Great Lakes Steelhead
General Info: Skamania summer steelhead were once transplanted from our beloved Columbia River Gorge (home of Big Y Fly) to the Great Lakes. A fantastic seasonal fishery was created in just a few years. Steelhead now pour into the tributaries of Great Lakes tributaries every fall. From Michigan to New York, big runs of steelhead can be found close to major metropolitan areas. The most famous area is the area called "Steelhead Alley" in Ohio. It runs along the shoreline of Lake Erie to the inlet from Lake Ontario. Another very popular spot is along the Salmon River near Pulaski, NY.
While anglers on the Pacific coast tend to swing smaller flies for steelhead, Great Lakes steelheaders most often use a nymphing setup. Swinging a fly is still fairly popular in the Great Lakes, but nymphing is the name of the game. Many anglers also fish a trout streamer either under an indicator or with a tight line. The peak time to go is in October, but fish start showing up in September and can be found as late as ice conditions will allow. There is also a spring season where fish that "wintered over" in the rivers can be found heading back towards the lake.
Preferred Gear
Rods: 7-8 wt. rods. Many prefer a 9'6" or 10' rod, but 9' rods are still the most popular
Reels: Large arbor, with solid drag system
Lines: Weight forward, floating. Specialty nymphing lines for steelhead are a real plus
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Kaufmann Stone - Tungsten
$1.22Original priceOriginal price $1.22 - Original price $1.22Original price$1.22 - $1.22Current price $1.22Especially for fast water, when your fly needs to get down fast and deep. For steelhead and torpedo like trout everywhere. Be prepared with a stou...
View full details$1.22Original priceOriginal price $1.22 - Original price $1.22Original price$1.22 - $1.22Current price $1.22Value must be grater than or equal to 1. -
Kaufmann Stone Rubber Legs - Tungsten
$1.22Original priceOriginal price $1.22 - Original price $1.22Original price$1.22 - $1.22Current price $1.22All the bells and whistles on one stonefly nymph. Especially for fast water, when your fly needs to get down fast and deep. For steelhead and torp...
View full details$1.22Original priceOriginal price $1.22 - Original price $1.22Original price$1.22 - $1.22Current price $1.22Value must be grater than or equal to 1. -
Kaufmann Stone Rubber Legs-Beadhead
$0.99Original priceOriginal price $0.99 - Original price $0.99Original price$0.99 - $0.99Current price $0.99Stonefly nymphs live in clean moving water, and are an important feeding source for both trout and steelhead. All the attributes of the Beadhead K...
View full details$0.99Original priceOriginal price $0.99 - Original price $0.99Original price$0.99 - $0.99Current price $0.99Value must be grater than or equal to 1. -
Kaufmann Stone-Beadhead
$0.99Original priceOriginal price $0.99 - Original price $0.99Original price$0.99 - $0.99Current price $0.99Stonefly nymphs live in clean moving water, and are an important feeding source for both trout and steelhead. All the attributes of the Beadhead K...
View full details$0.99Original priceOriginal price $0.99 - Original price $0.99Original price$0.99 - $0.99Current price $0.99Value must be grater than or equal to 1. -
Stone Prince - Tungsten
$1.22Original priceOriginal price $1.22 - Original price $1.22Original price$1.22 - $1.22Current price $1.22A quick and dirty attractor fly that has worked wonders. A long time ago the boss took two of his favorite flies, (the prince nymph and pheasa...
View full details$1.22Original priceOriginal price $1.22 - Original price $1.22Original price$1.22 - $1.22Current price $1.22Value must be grater than or equal to 1.
