Species
Steelhead
Oncorhynchus mykiss · family Salmonidae
Live · updated
Lake- or sea-run rainbow trout — chrome-bright fighters that ascend tributaries from fall through spring. The Great Lakes tributary steelhead run (Lake Erie’s “steelhead alley,” Lake Ontario, Michigan rivers) is a destination fishery; bite keys on flow and water clarity.
Preferred conditions
- Water temp
- 40–55°F (ideal 48°F)
- Tide
- either
- Moon
- either
- Depth
- 2–60 ft
- Active months
- Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec
Best steelhead conditions today
Trinity River (Lewiston)
Smith River
Feather River (Oroville)
Sacramento River (Red Bluff)
Columbia River (Astoria / Buoy 10)
Pere Marquette River
Catawba Island State Park (Port Clinton)
Deschutes River (Maupin)
Rogue River (Agness)
Au Sable River (Grayling/Mio)
31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach)
Washington Park Beach (Michigan City)
Sims Park Beach (Euclid)
Manistee River
Skagit River
Cowlitz River
Niagara River (Lower)
Kasilof River
Peninsula State Park (Nicolet Bay Beach)
Klamath River
Selkirk Shores State Park
Port Crescent State Park
Marquette Park Beach (Gary, Miller Beach)
Edgewater Beach (Cleveland)
Russian River (Guerneville)
Ludington State Park
Presque Isle State Park
Umpqua River (Elkton)
No locations match that filter.
Regulations by jurisdiction
MI
Stale: last verified 54 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 5
5 trout & salmon in combination per day (10" minimum; no more than 3 lake trout or steelhead).
Source · verified 2026-05-29
Stale: last verified 49 days ago.
non tidal-trout
- Min size
- 10"
- Creel
- 3
Michigan Great Lakes tributaries: 3 trout & salmon/day in combination (steelhead included). Spring and fall runs on the Manistee, Pere Marquette, and Au Sable.
Source · verified 2026-06-03
IN
Stale: last verified 54 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 5
5 trout & salmon in combination per day on Lake Michigan (no more than 3 lake trout).
Source · verified 2026-05-29
IL
Stale: last verified 54 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 5
5 trout & salmon in combination per day on Lake Michigan.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
WI
Stale: last verified 54 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 5
5 trout & salmon in combination per day on Lake Michigan (Great Lakes trout stamp required; zone rules may apply).
Source · verified 2026-05-29
PA
Stale: last verified 54 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 5
Lake Erie / Presque Isle: 5 trout & salmon in combination per day in season; 3/day from the day after Labor Day to the spring trout opener.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
OH
Stale: last verified 54 days ago.
great lakes
- Creel
- 2
Lake Erie: 2 trout & salmon per day (5/day in tributaries and Lake Erie, Sep 1–Apr 30 — confirm current rule).
Source · verified 2026-05-29
NY
Stale: last verified 49 days ago.
great lakes
- Min size
- 21"
- Creel
- 3
Lake Ontario and its tributaries: 3 trout & salmon per day in combination (brown/rainbow-steelhead/coho/chinook/lake trout), with no more than 1 lake trout. Tributary and seasonal rules vary — confirm the water.
Source · verified 2026-06-03
NTAK
Stale: last verified 49 days ago.
non tidal-trout
- Creel
- no daily limit
Most Alaska steelhead runs are catch-and-release or carry an annual limit of 1–2 fish by permit — verify the specific stream before keeping any. Alaska adjusts limits by Emergency Order in-season — check the ADF&G hotline or app the day you fish.
Source · verified 2026-06-03
OR
Stale: last verified 49 days ago.
non tidal-trout
- Min size
- 24"
- Creel
- 2
Oregon: Hatchery fish only (adipose fin clipped); wild (intact-fin) steelhead must be released. 2 hatchery steelhead/day on most rivers; the Rogue allows limited wild harvest in some reaches. Combined salmon/steelhead annual tag required.
Source · verified 2026-06-03
CA
Stale: last verified 49 days ago.
non tidal-trout
- Min size
- 16"
- Creel
- 2
California: Hatchery fish only (adipose fin clipped); wild (intact-fin) steelhead must be released. 2 hatchery steelhead/day where open (e.g. Smith River). A Steelhead Report Card is required, and many North Coast rivers are barbless / seasonal.
Source · verified 2026-06-03
WA
Stale: last verified 49 days ago.
non tidal-trout
- Creel
- 2
Washington: Hatchery fish only (adipose fin clipped); wild (intact-fin) steelhead must be released. 2 hatchery steelhead/day where open; coastal and Puget Sound rivers are closure-prone and the Columbia system requires the CRSSE endorsement. Confirm the river and current rule.
Source · verified 2026-06-03