just the picture?


I didn't want to say anything but, It's a pretty recognizable spot for anyone who lives nearby or fishes the area and is familiar with that particular river.

Here's a picture of my nephew literally getting his feet wet Steelheading. He caught it with a 4 1/2 foot ultra light rod while fishing for trout. His first fish and he released it. (Notice the pretty stones.)  It's the same spot.












Let's just leave the river as the OP described it; a NW _*unmentionable.*_


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## NWMichiganOutdoors (Aug 7, 2019)

SkunkCity said:


> It’s the spot you’re thinking of. It was a pleasant surprise to see a Rainbow of that size caught out of there.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


Yes it is. Nice fish!


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## NWMichiganOutdoors (Aug 7, 2019)

riverbob said:


> that must b a hell of a spot, must b the pretty stones, how can u tell that spot by just the picture?


They are some real nice stones










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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

NWMichiganOutdoors said:


> They are some real nice stones
> 
> 
> 
> ...


One of my favorite rivers. Any coho hanging around?


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## NWMichiganOutdoors (Aug 7, 2019)

ausable_steelhead said:


> One of my favorite rivers. Any coho hanging around?


Tippy dam sure is great! (; ...I’m sure there are some around


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## SkunkCity (May 15, 2019)

ausable_steelhead said:


> One of my favorite rivers. Any coho hanging around?


I’ve been getting a few. 


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## DXT Deer Slayer (Nov 14, 2009)

Catch an awful lot of steelhead on the East side that have significant spotting below the lateral line and the typical rainbow look.

But, some creatures will breed with anything around these parts 











PunyTrout said:


> Spots below the lateral line = Rainbow trout.
> 
> Having said that, our Heinz 57 mix of Rainbows and Steelhead gene pool anything is possible.
> 
> It's a rainbow though. Possibly a rainbow that was planted in a lake and migrated into a river.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

DXT Deer Slayer said:


> ...But, some creatures will breed with anything around these parts...


Must have been hanging out with those Palomino trout that live in Van Etten Lake...


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## Ramstrong (Sep 28, 2017)

https://digital.lib.washington.edu/researchworks/handle/1773/44258

All rainbow trout in Michigan are either fluvial or adfluvial. Steelhead are anadromous rainbows. That's just fact. Now the rainbow trout you call steelhead have the name from the fact that they originate from genetic stock that are predisposed to the anadromous life history in their home range. But the genetic predisposition toward a life history doesn't guarantee adherence to it. You can have fluvial steelhead; or adfluvial resident rainbows. It's the miracle of how they can use the available niches to them to maximize success.

Guessing where a trout reared by looking at a picture is kind of silly. Because if you didn't ask it where it grew, or take samples to look at growth rates, or perform a stable isotope analysis, there's really no way to know.

That's a nice rainbow BTW.


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## jwheelfan03 (Jun 9, 2011)

riverman said:


> For fun, lake run or river brown?


Beautiful Brown. I’d leave it at that!


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## jwheelfan03 (Jun 9, 2011)

noshow said:


> QUOTE="riverbob, post: 7879469, member: 57998"]n your reason for being so positive is?


Steelhead spend some time in the sea before heading to fresh water to spawn while rainbow trout live in fresh water full time. Last time I checked we dont have any sea water in michigan.[/QUOTE]
Anadromous. Leave it at that. Just because the Oregonians don’t like us to say it doesn’t mean they’re not steel. I’ve spent a lot of time on the west coast and we definitely have steelhead. Naturally reproducing to boot. Native-no but steel-yes.


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