Fishing Winter Steelhead

Fishing Winter Steelhead
(Brian with a picture perfect female steelhead)

Here’s Brian from Cincinnati with an absolute gorgeous female Muskegon river steelhead.  Check out the beautiful colors on this very healthy stout steelhead.  Incredible fight!

During fall months and leading into winter, female steelhead migrate up from Lake Michigan to the specific rivers where they were originally born.  They do so seeking refuge from the harsh lake environment and also because the rivers offer a much more abundant food source.

As they migrate up river, female steelhead find their winter lies in the security of the rivers slow moving deep pools where they rest and actively feed as they wait for that spring thaw where water temps rise above 42 degrees and trigger the female steelhead to seek gravel and start the spawning process.  Brian’s gorgeous hen above is a prime example.

Current Muskegon river steelhead fishing conditions have steelhead scattered throughout the river system in good numbers and incredible size!  The trick is patience and finding their specific winter lie for that day.

post by: jon fortuna

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