Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2014 - 7

Lake Erie steelhead fishing produces high angler interest.

which destroys the fishing. Basically, if you cannot see
steelhead, you are not going to be able to get the fly in front
of their face. By the same token, muddy water prevents fish
from seeing your bait or fly."
As streams begin to clear and water flow drops a little,
anglers will find steelhead in the tributaries. The slower the
fall, the more prolonged the good fishing.
"Rather than driving all the way to Erie immediately after
the area receives a good rain only to find steelhead blown
out by the time I arrive, I now wait until the streams begin
to clear," said Logan. "Depending on the amount of rain-
or snow melt-the falling water window is generally open
longer than the rising water window."
It wasn't that many years ago that the fall steelhead run
into Lake Erie tributaries kicked off in October or even late
September. This was the result of fairly reliable heavy rains
in early fall. Anglers became accustomed to finding and
catching steelhead shortly after fall. However, our weather
patterns have changed. Currently, quality rainfall in early fall
is rare. This has forced a shift in the steelhead run.
"Rain in September and early October would stimulate
fish moving into the streams," said Tome. "Now, low
stream flows in the early fall will stack up steelhead along
the Lake Erie shoreline near the creek mouths. When
sporadic rains do come, spectacular fishing usually lasts
only a couple days before the water becomes low and clear.
It appears the better stream runs are in November and
December when more water is available."
Rick Gauriloff, owner of Trout Run Bait & Tackle in
Fairview, explains that hitting the Pennsylvania streams as
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the bite is peaking is a little more involved than looking at
the Erie forecast. "Basically, all the Pennsylvania tributary
streams in Erie County are shale bottom, but due to the
length of the stream, drainage area and actual topography of
the streambed, every tributary responds differently to rainfall
or snow melt. The numbered creeks on the East Side fish well
right after a rain as they are rising, but they get skinny fast,
dropping much faster than West Side streams. Everything
else being equal, Twentymile Creek, Sixteenmile Creek and
Twelvemile Creek will clear and drop quickly. But to the west
of the city of Erie, Elk Creek, Crooked Creek and Conneaut
Creek are the last to clear and will retain good flow longer."
But things are rarely "equal" when it comes to rainfall
within the drainage of each stream. Rain may fall on the East
Side and not on the West Side, or rain may fall further inland
impacting the more southern drainage areas of Elk Creek
and Conneaut Creek and not impacting the shorter streams.
Even among East Side streams, Twentymile Creek has a larger
drainage area and will hold water a little longer than the other
streams only a few miles down the shoreline.
"But, you also need to look at the make-up of each stream
in terms of fishable holding water for steelhead once the
water drops," said Gauriloff. Although all tributaries close to
the lake are shale bottom, the West Side streams have more
broken rubble to create current seams, and they also have
more curves, bends and pools than East Side streams. This
is especially true of Elk Creek and Conneaut Creek, which
extend much further inland than the others. On Conneaut
Creek, you can find steelhead up to 38 miles from the
lakeshore in Crawford County."
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * November/December 2014

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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2014

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