Steelhead fishing in late summer and fall is one of the coolest angling options in Northwestern Ontario. Nearly every large stream and river that runs into Lake Superior has some kind of “steelie” run. The larger the river, the better the chance of tangling with one of these great fish.
The fall run steelhead is essentially a rainbow trout that has lived at least a year in Lake Superior, and has returned to the river. Late season steelhead are feeding, but may also hold over and spawn in the spring. They are a fish of some mystery. They are also one of the hardest fighting fish you’ll ever tangle with and are stunning to look at. A fall steelhead shines like a freshly minted nickel.
Catching fall steelhead with consistency isn’t easy. A variety of factors come into play, including water and air temperature, river flow and daily sunlight. Autumn steelhead are a fish on the move. A hotspot one day can be dead the next. However, the deepest pools in the river almost always hold some fish, as rainbows like water they feel safe in.
Weather plays a major role in successful steelhead fishing, and it pays to watch the frontal systems closely. Late season stretches of mild weather usually equal good fishing. One of my best late season steelhead days occurred thanks to an autumn storm that deposited unseasonably warm, wet air over the north shore. This shrouded the river in pea soup fog and turned the steelie bite on. I hooked fish after fish until the fog cleared. Then, when the sun appeared, the steelhead bite just stopped.
While shore anglers and egg drifters do very well in the fall, the biggest steelies are consistently caught trolling crankbaits from a boat. There is just something about the profile and undulating action of a crank that does it for monster fall steelhead. I’ve caught dozens of good fish trolling #7 perch Shad Raps, silver CC Shads, and my latest favourite, the jointed deep diving Husky Jerk in fire tiger. Work the cranks slowly through tail outs, letting the lure wiggle in the trout’s face. Strikes will be crushing. I’ll never forget fishing with cranks a few years back with my friend Mike Harding, of Thunder Bay. We were being very determined, trolling prime water again and again with Shad Raps, waiting for that strike that would signal a steelhead. Several hours passed. Then, as the sun got lower in the sky, it happened. My rod laid back and an enormous steelhead immediately appeared in the air. It was a breathtaking sight.
“What the heck was that?!” said my excited partner when he heard the splash behind him. “Oh, just a monster steelhead,” I said, as the line screeched off the reel. The current was fast, and the fish was determined to get back to Lake Superior. This was not a big concern, as the reel had several hundred yards of line. But when a long forgotten and buried bird’s nest appeared, I knew I was in trouble. The outboard was kicked into reverse but too late. The fish found the knot, and the line parted like a gun shot. It was very quiet for a while in the boat after that, as the steelhead was easily ten pounds plus.
Such is life!
Another good crankbait style are the banana shaped baits like the Kwikfish or Flatfish. These are great in a slow moving river system, and can be fished rather well from shore. Cast these lures at the tops of deep pools and let them slowly scrape over the bottom. The Neebing River, in Thunder Bay, and the Black Sturgeon River, near Nipigon, are both prime examples of good banana bait water.
A less common, but quite deadly option, is to cast bucktail jigs and drift them with the current. You can do this from a boat, in a larger river, or from shore. The trick is to keep the jig light enough to slip with the current, but heavy enough to get close to the bottom. From a boat pick current breaks and runs along shore and work them thoroughly. Swing the bucktail jig through the tail out of a large pool for action as well. Have a variety of jig sizes handy and experiment. Multi coloured jigs are best, with lots of white, red and yellow in them. The jig flies made by Mighty Mitch and Jungle Joes jigs in Terrace Bay, Ontario, are tough to beat. Google them and check it out.
You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment to catch autumn steelhead. A 7 or 8 foot spinning rod, a spinning reel loaded with abrasion resistant 8 to 12 lb. test monofilament line, a pair of hip waders and a satchel or vest to carry your gear will do it on most rivers. If you are trolling cranks from a boat, add a bait cast rod of about 9 feet with a reel counter baitcasting reel. Your main line should be a little heavier for pulling cranks, about 12 to 15 pound test monofilament. If you prefer braid, go to 20 pound test. Autumn steelhead on Lake Superior’s north shore are a thrilling fish to catch, and they’re running in North shore streams right now. If you have a hankering for a road trip Lake Superior’s steelies are worth a shot.