Steelhead are rainbow trout that go to sea, or to the Great Lakes, and come back up rivers to spawn. These are the rivers state agencies name for them, with the months each agency gives and the flow at each gauge today.
States
13
Agency named rivers
128
Live USGS gauges
93
This month
Where winter steelhead are running this month
90 rivers have steelhead in them in November, by the timing their state agencies give, each with its latest USGS flow and that flow as a share of the gauge’s median for today’s date. In November that means summer fish on the Pacific side and the first fall fish in the Great Lakes tributaries; the winter run proper starts in November and December.
Smith RiverCalifornia, North CoastWinter steelhead, Nov to Mar; Summer steelhead, Apr to JulLoading
Klamath RiverCalifornia, Klamathfall run late summer through fallLoading
Trinity RiverCalifornia, Klamath (Trinity)hatchery arrivals about November 1 through MarchLoading
Mad RiverCalifornia, North Coast (Humboldt)fall run late summer through fallLoading
Eel RiverCalifornia, Eelfall run late summer through fall; spring-run summer fish hold until winterLoading
Little Manistee RiverMichigan, Lake MichiganWeir in during the first two weeks of March until the egg quota, usually by mid April; fall steelhead counted Aug 15 to Nov 15Loading
Manistee RiverMichigan, Lake MichiganLate Oct to early MayLoading
5 more rivers take their winter fish by December, by the same agency timing.
Alsea RiverOregon, Mid Coastwinter Dec to MarLoading
Chetco RiverOregon, South Coastwinter Dec to MarLoading
Nehalem RiverOregon, North Coastwinter Dec to AprLoading
Siuslaw RiverOregon, Mid Coastwinter Dec to MarLoading
Sandy RiverOregon, Lower Columbiawinter Dec to Apr; summer May to AugLoading
Run calendar
Steelhead run timing by state
Each state’s runs as its agency describes them, on a July to June year. Pacific coast states have a winter run from late fall to spring and a summer run through the warm months; Great Lakes states describe a fall run into the tributaries, fish holding through the winter, and a spring spawning run.
JASONDJFMAMJ
AlaskaSpring runAlaska, spring run, Mar 1 to Jun 10
PennsylvaniaFall runPennsylvania, fall run, Sep 1 to Nov 10
PennsylvaniaWinterPennsylvania, winter, Nov 15 to Mar 5
PennsylvaniaSpring runPennsylvania, spring run, Mar 1 to May 15
VermontSpring spawning runVermont, spring spawning run, Mar 20 to May 10
WisconsinFall run (Chambers Creek and Ganaraska)Wisconsin, fall run (chambers creek and ganaraska), Nov 1 to Dec 31
WisconsinSpring run (Chambers Creek and Ganaraska)Wisconsin, spring run (chambers creek and ganaraska), Mar 1 to May 10
WisconsinSkamania summer runWisconsin, skamania summer run, Jul 1 to Mar 15
Spring run
Fall run
Spawning
Winter steelhead
Summer steelhead
Nov, the current month
Statewide run windows from each state agency; the river by river months are on each state page.The Nestucca River in the Oregon Coast Range in late winter. Coastal rivers like this one carry the winter run from late fall into spring, and they rise and drop fast with each storm. “Nestucca Wild and Scenic River (40678437973)”, BLM Oregon & Washington, Public domain
Agencies
13 state agencies and their steelhead reports
Each state’s steelhead rivers come from its own fish and wildlife agency.
Situk River steelhead weir (Fish Counts, location 5)ADF&G, weir count, dailyThe Situk River weir crew counts post-spawning downstream migrations of adult Steelhead beginning in spring (May-June) each year, and upstream pre-spawn salmon migrations beginning in summer (June-August).
Anchor River weir (Fish Counts, location 9)ADF&G, weir count, dailyThe most complete fall counts occurred in 1988 and 1992 when 878 and 1,261 fish were counted, respectively.
Central Valley Steelhead MonitoringCDFW, weir countThis pilot project is focused on monitoring adult CV steelhead populations in the Sacramento River and tributaries.
Upper Salmon River Steelhead Fishing ReportIdaho Fish and Game, fishing report, weeklyThe data discussed in this report were primarily collected between Wednesday, April 8 and Sunday, April 12.
Indiana
South Bend Fish LadderIndiana DNR, weir countNR staff will update the counts as often as they can. During busy time periods, updates may be delayed.
DNR Weekly Fishing ReportMichigan DNR, fishing report, weeklyThe updates come from a combination of creel clerks and other DNR staff around the state and reflect past fishing conditions over the last seven days.
Lake Superior Fishing Reports (stream conditions and smelt updates)Minnesota DNR, fishing report, weeklyStream conditions and smelt updates , including steelhead run timing, begin once anglers start fishing in North Shore streams. Reports are posted here every Thursday through Memorial Day.
Knife River fish trap report (2024)Minnesota DNR, weir count, annualA total of 204 individual unclipped adult steelhead were captured in the Knife River traps in spring 2024.
Lake Superior spring creel survey (2025)Minnesota DNR, creel, annualThe Lake Superior spring angler surveys begin when ice clears and anglers begin fishing in streams, which occurs anytime between late-March and early-May.
Salmon River Fish HatcheryNew York DEC, hatchery return, annualSteelhead: late March through early April
Ohio
Fishing Reports and Forecasts (Lake Erie)Ohio DNR, fishing report, weeklySteelhead are starting to be caught while trolling within 4 miles of Ashtabula harbor in 34-69’ of water.
ODFW weekly Recreation Report (fishing report by zone)ODFW, fishing report, weeklyIn addition, the ODFW weekly Recreation Report describes the latest river and fishing conditions for dozens of steelhead rivers in Oregon.
