Steelhead, or sea-running Rainbow Trout, are a favorite species to target for many Alaskan anglers, due to their ferocious appetites and the tenacity with which they fight once hooked. Steelhead are Rainbow Trout that are born in a river but venture to the ocean soon after their birth. Just like Salmon, after a few years of living solely in the ocean, they make yearly runs from the ocean into the river of their births to spawn before returning to the ocean. These voyages can cross hundreds or even thousands of miles, making Steelhead one of the most unique and incredible species of Trout. Genetically, they are indistinguishable from Rainbow Trout, but their years in the ocean allows them to grow to sizes very rarely seen in Rainbow Trout that live in rivers. Keep reading on this page to learn more about Alaska’s wild Steelhead populations, and find out why they are considered a trophy species among anglers in the Last Frontier.
Fishing for Steelhead in Alaska
A Steelhead, quite simply, is a Rainbow Trout that was born from fish that spent their lives in the ocean. They are native to almost the entire west coast of North America, all the way up past Bristol Bay and along the Alaskan and Kenai Peninsulas. There is no clear genetic distinction between Rainbow Trout and Steelhead, and for the first year or so of their lives, it is nearly impossible to tell a Steelhead and a Rainbow Trout apart by their physical appearance. In salt water, though, Steelhead typically develop a more silver-chrome look, and will be less colorful than their Rainbow Trout counterparts. What they lack in color, though, they make up for in size; Steelhead in Alaska are known to routinely reach 25 inches in length and 10 pounds in size, although some individuals as long as 40 inches and as heavy as 40 pounds have been caught. This makes them significantly larger on average than Rainbow Trout; and thus, much stronger fighters. Anglers who are accustomed to targeting smaller Trout will be shocked by the sheer power that Alaskan Steelheads possess after they’ve hooked into their first one. Additionally, when Steelheads arrive in freshwater rivers, their bodies begin to turn a darker color, usually developing a dark green hue along the top of their bodies and a bright pink color along their cheek.
Steelhead, like Rainbow Trout, spawn in the spring. They begin their long journey from the ocean into the river of their birth some time in late winter – around February or March – and begin spawning once the water temperature rises to between 43 and 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Their spawning behavior closely mimics salmon, except for the fact that it occurs in the spring, and will typically conclude by July each year. And unlike salmon, Steelhead do not die in the river after their spawn is over, and can return to the ocean and back to rivers many times during their lives. While Steelhead can be targeted from a boat on the ocean, fly anglers typically target them while they are in rivers, before their active spawning begins. Steelhead can be caught on a variety of streamer patterns as well as egg patterns and nymphs drifted under an indicator. Heavy-weight fly rods (think 8-weight and up) or spey rods are typically used to target Steelhead, and double-digit-minute flights are far from uncommon. Come experience the thrill of targeting massive Steelheads in America’s most untouched and surreal wildernesses in Alaska with us!