Close Encounters With Chrome

[Spiel]

Close Encounters With Chrome

 

 

November 20, 2009

Rob Kolakowski / www.startribune.com

 

 

There’s a mixed bag of steelhead and rainbows in Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. Have you ever wondered where they came from?

 

Lake Superior steelhead populations are largely supported by natural reproduction. These fish were transported from the west coast in the late 1800’s and have since adapted to their new environment. Some stocking still takes place in rivers that don‘t have sufficient natural reproduction. These fish usually come from established wild populations. Also Minnesota has been stocking Kamloops rainbows on the North Shore. I’ll get into details of the various strains later.

 

Lake Michigan is more fertile and supports higher fish populations. It has plenty of naturally reproducing steelhead, although these populations are supplemented by heavy stocking around the lake. The wild fish came from stocks in the late 1800’s. Recently stocked steelhead and rainbow trout are of several different strains. You’ll hear them called Skamania, Chambers Creek, Ganaraska, Manistee, Kamloops, and Arlee.

 

You’re probably wondering why I differentiate between steelhead and rainbow trout. This gets argued a lot, but here’s how I see it. Steelhead originally came from saltwater and rainbow trout originally came from inland freshwater lakes. In reality the difference doesn’t mean anything when your out fishing and having a good time. Here’s some details on the different strains I mentioned.

 

The Skamania strain has it’s origins in the saltwater of Washington. They will typically run the rivers from June to September. Often called summer run steelhead.

 

The Chambers Creek strain also has it’s origins in the saltwater of Washington. They will typically run the rivers from September to January. Often called fall or winter run steelhead.

 

The Ganaraska strain comes from the Ganaraska River in Ontario which flows into Lake Ontario. These fish typically run the rivers from January to May. Often called spring run steelhead.

 

The Manistee strain comes from the Little Manistee River in Michigan. They typically run the rivers from October to March. Also called Michigan strain steelhead.

 

The Kamloops strain comes from Kamloops Lake in British Columbia. Steelhead often roam the open waters during their time in the big lake and are not available to shore fishermen for a good part of the year, so these rainbows were stocked to produce a near shore fishery. Often called Kamloops rainbows.

 

The Arlee strain comes from Montana. These serve the same purpose as the Kamloops, to provide an near shore fishery. Often called Arlee rainbows.

 

None of these fish are native to the Great Lakes and certainly the strains have crossed over the years so there are no clear blood lines. Wild populations have established where there is sufficient habit. Stocking is done when people ask for it. All these fish will be in the rivers to spawn come spring. For those that can’t get enough of these fish all you need to do is take a tour around the Great Lakes. You’ll find them offshore, near shore and in the tributaries during all months of the year. Part of the game is figuring out where to look.