DEC -Lake Erie Steelhead Spring Fishing Forecast on April 1, 2021.For those impatiently waiting for the opening of the trout fishing season on April 1st, you might want to consider making a trip to one of New York’s Great Lakes tributaries, where the spring steelhead season is already in full swing.
Angler surveys (PDF) conducted on New York’s Lake Erie tributaries show that April typically has one of the highest catch rates of the season, with rising temperatures, melting snow, and spring rains all pointing to steelhead runs heating up in the coming weeks.
Each tributary responds differently to spring runoff, so monitoring the USGS stream gauges at this time of year is critical. Large tributaries may be unfishable for weeks, but the smaller tributaries may have great conditions that can save a fishing trip. However, don’t wait too long as spring runs of fish can come in waves but leave just as quickly. Steelhead fishing offers a great opportunity to get out this spring and target one of the fiercest, most acrobatic fish available in New York waters.
