[Flyrod]

This might sound really obvious, so remember I'm from south of the border and have never seen a steelhead in my life (except in pictures). I know steelhead are simply sea/lake run bows. To me, big bows and steelhead look pretty much alike. What sometimes give it away is the difference in color, but I've seen steelhead pics that look really "rainbowy": big fish with lots of colors, as well as big silver bows.

Is there any other way to know one from the other? Just curious.

[steeldrifter]

Rod that's actually a very common question so don't feel funny asking it. I can't speak of the ocean run fish, but here in the Great Lakes a steelhead and a rainbow are really the same fish. The only difference is the steelhead goes out to live a few years in the big lake and gets big, then comes back into the stream to spawn. A rainbow will stay in the stream it's entire life so it never reaches the size of the steelhead.

Now if by chance a steelhead was born in the stream and never left the stream, then it's a rainbow, strange eh Its really the same fish, just the steelhead has a gene that makes it feel the urge to migrate to big water to live after it gets to a certian size.

SD

[Kodiak Commando]

Actually Fly Rod there is no Definate way to tell them apart by looking at them. There are some guidlines but none are ever 100% correct all the time, the only way to tell for sure is to examine their biology with microscopes and so on. I defenetely would know, Many of the big bows on rivers such as the nakned are 10 to 20 pounds with few spots and look exactly like fresh steelhead. The only way we know there are bows because fish and game have done studies that prove those fish never enter the salt.

[Flyrod]

I see.... that's what I thought, ya know, it is tough to tell unless you have the experience.... Thanks Steve and Kodiak. Steelhead is one of my dues.

[Michigan Trout Guy]

I asked the exact same question about a month or so ago. I never could get that straight.

[rougetrout]

Another confusing issue is some of the fish that have gone to salt or to the big lake and are big and silver get color back when they run up the stream to spawn--now if that isn't confusing....

[jonnyrotten]

[steeldrifter]

The G.L steelies we have origanily came from the PNW broad stock jonny. The Great Lakes fish are Steelhead in every meaning of the word, the fact that they don't have access to the salt is not the deciding factor in if they are steelhead or not.

I would say our Great Lakes are a bit bigger than the lake your talking about

[OSD]

Hey you know I have caught some monster rainbows then.
I better start looking for my master angler awards

I wonder what that fish I caught a few years back should be called I figured it was an Atlantic salmon but you know it never seen the Atlantic ocean, so may be it was just a plain old fresh water salmon

Bob

[Fly1]

Here this should clear it all up Rainbow trout

Ken

[hexfli]

I am a believer that Great Lakes Steelhead and a rainbow trout are 2 close cousins but not the same thing. To me there are differences in body type and coloring and even if you get down to it the flesh. I have been on trolling trips on the Great Lakes where we caught both steelhead and lake rainbows, the difference is obvious. They have different habits and genetic make-up that make up those differences. Just my opinion.

[jonnyrotten]

[Sketch]

Here is a link to help with this discussion:

Overview of the Steelhead and how they differ from Rainbow Trout

The true definition of a Steelhead would include the word anadromous which means they spend a portion of their life in saltwater, but since Great Lakes steelies can't get to the salt, they are an exception to the rule. Those are not 'natural' runs, but planted. Some rainbows also spend time in lakes and then spawn in streams (for eg. Kenai River, Alaska 'bows) but that doesn't make them a Steelhead. So I guess what it comes down to is you could describe some Steelhead runs as a sea-run (anadromous) and others as freshwater or lake-run (non-anadromous).

Just my .02¢