Willamette Falls Fish CountsODFW, weir count, dailyA video camera records fish passage 24 hours/day and the video is reviewed by ODFW staff to provide daily counts by species, size, and origin (e.g., hatchery or wild).
Cole Rivers Hatchery Fish CountsODFW, hatchery return, weeklyRoughly weekly, the fish are counted out of the pond and ladder, then sorted.
Willoughby Steelhead Rainbow Trout Will Be Jumping (annual press release)Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, fishing report, annualWhile the annual migration occurs over several weeks, the best opportunities for seeing jumping fish only last for a few days when flows and water temperatures are just right.
Hatchery escapement reports (in-season, weekly)WDFW, hatchery return, weeklyThe Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) In-Season Hatchery Escapement Report is posted weekly, usually each Thursday.
Winter and summer steelhead smolt stockingWDFW, hatchery return, annualThe majority of the adult returns from these releases are expected during the 2026-2027 winter and 2027 summer seasons.
Besadny Anadromous Fisheries Facility ReportWisconsin DNR, weir count, weeklyWe will post new information to this site every Tuesday at 4 p.m. from March through April and October through early November.
Lake Michigan Outdoor ReportWisconsin DNR, fishing report, weeklyUnless otherwise indicated, this fishing report information comes from our creel survey clerks, who work in the lakeshore areas from March through October and in the tributary rivers seasonally in spring and fall.
Steelhead and rainbow trout are one species. The difference is the journey: a steelhead spends its adult life at sea or in a Great Lake and comes back up a river to spawn.
Steelhead and rainbow trout are the same species, but rainbow are freshwater only, and steelhead are anadromous, or go to sea.
On the Pacific side the name of a run is the season the fish come in from the ocean. Winter fish arrive ready to spawn within weeks; summer fish arrive months early and hold in the river. Pages here: Alaska and California and Idaho and Oregon and Washington.
Winter-run Steelhead return from the ocean at age 4 or 5 years, and travel to their spawning grounds from November to April.
Great Lakes steelhead are not native to the lakes; they were stocked, and they are now naturalized. They run from the lakes into the tributaries from fall to spring, and many fish that enter in fall hold in the river through the winter. Pages here: Indiana and Michigan and Minnesota and New York and Ohio and Pennsylvania and Vermont and Wisconsin.
Lake steelhead enter their spawning streams from late October to early May. Although many steelhead enter the rivers in the fall and overwinter there, spawning does not occur until spring.
Steelhead have been stocked in Lake Erie since the late 1800s, mainly to support recreational fisheries (Crawford 2001). Although steelhead are not native to the system, they are now considered a naturalized component of the fish community.
A steelhead from a Lake Erie tributary in late November, kept low in the water. Steelhead are not native to the Great Lakes; New York has stocked them in Lake Erie since the late 1800s, and they run up tributaries from the lakes in fall, winter and spring. “Great Lakes Steelhead” by ColtonOrbaker, CC BY-SA 3.0
Other states
Rainbow trout seasons in the other states
Steelhead run up rivers that reach the Pacific or the Great Lakes. In the other 37 states the same fish is the stocked rainbow trout, and each state’s stocking page is below.
ColoradoColorado Parks and Wildlife says rainbow trout were introduced in the 1880s and are the mainstay of its hatchery system, with no steelhead run described.
ConnecticutConnecticut DEEP describes its trout fishing as supported mainly by hatchery stocking of brook, brown, rainbow and tiger trout and describes no steelhead run.
IllinoisIllinois DNR describes steelhead only as a lakefront and harbor catch in its Lake Michigan waters from September through December, stocked at the harbors, and names no tributary steelhead run.
MontanaThe Montana Field Guide (Montana Natural Heritage Program with Montana FWP) says rainbow trout were introduced statewide from hatchery stocks and only upper Kootenai River rainbows are native, with no steelhead run described.
NevadaNevada Department of Wildlife describes rainbow trout as native elsewhere and stocked extensively from hatcheries in Nevada, with no steelhead run.
New JerseyNJ Fish and Wildlife describes its rainbow trout as a spring stocked fishery from the Pequest hatchery program and describes no steelhead run.
On the Pacific coast, winter steelhead travel to their spawning grounds from November to April, according to NOAA Fisheries. In the Great Lakes, Michigan DNR writes that lake steelhead enter their spawning streams from late October to early May, and many hold in the rivers all winter before spawning in spring.
Pacific steelhead are sea run rainbow trout that return from the ocean; winter fish arrive close to spawning and summer fish months ahead of it. Great Lakes steelhead spend their adult life in the lakes instead of the sea and run up tributaries in fall, winter and spring; New York DEC writes that they have been stocked in Lake Erie since the late 1800s and are now naturalized there.
Rivers here come from Pacific coast agencies in Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington and Great Lakes agencies in Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and 2 more, each river named by the state agency itself.
Yes. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife puts it plainly: steelhead and rainbow trout are the same species, but rainbow stay in fresh water and steelhead go to sea.
New York DEC writes that the Lake Ontario tributary run intensifies by mid October as the streams drop to 45 to 58 degrees F. State pages show live USGS water temperature for gauges that record it, beside discharge and the median flow for the date.
No. A run window is biology: when the fish move. Seasons, licences and closures are set by each state agency and change inside a year, so every state page links that agency's current regulations.
States with a steelhead page
Run timing from the state agency pages linked on each state page, and the quoted NOAA Fisheries and agency sources above. Flow and the daily median for November from the USGS Water Services. Compiled September 22, 2026.
