Erie Steelhead

[kfly]

I'm trying to plan a trip to erie to fish for steelhead this spring.
I'm not sure to plan it for late March or sometime in May or June.
Can anyone tell me what the fishing is like in May and June?

 

[David]

If you are looking for specifically for steelhead, you would need a boat in may and june. late march / early april is typically the end of steelhead fishing in the tributaries until they return again in the fall. they do stock some of the "steelhead streams" with regular trout. the steelhead return to the lake for the warmer months.
may / june can offer good fishing for other species.

 

[trew13]

I have never been up after March until the fall, but I have had some great days on the tribs in March. I would say it would definetly be worth the trip once the water levels come down a bit. Check the USGS water data page or call one of the Erie bait shops. I have used Poor Richards before. That being said many people have reported below average numbers this year.

 

[ryguyfi]

Once May and June hit, the steelhead in PA are gone from the tribs. Now there are some spring run fish in Ohio which are a different story from what I've heard. I've seen pods of fish cruising around in videos in the middle of May. I've done some spring fishing in PA tribs in March, but it's blown to pieces right now and doesn't look too promising anytime in the near future either.

 

[drews]

kfly,
I have been up to the mile creeks and elk several times this year, with my best day being around a dozen landed...thats a good day, but 2 years ago i had a 30 fish day and several in the upper 20's! Im no expert, but the fishing has been tougher this year by far. I was up 2-3 weeks ago and landed 5 or 6 cant remember, but saw very few fish. You will want to def. call poor richards and ask to see if there have been fresh fish reported in any of the streams. That being said I stood in poor richards last time up and listened to the guy tell people over the phone that there are no spring runs! I know this is not exactly correct as I've caught fresh fish in march. Also if you go to fisherie.com you can check the fishing reports to see whats happening up there...although not always very reliable. Hope this helps...good luck its a blast.