Steelheads are Running!

Lake Erie and Tributaries

Steelhead fishing opportunities remain throughout
the winter on the Lake Erie tributaries.

Although it is officially spring, it still feels like winter steelheading conditions. The creeks are open and flowing well, but anglers should expect snowy shorelines, floating slush in the mornings and shelf ice in the slack and slow water areas. Medium sized streams like Chautauqua, Canadaway, Eighteenmile, Buffalo and Cayuga Creeks are your best bets. They have moderate flows and favorable steelhead catch reports. Fresh steelhead are moving in and are spread throughout the creeks. The smaller streams have low and clear conditions. Cattaraugus Creek flowing at about 660 cubic feet per second is getting close to fishable condition, however daytime snowmelt will likely keep Catt flows running at current or higher levels. Egg sacs, egg pattern flies, trout beads and jigs with grubs work well in cold water conditions, drifted slow and deep. As we transition into spring, look for steelhead to hit additional baits such as stonefly imitations, streamer patterns, minnows and nightcrawlers.

Some steelhead are paired up and actively spawning. It is recommended that anglers avoid (not fish) active spawners and take care not to disturb redds (gravel nests), as natural reproduction adds to the future steelhead returns.

For those new to steelhead fishing, see the Steelhead Fishing in Lake Erie Tributaries page for information on steelhead fishing tackle, equipment and links to steelhead stream maps. The fish passage project at the Westfield Water Works dam on Chautauqua Creek has been completed. This fish passage gives steelhead access to an additional 10 miles of stream that runs through a deep, wooded gorge. There are about 7 miles of public fishing rights easements (PFR) over that stretch of stream. See the Chautauqua Creek PFR Map (PDF) (409 KB) to view these public access areas.