Steelhead confusion

[dthawks]

I have a question concerning Steelhead, so if anyone can help me please tell.

 

My understanding is Steelhead are in the Pacific Northwest...Wash, Oreg, and NoCal all areas which are coastal bordering. Now I have read that steelhead are rainbow trout that make migratory runs to the ocean. So steelhead being native to the above mentioned states makes sense. So what makes a steelhead a steelhead in states in the midwest i.e. Michigan Ohio that are not near ocean? And what about New York, there's steelhead in the northwest area too right?

[moocks]

I have no idea what makes them Steelhead in the other states but I can tell you what makes them Steelhead on the west coast and probably the east coast.

 

The Steelhead is the anadromous or Sea Run Rainbow trout. (Oncorhynchus mykiss) or the Searun Cutthroat ( Oncorhynchus clarki )

 

Anadromous meaning living mostly in the ocean and returning to fresh water to breed.

 

Sea Run is synonymous to anadromous but is usually used only in reference to the anadromous component of species such as Oncorhynchus clarki and Oncorhynchus mykiss that commonly have both an anadromous and non-anadromous life history form.

 

Now we just have to wait for an answer from the mid west

[ChrisD]

The people from the midwest are liars trying to drum up tourism.

[MikeMc]

can't answer your question but I do know that steelhead in the salmon river are migrating upstream from lake ontario. They never see the ocean, though.

[Tynan]

Same strain of fish just introduced to the Great Lakes. Just think of the Great Lakes as the Pacific. They travel up many of the rivers and tribs of the lakes to spawn.

[401 Foulhooked Schoolies]

The people from the midwest are liars trying to drum up tourism.

 

 

 

Just think of the Great Lakes as the Pacific.

 

 

Please don't insult the Pacific. Thank you.

 

But seriously, Great Lakes fish never make it to the ocean and thus aren't really steelhead. They're lake-run rainbows. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[rob snowhite]

as mentioned above steelhead are the same genus/species of rainbow trout.

they are migratory which enables them to access more food = grow larger and then spawn in their natal waters which has more protection than open ocean spawning where their eggs are at the mercy of the current and more predators.

 

salmon are anadramous and die after migration, giving their biomass to their offspring (and other river inhabitants)

 

steelhead are andadramous and do not die after migration - they enter the rivers in the fall to gorge on the salmon and brown trout eggs, overwinter, mate in spring, and return to ocean (or lake).

 

western steelhead (and salmon to control alewive populations) were introduced to the great lake tributaries thinking they are rivers leading to the pacific ocean. they migrate out of the rivers to the great lakes thinking the lakes are the ocean where they mature and return to their natal stream. saltwater food gives them their pink flesh color (same with flamingos), whereas great lake food gives them white flesh-lack of pigment in their food source.

 

the same has been done with the stripped bass to pacific waters (by seth green-not the actor that i went to camp with)

[M. saxatilis]

The Steelhead is the anadromous or Sea Run Rainbow trout. (Oncorhynchus mykiss) or the Searun Cutthroat ( Oncorhynchus clarki )...

 

Moocks,

I do not agree with this assertion one bit. A Steelhead trout is not O. mykiss OR O. clarki. Steelhead denotes the anadromous life history form for the major groups within the species of Rainbow Trout (O. mykiss) only. A Searun or Coastal Cutthroat (O. clarki clarki) as you state in no way a Steelhead.

 

Dthawks,

In it's simplicity, a steelhead trout is an individual of the species Rainbow trout (O. mykiss) that matures at sea and returns to freshwater to spawn. As for the steelhead in the Ohio and Michigan areas; fisheries managers capitalized on the anadromous trait exhibited by some salmonids.

 

By introducing certain species into the Great Lakes region, it was discovered that these species used the Great Lakes and tributaries as they would have used the ocean. That is, they mature in the larger body of water, and spawn in the tribs. As for the name, one could surmise it too went along for the ride.

 

To date, there are no genetic differences between a Steelhead and Rainbow trout. Offspring from a particular rainbow trout could smolt and go to sea while others never leave freshwater. Same holds true for Steelhead.

The great conundrum of Rainbow/Steelhead research has always been to establish the genetic relationships between resident rainbows and anadromous steelhead. If the degree of relatedness could be determined then the degree of anadromy and/or partial migration could be attributed and selection for those traits described. In other words, relate life history patterns to genetics. That's the Golden Ticket!

 

Robsnowwhite,

I have never heard of Steelhead or any other salmonid that engages in "open ocean spawning where their eggs are at the mercy of the current and more predators". Unless I am misinterpreting your statement, this is completely false. However, I would agree with you that steelhead are iteroparus, that is, having more than one life cycle in their lifetime. But, not all steelhead overwinter in freshwater, and return to the ocean in the spring. That may be the case in lakes, but to include oceans with lakes is false as there are both Winter and Spring Steelhead runs that occur at different times of the year.

