Here’s what you need to know when starting to fly fish for Great Lakes Steelhead.

Fly Fishing for Great Lakes Steelhead can be a rewarding challenge. While there is a plethora of information out there regarding steelhead, this will serve as a primer for those beginning the search for the line-peeling salmonids.

What Are Great Lakes Steelhead?

Great Lakes Steelhead are rainbow trout that live the majority of their lives in one of the Great Lakes and swim up any of the tributaries to spawn.

There is a heated debate on whether Great Lakes steelhead are “true” steelhead.

Purists believe “true” steelhead are only the anadromous fish that spawn in freshwater and then migrate out to the oceans. These fish are found on the west coast of the United States.

While Great Lakes steelhead do not spend any of their lives in saltwater, they do follow similar migrational patterns of their west coast brothers and sisters.

Whatever you call them, Great Lakes steelhead are fun to fish for and will take you on a ride, peeling line and screaming drag along the way.

Equipment

When it comes to equipment, think of the gear you would use for trout, just upsized. That’s basically what Great Lakes Steelhead are anyway!

Rod/Reel

For great lakes steelhead, 6-8 weight rods are commonly used with a 7 weight being a great all-around tool.

You can undoubtedly use a traditional 9-footer, though experts recommend a longer rod, in the 10-11 foot range. The longer rod allows you to more effectively pick up line and mend when drifting.

A reel with a quality drag is recommended as these fish will run hard and long.

Fly Line

For nymphing, specialty lines are great but some sort of cold-water floating line will be effective. Any line that you think can effectively toss heavier nymph rigs will get the job done. For swinging, Short Skagit lines will allow the fly to sink to the right depth.

Leader

While nymphing, a leader about 7 ft tapered down to 0x-2x (10-12 lb breaking strength) is the go-to setup. Add a swivel to end of leader to help clean up line twist and easier break-offs when you inevitably get hung up. From there, add 2-3 ft of 2x-3x tippet to your fly.

Adjusting your bobber and weights is key to get the flies down to where the fish are. This takes a lot of trial and error. Adjust your depth/weights before you try changing flies.

For swinging, a shorter leader about 3-4 feet of 12-15 lb tippet can handle vicious strikes.

Flies

Egg flies are key during most of the steelhead season. Steelhead feed on eggs dropped by spawning salmon and other steelhead.

In addition to egg flies, think any trout fly, but supercharged. Leave the size 20 midges at home and bring along your traditional trout patterns in larger sizes. Pheasant Tails, Princes Nymphs, Copper Johns- anything trout-y in sizes 10-16.

An Egg Sucking Leech is a go-to swung fly that can also be drifted under an indicator.

Finding Steelhead

Steelhead begin to enter rivers anywhere between October and March. Timing is KEY for Steelhead. They can be all over you one day and gone the next.

Not every tributary of the Great Lakes has a steelhead run, but most do. Generally, the larger rivers are more likely to hold fish but the small feeder creeks can also hold fish.

Fish start to enter waters when lakeshore temperatures hit 68 degrees. More fish get into the rivers once temps get into the 50s with the ideal steelhead fishing being anywhere from 40-55 degrees.

Timing is everything in steelhead fishing. They can be everywhere in a system one day and gone the next. I’ve been amped to get out once I heard a specific river had a run of fish, but once I got there it was empty. That’s just part of the game!

Migration stages: Entering, holding, spawning, dropping back:

• Entering: Once temps/water levels hit the desired criteria, fish begin to enter the rivers. Fishing mouths of the river up to the first barrier (dam, shallow waters) is important during this time.

• Holding: Once water temps plummet, fish will hold as their metabolism slows. Fishing deeper, slower moving water is prime.

• Spawning: As water temps begin to heat back up, steelhead will spawn in gravel bars, shallow tailouts, and around feeder creeks.

• Drop Back: Once done spawning, fish will venture back out towards the lake.

Conclusion

Steelhead are large rainbow trout. Fish for them as you would for trout with upsized rigs and flies. Timing is everything, having a variety of creeks/rivers at your disposal is very important. Be willing to bounce around!

Additional Resources

Finding Fall Steelhead: Great Lakes Angler

The Right Gear for Great Lakes Steelhead: Orvis News