The Spring Steelhead Season: Part 1 - The Biology

For many steelhead fisherman, spring steelhead season ends way sooner than it should. By mid-April, steelhead are no longer the only game in town - trout season is fully underway, and the bugs are hatching so many anglers start to focus on dry fly fishing.  

That said, April is also often when some of the best fly fishing for steelhead starts to occur on the Lake Ontario tributaries. Once the water starts to warm, the steelhead start to concentrate on spawning (the ideal temperature for this activity is between 40 to 47°F). As guides, we don’t target any fish that are on beds and focus attentions on the adjacent waters where other steelhead might take advantage of snacking on the eggs in the system. More importantly, once the fish are done spawning, they will start to make their way down the Salmon River and back to the lake – hence the name “drop back.” When they do this, the fish will go on the feed for fly fisherman, spring drop back season means swinging flies. 

When the water levels are good and the fish are comfortable, steelhead will take their time leaving the river (just because the steelhead spawn is over, it does not mean they bolt immediately back to Lake Ontario). Depending on the rivers and creeks, targeting this species can stretch well into the month of May and this is especially true for the bigger rivers such as the Salmon River. This river has more going for it than just size. It is very productive when it comes to producing big fish food – in addition to the several aquatic insects, there is the hatch of wild Chinook salmon as well as a significant population of crayfish. 

For those that might be interested in learning a bit more, here’s an interview Flylords did with John McMillan with Trout Unlimited on steelhead / salmon biology.

So now you understand when the steelhead are in the Salmon River system, you next have to familiarize yourself with how to pursue them. Later this week, Rick will cover the bases. 

Jay