Great Lakes Steelhead Strains

[fishinislife]

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone knows how to identify these many great lakes strains? I know there are steelhead strains (Ganaraska, Skamania, Chamber's Creek) and domestic steelhead/rainbow strains (Arlee & Kamloop). I know the skamania steelhead and Chamber's creek look pretty much the same but spawn in the different times. Correct me if I'm wrong. Skamania's are summer run while Chamber's creek is fall/winter. So far this year I have landed three steelheads. One I believe is a chambers creek, a domestic arlee and the other I'm not quite sure. I will post pic later. Any information or help would be appreciated it! Thanks.

user name: Doorz, I believe you discussed this awhile back on lake-link. Looking for your input.

[fishinislife]

Here's the three

[.Pan Handler]

First is Arlee, second is Skamania, third is ??? ...these are my assumptions, did you by any chance take a look at their fin clips?

[fishinislife]

Yea that's what I thought they were too. The last one had a nemo fin. it wasn't clipped but was relatively smaller than the other fin. Has a mixture shape of an arlee and skamania but the colors were a lot like a skamania. As for the middle one, I think it might be a chamber's creek steelhead since skamania's are summer run steelheads. But I don't know for sure. Oh well, they're all steelheads to me at this time of the year.

[Eric Haataja]

Finn clips should tell you everything from when they were stocked (year) to what they are. Some are easy to tell the difference other are no so easy the clips tell it all. But yes sometimes there are no clips......so it's anyones guess.

[blitzfish]

I agree with fishinislife on this one. The second one looks more like a chambers than a skamania.

[vdubdipr]

i think sometimes the fish can re-generate thier clipped fins, ive caught plenty of fish of different species that had smaller fins on one side, and knowing that, that particular fish should have had that particular fin clipped, like maybe the dnr didnt clip it right

[.Pan Handler]

If we stock 90,000 plus skamania's every year between the Root, the Milwaukee, and the Kewaunee, why do we so rarely catch them? I don't understand. Maybe they all swim to Indiana?

[fishinislife]

Well according to articles online, skamanias are summer run steelheads. So during the fall/winter there's not a lot in there. The ones that do run during the fall/winter I believe are the chamber's creek and garnaska. This past summer I've seen a lot of skamanias being caught off the Mckinely Pier with alewives. Real long with small heads and huge tails. I'm thinking only a few skamanias actually travels to the rivers. I'm no expert but that's just what I concluded from readings. Oh well any silver trout I catch is a steelhead to me. They usually end up being a chambers or arlee anyways. :D

[.Pan Handler]

Skamania's very rarely run up our rivers during the summer. I caught a few this summer on the Milwaukee fishing for smallies, but those were the first summer-runs I've seen. I know other rivers get a push of them immediately following a big rain, but most of the fish hightail it back to the lake when they find out the water temp is 70+ degrees. You usually have only a couple hours span where they are catcheable. Skams will definitely run up in the fall as well. Just because they are designated as a summer-run does not mean they only run then. If water conditions are not conducive to it, they won't come up until the water is right (which could be fall). Most of the fish you see in the tribs in the fall or winter are either Skams or some Chambers. Skamania's typically attempt to spawn when the water temp is 38-40, which could be February or early March. Chambers spawn during March into early April. Ganaraska's are very rarely caught in the fall. They are the latest running strain we stock, and the bulk of them come up in March-April-May. Of course there could be some Arlee's tooling around in the fall in the tribs, but they're not a steelhead, just a dumb domestic rainbow who got put in the big lake. Same with Kamloops strain; very similar to an Arlee. I was just saying; if 90,000 plus fish are stocked every year, we should see some slightly better return than we do. If anything, the Milwaukee could support some summer-runs with all the dissolved oxygen in there. After all, smallies are a coolwater fish and look how well they do in there.

[.Pan Handler]

Nice skam! Skamania's have such a distinctive look...I think they're definitely the easiest strain to identify without looking for the fin clips (besides Arlee's). 1 down, 89,999 to go.

[fishinislife]

Arlee's are the easiest to identify. Football shape steelheads. I still refer to them as steelheads although they are domestic trouts because they are lake-run (in this case for greatlakes) trouts and do not stay or live in the river year round like normal trouts. They may not be true strains of steelheads but take the life cycle or runs of steelheads here by the GL. But that's just my opinion and will still call em steelies although they are the arlee strain.

Nice skamania doors. That's the first female steelhead that I've seen with fall colors. They're really nice but I like chrome better :P but will take either one any day! Hoping to get a few more on the flyrod but its been hard lately. Don't want to put away the flyrod yet but I might have to soon!

