Lake Erie steelhead

 The Ohio Division of Wildlife deserves a big pat on the back for its successful efforts to bring quality steelhead fishing to Lake Erie and its tributaries.

Take a look at the photos. All of these fish were caught in streams from Vermilion, OH to the Pennsylvania line last fall and over the winter. Combine the stream and lake action and it’s clear that Ohio now offers a very nice trout fishery based on an aggressive stocking program. The lake and most of the streams are too warm and unsuited for natural reproduction.  

The good fishing has spawned growth in the guiding business, too. Stream guides report increasing interest in steelhead fishing and they are seeing more anglers going it alone on the rivers. Jim Chamberlin is one such guide. He provided these photos to Lake Erie News Reel.

Jim has been guiding for several years and fishes most of the rivers from Vermilion to Conneaut. ”I am fishing all over the place from the Vermilion River to the Chagrin River.  So far the Chargrin has yielded the best action per hour. The Vermilion has been holding its own and has been very spotty, they are there one day and gone the next,” he said.

Chamberlin’s guide rates are $225 for 1/2 day for one person and $275 for two. The full day rate is $375 for two anglers. He can be reached at 248-522-6883. It’s unlikely that steelhead fishing will overtake walleye and perch in popularity but it is another great opportunity for Ohio anglers.

What intrigues me about the steelhead fishery is that it is man made. This expertise will come in handy if the walleye population doesn’t start growing. We’ve had some pretty bad hatches in recent years and the lake-wide population is now estimated at around 18 million, down from 60-70 million back in the mid-1980s.

If another poor hatch is recorded this summer it’s likely there will be a public push to start stocking walleyes in the lake, the fish preferred by most fishermen. It was successful back in the 1970s.

Capt. Tony Denslow is a retired news journalist who now operates a sportfishing charter business on Lake Erie.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/fishing-articles/lake-erie-steelhead-872172.html