conservation

What Makes A Steelhead Stream Great?

The Attributes of a Good Steelhead River

By Jim Bedford

      We start with the characteristics that are good for the fish and then talk about those that facilitate the fishing.  If a stream supports a year around trout population it is very likely to also be a good steelhead stream.  Young steelhead usually need to spend two years in the stream in order to grow to smolt size.  In some fairly sterile tributaries, like many of those that flow into Lake Superior, it make take three years of stream life before the rainbows are ready to smolt.  Trout streams that are very productive and nutrient rich will produce lots of food for the young steelhead and help them grow well prior to smolting.  Larger smolts usually survive the transition to life in the Great Lakes and eventually become adult steelhead better than those that are smaller and have lower fat reserves.

      An obvious need of steelhead is good spawning habitat.  Riffles with the right size gravel are required for successful spawning redds.  If there is some groundwater influx through the gravel, so much the better.  The stream does not have to be all gravel bottomed, there just has to be enough of the right sizes so that both the steelhead and the stream trout have room to do their thing.  If good spawning gravel is not present it is possible to still have a decent steelhead fishery by stocking smolts.  But, wild smolts are much more likely to successfully become adult steelhead so trout streams with good spawning habitat are the best.

      Another obvious requirement for steelhead is a connection to a Great Lake.  Dam builders have definitely had their way with Michigan rivers and creeks.  We have built fish ladders on many streams so that steelhead can gain access to the upper reaches of rivers.  Many dams still stand in the way.  In addition to preventing fish movement, some of these dams warm the water above the temperature needed for trout survival.  Slowly we are making some progress at removing some outdated dams and as the economy improves we will likely be able to increase this effort.  Both the DNR and MUCC support this effort.  Some trout anglers prefer to have trout streams that are isolated from anadromous fish and I agree that some streams should be managed just for resident trout.  But we should not fear that “invading” steelhead will harm inland trout fisheries.  The opposite is usually true.  The influx of steelhead and salmon actually brings nutrients from the Lakes to the stream and makes them more productive.  Some of our very best fisheries for big trout are “combo” streams.  The Pere Marquette and Little Manistee Rivers are prime examples.

      Many of our trout streams that host steelhead runs do not flow directly into a Great Lake.  These streams may flow into a warm water tributary or through a drowned river mouth lake.  However, since most steelhead migrate into the streams during the cool time of the year, fall through spring; they have no problem traveling through these bodies of water.  The exceptions, of course, are summer run steelhead.

      The main attribute of a good fishing stream is good access.  We have lots of public access sites on our top trout and steelhead combo streams.  In addition, road crossings provide access and navigable rivers in Michigan are public waters.  Diverse habitat also enhances the fishing on our streams.  Some anglers like shallow, quick water while others prefer slower deep runs.  Some want their rivers wadeable while other like to float or move around in a jet sled.  The bottom line is that Michigan has lots of miles of beautiful trout water and steelhead join the trout in many of these rivers.