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Cuyahoga could get steelhead program
Ohio’s fisheries managers have authored a great story around the development of our state’s steelhead trout program and have a burning desire for a new chapter.
At a gathering of 50 anglers, scientists and managers Thursday at Rocky River Nature Center in North Olmsted, Ohio Division of Wildlife Fish Hatchery Program administrator Kevin Kayle outlined the history of Ohio’s steelhead, lessons learned and applied, and ideas for new opportunities.
In recent years, Ohio Division of Wildlife has stocked nearly a half-million steelhead each spring in six Ohio tributaries and harbors. They are fish raised in the state’s Castalia Fish Hatchery from “eyed eggs” provided by Michigan and Wisconsin departments of natural resources. So-called eyed eggs are close to hatching.
Michigan’s Manistee and Wisconsin’s Chambers Creek and Ganaraska strains of steelhead are thriving in Lake Erie and returning annually to provide river and near-shore fishing opportunities for thousands of anglers from Ohio and half of the United States.
Erie steelhead from 3 to 12 pounds are available this fall in the streams where they were stocked. Close to home, Conneaut Creek received 75,000 Ohio steelhead and another 75,000 from Pennsylvania in 2018. Other 2018 stockings were done in Ashtabula River, 70,000; Chagrin, Grand and Rocky rivers, 90,000 each; and Vermilion River, 63,000.
Stockings are done with 8-inch steelhead yearlings, all raised in the Castalia hatchery under processes learned over decades of experience that have resulted in highly successful production.
Hatchery superintendent Andy Jarrett said Ohio is getting a high hatch rate of 90 percent from the eyed eggs provided by Wisconsin and Michigan. Ohio fisheries people also have learned that stocking “hungry” fish results in fast growth as the young steelies learn to eat the food of the streams rather than wait for the pellets they gobbled in the hatchery.
With success growing, might another river be added to the stocking program?
Kayle acknowledged the Cuyahoga River is under consideration. A decision to proceed with stocking the Cuyahoga would be made based on improving water quality and the availability of enough fish to justify the effort.
“I think that would be a great story line – steelhead in the ‘River that Burned,’” Kayle said.
The Cuyahoga already does experience a steelhead run each fall and winter, as stray fish that haven’t homed in on the rivers where they were stocked wander upstream from Cleveland. Kayle noted there are 12 public access areas and fishing could be available clear to Gorge Dam in Cuyahoga Falls.
Angler access is important in Ohio’s steelhead management program. Representatives from Cleveland, Lorain County and Lake County metroparks reported on efforts to add angler access.
One important new access on Conneaut Creek is dedicated to the late Phil Hillman, who was head of fish management for Ohio District Three. He was a strong proponent of the steelhead program and helped get it established in the early 1980s.
Today’s fish are related to the original 1982 Great Lakes stockings of steelhead from the McCloud River in northern California. McCloud River fish spawned in Great Lakes streams and developed a wild strain that today provides superb fishing.