[vdubdipr]

LAKE MICHIGAN STREAMS
Department of Natural Resources crews stock three strains of steelhead in Lake Michigan streams. Skamanias enter streams in late summer or early fall. Last year, because of heavy rains and cool weather, there were good numbers of Skamanias in the rivers by mid-August. These fish typically spawn in January and February. Chambers Creek steelhead enter the streams in late fall and spawn in March and April. The Ganaraska run starts in early spring, with spawning in April and May.
When water flows dropped at the Kettle Moraine Springs Hatchery in Adell where steelhead are raised, annual stocking quotas were temporarily reduced from 500,000 to 350,000. Steelhead require high-quality water. DNR fisheries biologist Matt Coffaro says fewer fish stocked should actually net more and stronger adults returning to spawning streams.
"We know from stocking other fish that it's not numbers but better quality fish that give you better returns," Coffaro said. "We have stocked fewer chinooks in recent years, for instance, and yet we're getting great returns in the harvest."
The Pike River in Kenosha County is the southernmost of Wisconsin's Lake Michigan steelhead streams. There is good access near the mouth in Alford Park and upstream at bridge crossings on county highways A and E. Contact: Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce, (262) 654-1234 or www.kenoshachamber.com.
The Root River supports a large run of steelhead because it is one of two streams where eggs are taken for the hatchery program. Anglers come from all over North America to fish here. Fisheries crews take spawn in April at the Root River Steelhead Facility in Lincoln Park, where visitors can watch the entire process. Lincoln and Colonial parks provide good public access. An impassable dam on the west side of Racine marks the upstream limit of the run, which also helps concentrate fish. In most years, fishing on the Root is good by mid-March. Contact: Racine Chamber of Commerce, (262) 634-1931.
The Milwaukee River supports a good run of steelhead. County parks provide access all along the river. A dam at Kletszch Park stops most fish, but in some years many steelhead jump the dam and run all the way to the next dam in Grafton, some 20 miles upriver. Bridge crossings in Milwaukee and Ozaukee counties and the parks provide good access. Contact: The Flyfishers, (414) 259-8100 or www.theflyfishers.com.
The Menomonee River offers decent steelhead action for a couple miles near Miller Park. A concrete flood-control structure was removed several years ago, but nearly a mile of concrete channel still impedes the upstream movement of fish except when conditions are just right. Some anglers report catching fish above this channel along Menomonee River Parkway in Wauwatosa.
Habitat improvement on Sauk Creek in Port Washington gives steelhead a place to hide, and now this little urban stream supports a good spring run. Several bridge crossings in town provide access. Contact: Port Washington Chamber of Commerce, (262) 284-0900.
The Sheboygan River from a dam on the River Wildlife property in Kohler downstream to Sheboygan holds plenty of steelhead from fall through spring. An annual membership is required to fish the River Wildlife property, but there is public access in parks and at bridge crossings from Interstate 43 downstream to Taylor Drive in Sheboygan. Fish hold in deep water in this lower section, waiting for enough water to move upstream. A few miles farther north, the Pigeon River also flows through Sheboygan. Get on the river at Evergreen Park or Maywood Environmental Center and at bridge crossings west of town. Contact for both Sheboygan County streams: Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce, (920) 457-9491 or www.sheboygan.org.

[blitzfish]

We also stock Arlee's (aka FOOTBALLS) lol

[.Pan Handler]

WI is eliminating the Skamania strain. Here's the story.... VHS and Wild Rose hatchery construction are affecting salmon and troutstocking.
Salmon and trout stocking in Lake Michigan has been affected temporarily by two things: 1) renovation of Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery and 2) new VHS-prevention policies limiting movement of fish eggs and fish into and between hatcheries. In order to minimize the chances of spreading VHS or infecting our hatcheries, we will not
move eggs or fish into any hatchery unless they have been disinfected or shown to be free of VHS and we will not move eggs or fish from Lake Michigan or its tributaries into any hatchery that is not within the Lake Michigan drainage basin. As a result of the disruption at Wild Rose SFH and the VHS policies, most of our cohos produced for the 2007-08 stocking year were stocked out as fall fingerlings in 2007 rather than as yearlings in 2008, chinook stocking in the spring of 2008 was reduced from our baseline of 1,144,000 to 724,000, and no Skamania steelhead were taken for stocking in 2009. With the new cold-water side of Wild Rose SFH coming on line this summer and with appropriate adjustments in production planning to adapt to the VHS policies, we expect to return to full production levels. However, it is not clear when we will be able to resume production of Skamania.
Skamania pose a special problem because they must be transferred into a holding facility in the fall as adults and held until they are capable of spawning. Because we do not have a reliable method for disinfecting adult fish we cannot resume this practice until we develop a suitable holding facility outside of any hatchery. Until Skamania
propagation is resumed, we will attempt to replace them in equal numbers with Ganaraska or Chambers Creek steelhead.

[blitzfish]

That is sad to here, but may be hardly noticed by us fisherman as it has been rare to get a good skamania run. But who knows, with this decrease in numbers of fish we may end up getting better returns of fish because there shouldn't be as much competition for food and it should also yeild some bigger fish. Well, that would be my hopes. In recent years, I have seen smaller and smaller salmon, but there are some big ones mixed in, not like they used to be though. And to think that all of this is part of a big chain of problems created partly by zebra and quagga muscles. That leads to a depletion of zooplankton in the water, a major source of food for most baitfish. Which forces them out deeper. It is hard to say if there numbers are still there though. From DNR studies it seems like the Alewives and Smelt are still in big numbers, but just don't come that close because of warmer water temperatures and loss of food there. Sorry, I ramble too much anyways. I think I need to get myself one of those fin clip packets, or just print one off from online.

