I was wondering if i caught a surplus steelhead that was stocked into a lake do i have to put it on my tag
smoky- it depends on the lake you are fishing on. if the lake has no connection to the ocean (a cut-OFF dam for example), then it cannot have a steelhead in it because of this: General Statewide Regulations, Steelhead:
Sea-run rainbow trout over 20 inches in length except in Northwest and Southwest zone streams where rainbow trout over 16 inches in length are defined as steelhead (2015 regs, page 7). If it has not been to the ocean, it is just a rainbow trout.
However there are lakes that have no steelhead runs but accidentally get some, and since there is no definitive way to distinguish between a brooder/holdover rainbow and a steelhead that wanders into that lake by mistake, these are usually legal to retain as part of your trout limit, not tagged, and following the 1 over 20" rule...the opposite applies in NW and SW streams, where any rainbow over 16" is treated as a steelhead and the rules for steelhead in that stream must be followed.
But there are lakes that do have steelhead in them and regs for them. Check 'Tenmile Lakes' in the SW zone, Special Regs are:
• Open for adipose fin-clipped steelhead all year.
• Rainbow trout over 20 inches are considered steelhead Jan. 1-April 30 and Nov. 1-Dec. 31. May 1- Oct. 31 rainbow trout over 20 inches are considered trout and may be harvested 1 per day
so the lake is open all year but from Nov.1-April30, any rainbow over 20" is a steelhead in that lake and retained only if clipped and tagged. But May1-Oct31, they are rainbow trout and any can be retained and not tagged.
easy peasy but always check the Special Regulations for where you are going to fish! cheers, roger