The Steelhead

By - Jun 14, 2003

The Steelhead is an andronamous variety of the Rainbow Trout. Steelhead runs are river specific; fish trickle into Fraser Valley streams in the summer, winter, and spring months. The Steelhead spends from one to two years in fresh water before migrating to the ocean. Most of the Fraser Valley Steelhead rivers are hatchery augmented. The Thompson River near Cache Creek still offers large, wild Steelhead. The Steelhead is generally considered the King of BC sportfish. The river systems of the North, such as the Skeena and it's tributaries receive summer run Steelhead whose size is unrivaled anywhere.



Mature adults enter rivers and larger streams year round, but generally are concentrated as winter (November to May) and summer (May to October) runs. Steelhead may spawn more than once (30-40% of population). Eggs laid in gravel redds prepared by female in tributary stream or inlet/outlet of nursery lake from January to June. Eggs hatch in 4-7 weeks and fry emerge from gravel from mid-June to mid-August. Juveniles rear in freshwater for 2-4 years prior to migrating to sea as smolts from April to June. Steelhead only remain in estuary for a short period of time before moving offshore. Adults usually complete extensive feeding migrations in the Pacific Ocean before returning to spawn after 2-3 summers (range 1-4) in the ocean. Adults live to 6-8 years and may reach 1140 mm or 19 kg.

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