[fishinislife]

Hey Eric or anyone else,

Does anyone know where I can get a hold of fin clipped identifications for strains of steelhead? Sorry I'm still on this case after for quite a bit :P. Just want to know what I'm catching besides saying steelhead. :D Thanks

[Doors]

Here you go guys.
Updated with 2008 clips :)


http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc191/cfuka1/Finclip_List_2008_Page_2.jpg

[Doors]

The DNR has discontinued stocking kamloopers :(

More arlees to compensate for kamloopers.

Looks like they are planting arlees in the twin rivers for the first time.

Lots of brown and lake trout plugged into the systems too.

Planting Lake Trout in harbors now :/

[Doors]

Brookiereleaser you asked about definate pictures and strains with finclips.
Here you go.


Here are male, female, juvenile arlee strains.
Note the left pectoral clip.

[Doors]

Here are kamloops.
Note the right ventral.

[Doors]

Here is a skamanias
Note the right maxilary clip.

[Doors]

Here is a chambers creek.

Note the maxilary clip

[Doors]

Here is a ganarska.
Adipose right ventral clip.

[Doors]

People have been asking so here are some more examples.

First picture on the left is a male kamlooper "right ventral" 2004 or 2006.

Second picture from the left is a hen arlee "adipose/left pectoral" 2005 or 2007 note you can't see the left pectoral it's on the other side of the fish :)

Third picture from the left is a hen looper "right ventral" 2004 or 2006.

The arlees color was amazing! Couldn't believe it...

http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/lakemich/Stocking_Summary_2008.pdf

[brookiereleaser]

awesome stuff doors~

any chance you could post more examples of the ganaraska, chambers, and skams?

really appreciate it

also if you had to ballpark , what percentage of your steelies have actually had the clips done, i feel like i just caught a bunch of arlees/loopers with no fins missing so im not sure what to make of that.

[Doors]

Most of the Arlees and Kamloops should have clips; or either they were missed.

If you go to that pdf file I linked it shows how many are clipped and how many are not.

Arlee for example the fingerlings "F" usually are not clipped because they are smaller and have less chance of surviving.

Also arlee/loopers just thrash under the hole twisting.
There other steelies like to run with it.

[steeliebob]

You guys in Wisconsin must be pretty good to be able to tell these steelhead apart. Mix them up with the ones that they plant in Michigan and they have all different names for them here too and let them breed with some wild fish and what kind do you have??? They don't get too crazy planting steelhead in or around northern L Michigan or N Lake Huron so we rarely catch one with a clipped fin. Even when we do it does not get much bigger than 20" as the commorants (water wolf) protected species eats them all. I catch lots of steelhead every year and they all look alike to me. I am reasonably certain that these goofy named steelhead can interbreed, then what kind do you have? In Michigan we appreciate the WI DNR because our DNR takes all of the fish they raise and drops them in SW Lake MI. It is like the hatchery guys only know one road and if they get off from it they will be lost.

[Lake&Pond]

Unless they changed their stocking regulations in the past 3-5 years, Michigan only stocks 2 strains of steelhead (michigan & skamania) and Michigan marks 100% of their stocked fish, the ones without clips/marks are natural reprodced fish or fished they missed. Michigan gets more recruitment each year from natural reproduction than stocked fish more than other states due to the amount and size of the rivers you have. In wisconsin natural recruitment is lower thus we seem to catch more fish that have been stocked and have clips allowing us to identify them more easily. Although at one point Wisconsin only marked 33% of the fished stocked which made identifying a fish tougher.

[steeliebob]

The last time that I talked with a biologist from the DNR in Michigan the Skamania were not being planted anymore. This was due to the availability of eggs. They plant very few fish in N Lake Huron or Michigan. Thus the natural steelies get much larger. My average fish this winter has been about 10 pounds with 1 tipping the scale at 14 pounds and 34 inches. We do not catch as many but they are real nice steelhead. As for brown trout they don't exist around here anymore but we do have lots of atlantic salmon. The atlantic salmon are really fun to catch.

[blitzfish]

According to the michigan DNR stocking database, they still stock Skamania, as well as ones they collect themselves that they call "Michigan" strain (according to their data anyways...). Also, according to the database, not all are clipped.

Steeliebob, yes, in those waters in michigan where natural reproduction can occur, they may interbreed, but some things can stop them from doing so, the main thing is that the skamania are USUALLY done spawning by late fall, while most other steelhead strains spawn in the spring of the year. That is not to say that it wouldn't ever happen though. I have caught skamania in the past that dont spawn until spring. In Wisconsin, we don't worry about that stuff as much because on this side of Lake Michigan we don't have many suitable rivers and streams that provide a good place for the eggs to mature on the stream bed. Thats another reason why we can tell our strains apart from one another because we can clip them since almost all these fish are just from stocking.