[Bernzy]

All strains of steelhead are "anadromous rainbow trout." This means that young steelhead are nurtured in freshwater streams and rivers until they undergo "smoltification" and migrate to the open water of lakes and oceans to mature. Once mature, they will return to their natal tributaries to spawn. The associated link clearly explains this phenomenon and provides pictures and detailed explanations of smoltification. This migratory trait is a central difference between steelhead and rainbow trout, which do not smolt.

We have two strains of steelhead along with domestic rainbow trout in our Lake Ontario tribtaries. Chambers Creek steelhead are a winter-run variety, and the most plentiful. They originate from Chambers Creek broodstock in the Pacific Northwest and are stocked from the Salmon River hatchery in Altmar. Winter-run steelhead begin to enter our tributaries in the early fall and remain, to varying degrees, until they spawn in the spring.

Skamania steelhead are a summer-run variety. I believe they orginated from the Washougal River, also in the Pacific NW, and are named for the hatchery that maintain the broodstock. These fish are also stocked, in minimal numbers, by New York out of the Salmon River hatchery. The Skamania has developed the unique trait of entering it's natal watershed as early as May, remaining throughout the summer, until it spawns in late winter or early spring. Some feel these fish are sleeker and more acrobatic. The Skamania steelhead that are stocked in the Salmon River (about 48,000) have a left-pectoral and adipose fin clip (LP/A). This mark, coupled with observing them in a summer tributary environment makes for a fairly confident identification. Skamanias stocked in other tributaries (approx. 2500) are unmarked, making identification more difficult. Summer water temperatures limit their range, so they are only found in a handful of tributaries. There has been an attempt to pen-rear 5,000 "skamies" in the Little Salmon River in 2002. Those fish were also LP/A marked.

The rainbow trout introduced into our Lake Ontario tributaries have been "domesticated" as the name often implies. Native and wild rainbow trout are spring spawners. But hatcheries are able to artificially alter the photo period (length of daylight/darkness) in order to "trick" the fish into spawning in the fall. This allows for uniform egg collecting among different trout species at a hatchery, and it allows for additional months of growth prior to spring stocking efforts. Basically, hatcheries can raised legal-sized fish in less time. Apparently these fish retain this domestic trait and continue to spawn in the fall. Since steelhead are not domesticated in this manner, observing fall-spawning rainbow trout can be a reliable indicator that they are domesticated rainbows and not steelhead. Of course, naturalization occurs to some degree, and some individuals revert back to their genotypic spring spawning patterns.

In the open water, steelhead demonstrate a uniform blue-black dorsal coloration with silvery sides and very little spotting below the lateral line. They typically do not have a visible lateral stripe. Conversely, since rainbows do not undergo smoltification, they retain the green-olive dorsal coloration, heavy spotting and visible red or pink lateral stripe throughout the year. Steelhead will demontrate a very similar coloration once they return to the tributaries to spawn. This makes positive identification very difficult where the two or three varieties overlap sans fin clips or fall spawning behavior.

To conclude, the term "Skamania" often gets tossed around a good bit during the summer months. This activity almost connotates a different species of fish. In reality, the Skamania steelhead, Chambers Creek steelhead and domestic rainbow trout are all the same fish. At best they are different varieties of rainbow trout with the same genetic make-up but exhibiting different traits. If enough of these traits are present, a confident identification can be made, but often it is impossible to tell them apart by appearance alone.

 

Carry on,

 

Bernzy

[crashq]

As everyone has already said, steelhead and rainbow trout are currently regarded as the same species. (Oceangoing cutthroat trout are not steelhead) Steelhead are anadromous, which means they migrate downstream to the ocean and then back to the stream of their birth to spawn. Rainbow trout do not migrate in a similar manner. They will stay in streams, but will migrate upstream from lakes to spawn.

 

In fisheries biology there has been and continues to be a vigorous discussion and disagreement as to what exactly denotes a species. The species used to be determined by physical variation, but genetic testing has changed all of that. You would think that it would be easier to determine species from each other, but it isn't. There is genetic variation between species and to a lesser extent, within species. The big questions are "How much variation between populations denotes different subspecies?" and "How much variation between populations denotes different species?". Genetic variation occurs when populations of the same species are isolated for long periods of time. Initially, this results in minor differences such as coloration or spotting , but longer periods of isolation can result in enough differences that make populations visually distinctive. Examples are the different subspecies of cutthroat trout. Lahontan cutthroat and greenback cutthroat have many similar characteristics but do not look like the exact same species. Eventually, there is enough variation that the trout are physically distinct or behave differently. This often results in a new species label.

