Steelhead Fishing in Pennsylvania

Steelhead fishing in Pennsylvania revolves around Lake Erie and its tributaries.

Steelhead is the name given to a particular subspecies of trout known to spawn more than once in their lifetime. They are native to the Great Lakes region, and in Pennsylvania steelhead can be found on Lake Erie and in its tributaries. The steelhead is hugely popular among anglers and fly fishers. It can be caught using live bait including worms and minnows.

Licenses and Lake Erie Permits

All fishermen using Lake Erie must have a Lake Erie permit, a fishing license and a trout/salmon stamp. License fees are cheaper for residents and deals are available for seniors, National Guard or armed forces reservists and former prisoners of war. As of 2010, residents pay $22.70, seniors pay $11.70 and non-residents pay $52.70. Seniors can get lifetime licenses for $51.70. Out-of-state fishermen can also get temporary licenses that last one, three or seven days.
The trout/salmon stamp costs $9.70, as does the Lake Erie permit. A combo for the stamp and permit runs $15.70.

Time Frame

Pennsylvania's steelhead season begins at 8 a.m. the first Saturday after April 11. Fishing is permitted 24 hours a day from then until the following March. It is illegal to fish for steelhead between March 1 and the opening of the season.

Tributaries

The tributaries also yield steelhead and none have more than Elk Creek. The mouth of the creek is about 1/2 mile west of Route 18. In the fall, few to none of the steelhead make it further upstream than the Route 5 Bridge in Lake City.

Walnut Creek and Crooked Creek are the next most popular tributaries for steelhead, and the fish can also be chased at Cascade Creek, Conneauttee Creek, East Basin Pond, Lake Pleasant, South Branch French Creek, Twentymile Creek, Upper Gravel pit and West Basin Pond. They can't be hooked in the Godfrey and Trout runs.

Save the smolts

Immature Steelheads, or smolts, can sometimes be mistaken for rainbow trout. They are normally smaller and should be carefully released if caught, according to the state fish and boat commission. Also, the state has a minimum 7 inch rule for trout.

Identification

The steelhead looks very similar to several types of salmon, but its mouth is completely white. Steelhead and other big-lake rainbows are more silvery than stream fish. The steelhead can grow to 30 inches. The state steelhead record from Lake Erie is 19 pounds.

References

• State Fish and Boat Commission
• Pennsylvania Steelhead Association
• Fish Erie