The spring steelhead run generally begins first in our state's southernmost Lake Michigan tributaries and works its way north. Photo by Dan Small.

Steelhead were the first non-native trout or salmon to be stocked in the Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan. From some perspectives, they have also been the most successful.

Wisconsin began stocking the species in Lake Michigan back in 1963, when 9,000 young steelhead were released. Stocking numbers gradually increased to more than 1 million fish annually in the 1970s and '80s, then dropped to the current level of about a half million fish per year.

"We have found that by stocking fewer, higher-quality fish, we get better survival and a better return in the creel," says Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Lake Michigan fisheries biologist Matt Coffaro.

Steelhead are not the largest of the Lake Michigan salmonids, nor are they the easiest to catch in the lake, as they tend to roam far out over deep water, where they follow temperature breaks in search of insects and small baitfish. When they hit the streams, however, they provide fast and furious action for the anglers who have learned how to find and catch them.

In an effort to provide a year-round fishery, Wisconsin currently stocks four strains of steelhead -- or rainbow trout -- in Lake Michigan: Skamania, Chambers Creek, Ganaraska and Arlee. Stocked as yearlings, these fish are planted in streams and harbors from Kenosha north to the Menominee River.

Three strains spend several years in the lake then return to tributary streams as adults to spawn. Skamania steelhead return to streams in late summer and spawn in February. Chambers Creek fish return in fall or winter and spawn in March and April. Ganaraskas return in spring and spawn in April or May. By stocking all three anadromous strains, state biologists ensure that there will be steelhead in tributaries and harbors from August through May, which makes them accessible to stream anglers longer than any other salmonid species.

Arlee rainbows typically remain in the lake and hang out near shore, which makes them accessible to pier, shore and small-boat anglers as long as there is cold water near shore.

The MDNR publishes a report in March of each year detailing the Lake Michigan stocking program since its inception. The report lists the actual numbers of fish stocked at each location, along with fin clips used to mark the fish. Because steelhead tend to roam and may return to a different stream than where they were stocked, the report should be used as a general guide. This and other fisheries reports are accessible online at http://dnr.wi. gov/fish.

SPRING STEELHEAD BEHAVIOR
Most anglers don't care what strain of fish they catch, as long as it bites and fights. This time of year, most Lake Michigan tributaries harbor steelhead.

In the larger streams, there are still some holdover Skamania and Chambers Creek fish. These fish are usually dark in color, and they may look somewhat battered and bruised from the rigors of spawning. If they are not caught and kept by anglers or killed by predators, and if they do not succumb to disease or injury, they will eventually return to the lake.

You'll find these fish in deep holes and behind any available cover. They will sometimes feed aggressively, striking at a variety of baits, lures and flies, but they do not fight like a fresh-run fish.

Snowmelt runoff and the first spring rains will bring in the first run of Ganaraska steelhead. Fresh-run fish are bright silver with dark backs. Females may have a faint pink stripe along their lateral line, and they will be heavy with spawn. Males will be sleeker and often a little darker, with a bright red cheek patch and a slight hook to the jaw.