Angling Publications - Index

Angling Publications - april2008 - Index

18
Spring steelhead fishing on the
Great Lakes tributary rivers and streams is
in many ways an oxymoron of the winter
steelhead season. To begin with, water
temperatures are pushed from the frigid
low 30s into the 40 degree F. plus range.
This causes sluggish steelhead already in
the tributaries to become more active
and aggressive. Rising air temperatures
and spring rains melt winter snow cover
resulting in higher flows. This, in turn,
brings fresh runs of steelhead in from
the lakes. Steelhead begin moving from
their winter locations (deep, slow moving
pools and eddies) to shallow gravel beds
fulfilling their strong spawning urges.
Fishery biologists have determined
that this spawning behavior is triggered
by a combination of two factors: stream
temperatures (40 degrees F. or above)
and increasing “photo periods,” or periods
of sunlight versus darkness. Locating
spawning areas can result in some
fantastic steelhead fishing during this
time of the year. This is not only true for
spawning steelhead on their redds, but
also pre-spawn and spawned-out fish,
as well as drop-back steelhead which are
heading back to the “ocean.”
Ideal spawning areas are usually
located in riffles or fast current pool
tail-outs, which contain large-diameter
gravel, are one to four feet deep, and
have dark-colored bottoms. In close
proximity to the spawning redds, prespawn
steelhead will hold at undercut
banks, lips of pools, heads of runs, pocket
water, and in proximity to snags.
Actual spawning involves a female
steelhead moving onto spawning gravel
and digging out a shallow depression,
or “redd,” which can be as deep as one
foot. She will do this by turning on her
side and making powerful upsweeps of
her tail in the gravel. The current washes
away loose gravel until a saucer shaped
hole has formed to hold her eggs. Males
will be attracted by this activity and
begin competing for spawning rights,
with the largest and most heavily kyped
males winning out. They will use their
superior power and large kypes (which
are grown for this purpose) to drive
inferior males from the redd.
After the female drops her eggs—only
about 20% of what she is carrying—the
dominant male will fertilize them with