Spring steelhead or summer steelhead?

[Specialed]

How do you know which one you have caught?(Originally posted as "spring" steelhead or summer steelhead)

 

[osmosis]

Around here we basically have winter and then summer steelhead. the winter fish will be of very poor quality right now, and the summer fish are nice and fresh chromers.
Are you meaning spring chinook vs. summer steelhead?

 

[troutdude]

A very good question Osmosis.

I have never heard the word "spring" connected with "steelhead" before. So, perhaps they were asking about a 'nook "springer".

 

[plumb2fish]

there are a few rivers in oregon that get fall steelhead. chrome sea-liced "summers" in october/november, the umpqua system for sure.

 

[metalfisher76]

And AK gets spring and fall run steelhead. But yeah our winters are spent.

 

[Specialed]

Sorry-I was meaning "winter" or summer. Looking at the fish counts there are both going over the falls right now-I wasn't sure if the fish I recently caught was a summer steelhead. It was a perfect fish-very bright so sounds like it must be a summer fish. Thanks, Ed

Around here we basically have winter and then summer steelhead. the winter fish will be of very poor quality right now, and the summer fish are nice and fresh chromers.
Are you meaning spring chinook vs. summer steelhead?

 

[Mike123]

Very simple, winters have adipose fins, summer fish don't. Now I know a few of you will chime in and say not all summers are clipped and not all winters have adipose fins... but for the most part this is what you go by.

This is just a rule for fish over the falls though.

 

[Specialed]

Thanks man-I was wondering how they could tell the difference going through the fish viewing windows.

Very simple, winters have adipose fins, summer fish don't. Now I know a few of you will chime in and say not all summers are clipped and not all winters have adipose fins... but for the most part this is what you go by.

This is just a rule for fish over the falls though.

 

[halibuthitman]

some canadian and alaskan rivers have strong runs of brite steel in them at least every two months, all year long... awsome..