Striving to Learn More About Steelhead

Steelhead fishing Alaska waters offers not just the thrill of the catch, but a deep connection to one of the most mysterious and revered fish in the North.

What is it about the steelhead, that coveted and often-elusive quarry, that so completely captures an angler’s desire and imagination? Is it their large size and the almost inconceivable power they exhibit as they bolt upstream, melting line from your reel in such unimagined fury? Is it their rarity, that they run in such small numbers and only in select, often out-of-the-way places? Or is their allure simply because they are fish so shrouded in mystery, their strange and relatively unique life cycle remaining a quandary to many?

The Mystery and Allure of Steelhead

We know that steelhead are the same species as the resident rainbow trout, though these fish exhibit startlingly different behavior. After rearing in fresh water for up to three years with their trout brethren, they up and leave. What is it in their genetic makeup that compels these creatures to give up the relatively easy freshwater life and venture out to sea? And where they go, where they spend their time in the vastness of the ocean, is simply one more unanswered question in this great enigma that is the steelhead.

On most streams, including the Anchor River, these fish are spring spawners, which means they enter freshwater in the fall, overwinter in streams, then spawn in mid-May to early June. Unlike salmon, however, they don’t always wither and die after spawning, but sometimes return to the sea, and if they survive, return even larger to spawn yet again. A first-year spawner could measure up to 24 inches long and be about five years old, having spent three years in fresh water and two in the ocean. A second-time spawner might be about seven years old, and occasionally those repeat spawners, fish reaching a whopping 30 inches or larger, may have spawned three-, four- or even five times and could be, in rare instances, up to13 years old. Also of interest is that they intermingle and interbreed with resident rainbows.

Funding Knowledge

Still, there’s so much we don’t know, like even how many actually return each year. That’s why the Kenai Peninsula and Southcentral chapters of Trout Unlimited (TU) recently decided to help fund the extension of the Anchor River weir through the end of October.

The weir, run by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), usually stays in until late September. Its primary purpose is to count salmon. The chapters were initially approached by Anchor Point resident and avid steelheader Lynn Whitmore, who in turn connected them with Homer-based ADF&G biologist Mike Booz, who oversees the weir. With the popularity of the fishery, not only with local TU members, but with anglers throughout the state and now even throughout the world, it seemed like a worthy project. In fact, this was the first full and verified count of Anchor River steelhead in recent years.

The weir itself is made of PVC pipe, which prevents fish from going upstream, except through a narrow tunnel equipped with a glass screen, motion detector, light, and camera. A video image of every fish is recorded and sent to a computer housed in a nearby shed, as well as to the ADF&G offices in Homer. The video quality is exceptional, the species, size, and even sex of each passing fish can be monitored and noted. Leaving the weir in until the end of October, however, comes with its own set of challenges. At any time, the Anchor River is susceptible to flooding, with debris that can affect the efficiency of the weir. On a wintry late-season day, as was the case during the tour, ADF&G staff Danielle Siegert and Sara Faris, clad in drysuits, were kept busy clearing large sheets of ice from the weir.

While TU chapter leaders hope to see public funds support this project in the future, they were happy to ensure a positive start to understanding this particular and popular run of steelhead. “This is something that is near and dear to those of us who fish these rivers,” says Roger Sensabaugh, president of the Kenai chapter, “especially with the increased fishing pressure we are seeing each year.”

Knowledge Helps Drive Good Management And Good Fishing

By the end of the season, 1,389 steelhead were counted passing the weir, most arriving before mid-October. This is a number Booz believes to likely be slightly higher than average, and important data that teamed with catch numbers might one day be used to influence future management decisions. He is, however, quick to point out that one year of data, while a positive first step, is hardly sufficient in that regard. When asked what would be his best-case, dream-study when it comes to understanding these fish, he’s quick to suggest a radio-telemetry study.

That would allow scientists to know the exact distribution of steelhead, where precisely they overwinter, which would in turn influence land-use and habitat decisions, beneficial to their survival. With a more in-depth dive, such as a telemetry study, scientists would know whether some Anchor River steelhead are part of a “meta-population,” that only enter the river for a short time and then spawn in other nearby streams, and they would also gain valuable insight into just how many are actually repeat spawners, which again, teamed with catch data, would be a key to informing management of these fish.

Managing a Fishery Worth Protecting

Throughout the years, various important protections on lower Kenai Peninsula streams have been put in place for steelhead. It’s been over 30 years since the steelhead fishery became strictly catch-and-release. Though controversial at the time, estimated numbers of this iconic fish were plummeting, and something needed to be done. The population, based on angler surveys, appeared to rebound, yet more was needed. The fishery on lower Kenai Peninsula streams now closes on the first of November to protect fish that tend to become lethargic and are more prone to mishandling in the cold weather.

Whether it’s dead-drifting, swinging a fly, or bouncing a jig, we know we’ve truly connected to something special when we’ve hooked one of these fabled denizens of angling legend and lore. Each one of our senses, every aspect of our being, is tied ever tighter to the river with even a faint hope of an encounter with one of these iconic creatures. It’s what keeps us coming back time and again, and what makes it imperative that we learn all we can about this unique and remarkable fish. Hopefully this angler-led act of community-funded science is only the first step in that direction.

Trout Unlimited’s mission is to protect, reconnect and restore North America’s cold-water fisheries and their watersheds. Learn about our work in Alaska at prioritywaters.tu.org/alaska.

About the Author

Dave Atcheson is Special Projects Assistant for Trout Unlimited Alaska. He is also the author of several books, including Hidden Alaska, Dead Reckoning, and Canoeing Yaghanen. For more info: daveatcheson.com.

For more conservation and fish habitat restoration reading, check out Fish Alaska’s Conservation Blog for more.