Great Lakes Run Timing

Timing can be everything. While steelhead and other salmonids are consistently found in the tributaries to the Great Lakes for as many as nine months of the year, understanding the nuances of when and how the various species migrate through can directly impact the quality of the fishing experience.

On an overall basis, Great Lakes rivers and streams host migrations of steelhead. The steelhead tend to begin their ascent in the late summer on some rivers where conducive water temperatures exist or where wild fish use warmer water temperatures to aid in clearing a dam or falls to reach upriver spawning areas. But, consistent runs ramp up throughout the region during the fall months. There have been attempts to introduce summer-run steelhead to the Great Lakes and except for a few small pockets of success, the summer fishery is quite limited.

Let’s look at run timing from east to west in the Great Lakes region. 

The Salmon River lies on the eastern end of Lake Ontario – the region’s eastern-most lake. By September, a few steelhead begin to nose their way up the Salmon and surrounding rivers and streams along both the south and north shores. Numbers will continue to build with a peak of silver robust fish occurring in late October and through November. The fall steelhead run is often overshadowed by the numbers of king salmon that also run many of these rivers. While there is some opportunity for quality angling for the kings, the big fish typically bring big crowds while minimizing some of the possibilities for swinging for steelhead. 

When the king run wanes the steelhead fishing shines as November creates more opportunity to spread out and an increasing number of steelhead in the rivers. In rivers that remain free of ice throughout the winter, fresh steelhead continue to trickle from the lake. When the weather’s right, this winter time frame can represent the best combination of finding solitude combined with chrome. Lighter fishing pressure can be found right into spring when angling effort begins to increase with warmer air and water temperatures. Steelhead will be present through April and even into May on many of the rivers on the eastern end of Lake Ontario.

Steelhead runs on the eastern side of the lake on rivers like the Niagara and Genesee can start a little later while building through November. These rivers provide angling opportunities all through the winter unless there is extreme cold creating an ice up. The bonus to many of the western Ontario rivers and streams is the annual migration of brown trout from the lake. Fish of 4 to 10 pounds and bigger are possible from the fall through spring. One item to note on the rivers on the north shore of the lake within the Ontario boundary is the seasonal closures on most steelhead waters to protect the spawning of wild trout. And this applies to all Ontario steelhead rivers. Be sure to consult the regulations.

The river migration pattern in Lake Erie is a bit simpler. There are no significant runs of salmon entering the main steelhead rivers, although a few small remnant wild populations have held over from the days when the lake was stocked with salmon. 

Steelhead typically begin to enter some Lake Erie tributaries in September depending on water temperatures and weather patterns. The fall run increases through October and into November creating the best window to intercept aggressive fish directly from a summer of feeding in the nutrient rich lake waters. Supported by annual plantings and some wild reproduction, the steelhead runs on the Lake Erie rivers can produce consistent fishing opportunities. The area known as Steelhead Alley runs along the lake’s south shore from New York west to Ohio and includes numerous tributaries in a range of sizes and water types. The Cattaraugus in New York and Grand in Ohio are the two premier rivers along the Alley for Spey fishing although many of the other rivers and streams have plenty of room for short two handers and switch rods. 

If the winter is mild, fishable conditions can exist through January and February prior to a spring thaw. However, since many of the Lake Erie rivers are spate in nature with lower gradients, significant icing can occur with prolonged cold snaps. Good spring opportunities can be found from March through early May for steelhead traveling both upriver and downriver. 

Like Lake Ontario, the rivers and streams of Lake Michigan host runs of both stocked and wild king salmon. These runs can dominate during the late summer and early fall with some opportunity to tangle with big salmon on some rivers. Lake-run browns can also be a nice bonus. Steelhead runs begin to ramp up in October and November. The rivers in the State of Michigan host runs of both wild and some stocked steelhead. The Manistee strain prevalent in Michigan tends to have more of a winter and spring bias resulting in a run that increases from November through the following spring months on rivers like the Muskegon, Manistee and Pere Marquette. The steelhead runs on the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan follow a similar timing. 

The cold clear waters of Lake Huron host solid salmonid populations including native lake trout and transplanted Atlantic salmon. But for the Spey anglers fishing the rivers that run into Huron along the Ontario shoreline, steelhead are king. There is significant natural reproduction along with runs augmented with hatchery fish. The fact that some rivers receive steelhead plants is a sticky issue amongst wild fish advocates.

Water conditions typically drive the fall run timing on Spey rivers like the Maitland and Saugeen. Cool, rainy weather draw fish in during October. However, dry conditions can hold the fish back in the lake waiting for a pulse of water and cue that it is time to move. Targeting late October through December is a good approach for the Lake Huron rivers but taking advantage of cooler temperatures and wet weather in October can pay dividends in terms of thick silver fish. There is a seasonal closure on much of this water for the winter and early spring although some of the lower pools remain open all year. 

Lake Superior represents some of the harshest climates where steelhead exist. Hardy fish, with a short summer growing season provide opportunity on both the north and south side of the lake in Ontario, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. There is a high incidence of natural reproduction in Superior based on a commitment of all three managing jurisdictions to foster wild fisheries where possible. The Bois Brule River in Wisconsin is one of the flagship rivers of the region that typically receives a run of over 5,000 wild fish annually. The commitment to wild fish management has resulted in genetics that allow these fish to thrive in extreme conditions.

Some steelhead show in the early fall with the onset of cooler temperatures providing an opportunity to find chrome rockets fresh from the lake. The fishing can last into the mid to later part of autumn. With the cold weather of late fall and winter along with seasonal closures on many rivers to protect wild fish, winter steelhead fishing in the Superior tributaries is very limited. But the spring thaw brings the rivers and streams alive. The best opportunity in this part of the Great Lakes region exists as the ice and snow gives way to flowing rivers and the seasons for targeting steelhead reopen. In some years steelhead can linger in the north shore Superior rivers until June. 

The varied nature of the Great Lakes creates a diverse fishery. Each river typically has its secrets concerning run timing and is often impacted each year by water flows and temperatures. It’s a constant puzzle to be solved and always keeps the pursuit fresh and interesting.