 

In the past, the line was not as clear. At various times, certain scientists considered steelhead to be a different species or subspecies from rainbow trout. The majority of current thinking considers them to be the exact same species based on their genetic sameness (with some genetic differences). There is some disagreement on whether the genetic differences are the result of different populations of the same species or different subspecies. If planted in the same river, they often behave quite differently. You can have resident rainbow trout and migratory steelhead that occupy the same stretch of coastal river. No one is sure whether the differences in behavior are the result of genetic differences, cellular memory, or something else. Whatever the cause, steelhead are not exactly the same as rainbow trout. ( They look different (coloration and body-shape), they are generally thought to fight harder, and their spawning timing is different than rainbows. The coloration differences are less distinct after steelhead have been in their spawning streams for awhile, and rainbows planted in large lakes often take on the silvery coloration of steelhead. The slender body shape may simply be a function of oceanic diet and vigorous exercise required to survive in the ocean. The quality of fight is highly subjective and could be the result of just the spawning urge. Regardless of the reasons for these differences, they are there, and they are perceived to be a unique "fish' in the eyes of many fisherman. This draws people to search them out and fish specifically for them, so fish and game departments stock them in some waters to excite people about fishing those waters.

[rob snowhite]

open ocean spawning was related to non salmonid fish species

salmonids construct a redd to lay eggs and have them fertalized instead of open water where female releases eggs into the current and the male swoops in to fertilize them

[capt.shiner]

Bernzy pretty much has it dead on. One thing I'll add is that there's a Kamloops strain that most of erie tribs see. I'll attach pics of em all:

 

Chambers from a big river.

 

Kamloops from an erie tributary.

 

Tiny ontario tributary native rainbow.

 

No pics of skamanias but they look like the Chambers

[ecsteelheader]

Ive fished both coasts for steelies, to me the difference in west coast steelies to our east coast steelies is the fight,,what a big difference plain and simple. the river i fished was the klickitat river in washington,we caught a bunch of wild chromers plus hatchery fish drifted 8 miles of this scenic river..

 

Salmon River in Pulaski ,NY where the steelies come in from lake ontario, usually starting early september all the way through winter and depending on water flow for a xtra push you can fish throughout the winter before they head back to the lake in the spring once the water temp hits 52 degrees..And these steelheads are a washington strain..

[midwestexile]

Truth in advertising is overrated. "Steelhead" of the midwest (like salmon of the midwest) originated with genetic stock from the west and then were passed around among fisheries programs of the lakefront states. Living conditions in the Great Lakes or other bodies of water where salmonids are stocked alter their behavior, food preferences, etc. but at some generic level they are the descendants of west coast steelhead. It's a little like talking about "Ethnic-americans" as if they were just out of the old country, when obviously things have changed.

 

We didn't know (or perhaps just didn't care) for many years that genetic strains vary by river, and even by tributary, for salmonids. Stocking random genetic stock of non-native species, whether "florida strain" largemouth in California, German brown trout, carp, walleye and musky south of the Mason-Dixon line, blue catfish in atlantic-coast rivers, or any rainbow trout stocked on this side of the continental divide happened in a simpler time, but we should know better by now.

[moocks]

Moocks,

 

I do not agree with this assertion one bit. A Steelhead trout is not O. mykiss OR O. clarki. Steelhead denotes the anadromous life history form for the major groups within the species of Rainbow Trout (O. mykiss) only. A Searun or Coastal Cutthroat (O. clarki clarki) as you state in no way a Steelhead.

 

 

Dthawks,

 

In it's simplicity, a steelhead trout is an individual of the species Rainbow trout (O. mykiss) that matures at sea and returns to freshwater to spawn. As for the steelhead in the Ohio and Michigan areas; fisheries managers capitalized on the anadromous trait exhibited by some salmonids.

 

 

By introducing certain species into the Great Lakes region, it was discovered that these species used the Great Lakes and tributaries as they would have used the ocean. That is, they mature in the larger body of water, and spawn in the tribs. As for the name, one could surmise it too went along for the ride.

 

 

To date, there are no genetic differences between a Steelhead and Rainbow trout. Offspring from a particular rainbow trout could smolt and go to sea while others never leave freshwater. Same holds true for Steelhead.

 

The great conundrum of Rainbow/Steelhead research has always been to establish the genetic relationships between resident rainbows and anadromous steelhead. If the degree of relatedness could be determined then the degree of anadromy and/or partial migration could be attributed and selection for those traits described. In other words, relate life history patterns to genetics. That's the Golden Ticket!

 

 

 

Robsnowwhite,

 

I have never heard of Steelhead or any other salmonid that engages in "open ocean spawning where their eggs are at the mercy of the current and more predators". Unless I am misinterpreting your statement, this is completely false. However, I would agree with you that steelhead are iteroparus, that is, having more than one life cycle in their lifetime. But, not all steelhead overwinter in freshwater, and return to the ocean in the spring. That may be the case in lakes, but to include oceans with lakes is false as there are both Winter and Spring Steelhead runs that occur at different times of the year.

 

I can see your confusion. The word "are" is missing

 

 

The Steelhead is the anadromous or Sea Run Rainbow trout.

 

(Oncorhynchus mykiss) or the Searun Cutthroat ( Oncorhynchus clarki ) are Anadromous meaning living mostly in the ocean and returning to fresh water to breed.