[james zuanich]

In the last few years the state has planted a lot of steelhead smelts in lakes. What happens to these fish due the try to spawn they can't migrate to the sea Do they grow and become large steelhead or do they live a few years and die. Do they compete with the other trout or take over the lake . whatever the case there fun to catch hopefully they grow to become large sreelhead

 

[Preston]

Steelhead and rainbow trout are the same fish. Steelhead grow to larger size because they migrate to salt water where forage is more abundant. A steelhead, planted into a lake will grow no faster and to no larger size than a traditional planted rainbow.

 

[Tinker]

They aren't steelhead until they've migrated...

 

[Flyborg]

The Kalama hatchery is now recycling skamania strain steelhead that have returned to the hatchery into local lakes, rather than recycling them in-river like they used to. These are adult fish though. Imagine that disappointment...you spend your entire life eating and thriving to commit a single act of sex, and the assholes throw you in a lake

 

[2506]

...except steelies can spawn multiple times...

 

[Freestone]

...except steelies can spawn multiple times...

...not if someone catches you and eats you. Plus, they spawn in rivers not lakes.

 

[james zuanich]

...not if someone catches you and eats you. Plus, they spawn in rivers not lakes.

What if a few of the steelhead in lakes survived add grow to be adult lake steelhead the fish in the picture was caught a caddy lake. Is it steelhead it fought like one

 

[Freestone]

What if a few of the steelhead in lakes survived add grow to be adult lake steelhead the fish in the picture was caught a caddy lake. Is it steelhead it fought like one

There is really no such thing as a steelhead. Seriously. It is just a nickname we give rainbow trout that go to the ocean. The only reason they get big is there is more food out there but they are still a rainbow trout. If they stayed home, they'd be normal size.

If you took two pigs from the same litter and gave one an unlimited amount of food, it would be huge. If you fed the other one a starvation diet, it would be small. But in the end, they are both pigs. You could call the big one a (insert macho sounding name of choice), but it is still a pig. Same thing with rainbows and steelhead. They are identical. One goes searching for more grub out in the ocean and comes back fat. One stays home and doesn't get enough food to grow that big. No matter the size, they are rainbows. We just choose to call the ones that went to the ocean a steelhead. If they do not go, they can't really be called a steelhead. But no matter what we call them, they are still just plain old rainbow trout.

 

[james zuanich]

There is really no such thing as a steelhead. Seriously. It is just a nickname we give rainbow trout that go to the ocean. The only reason they get big is there is more food out there but they are still a rainbow trout. If they stayed home, they'd be normal size.

If you took two pigs from the same litter and gave one an unlimited amount of food, it would be huge. If you fed the other one a starvation diet, it would be small. But in the end, they are both pigs. You could call the big one a (insert macho sounding name of choice), but it is still a pig. Same thing with rainbows and steelhead. They are identical. One goes searching for more grub out in the ocean and comes back fat. One stays home and doesn't get enough food to grow that big. No matter the size, they are rainbows. We just choose to call the ones that went to the ocean a steelhead. If they do not go, they can't really be called a steelhead. But no matter what we call them, they are still just plain old rainbow trout.

 

[james zuanich]

Well that sums it up nice job still would like to catch a old rainbow. A few years back the state put in some large steelhead into lake langois by carnation. Might not be the right spelling of the lake. Its a very deep lake I someone keep one it was about 5# maybe they will turn unto large rainbows