beach fishing for steelhead

[paflyfisherman]

I have recently become interested in learning about fly fishing for steelhead on the shores of the Great Lakes. Any info. will be appreciated.

 

[Mashbill]

Back in the late 70s and early 80s … man we would fish the beaches like crazy. Godfrey Run …. Trout Run … all along rt 5. We’d use 11 foot noodle rods, 4lb test, slip sinker rigs with spawn sacs we cured ourselves … my young wife got really upset that we cured those eggs with some kind of fluorescent pink powder in our wash basins! We caught lots of steelhead like that …. Let everyone of them go and took a lot of crap from the fellow beach fisherman for not killing them.

might be a little tough these days on the beaches with a fly rod. Google up
Avonia Webcam … that’s the Trout Run beach … when they’re running … it’s pretty tight fishing- shoulder to shoulder most times. You won’t be able to do much false casting there in that crowd. But today …. With the wind and surf, who knows … you’d have the whole beach to yourself.

just take a trip up there, check it all out, hit Poor Richards bait & tackle shop or Elk Creek Sports in Lake City … spend a little dough & ask some questions…. You’ll have a big time! Also - there’s some fantastic fruit stands along rt 5 with the most delicious apples this time of year … grab a bag or 2.

Cheers!

 

[dryflyguy]

I tried fishing the surf a few times without much luck
Used glo balls, sucker spawn, and crystal meth patterns, etc, suspended under a bobber, - er - I mean "indicator"
But it was usually rather crowded.

Have had my best luck up there in the streams with wooly buggers, and traditional nymph patterns.

I second MB's comment about the fruit stands along right 5.
Good locally grown stuff

 

[Prospector]

I have recently become interested in learning about fly fishing for steelhead on the shores of the Great Lakes. Any info. will be appreciated.

I haven’t fished at the mouth in decades, but here are some thoughts.

As people have noted, the larger streams have a fairly large angler following on the beach that is not necessarily fly fishing friendly. Maybe try the Eastern Tribs this time of year (especially the smaller ones) on days when water flow is up and water temp drops. That should trigger a some activity.

I’d fish streamers at the mouth in the last 2 hours of daylight. I’d guess the closer to dark the better it gets. It might get pretty boring though since the mouth area is so vast. A few avid fly fishers I know cast spoons on spinning rods. You can cover more water. I was surprised those guys made that adjustment.

Stop at Trout Run and observe the Steelies entering the creek. I’d watch for at least 30 minutes trying to figure out if the fish “usually” enter the stream from the west, east or straight on. Take note if the way the fish are entering coincide with the wind direction or something similar. The folks bait fishing might also provide clues of the steelhead path through the surf based on which guys are hooking up more frequently. Hopefully you will see a pattern develop that may help you on a different beach. This is important since you want a lot of steelhead to see your fly.

 

[JeffK]

Not steelhead, but I used to fish for lake run rainbows in Cayuga Lake and the path they took was key for beach fishing. They usually cruised along the shore in a pattern that slightly changed each day. Each spot would have 15 minutes are so of red hot fishing following by a lot of nothing. When I fished 5 days a week I was keyed into the pattern and caught a lot of fish; when I fished only occasionally I normally got skunked. Came near shore for spawning in spring, following smelt runs, coming after spawning alewives at night later in spring, and when first warm spring rains created a shot of warm water at stream mouths. Sometimes in fall and winter as well when water dropped below about 50.

Wind driven currents along shore concentrated fish on the down stream side of the points created by stream mouths; it was an ambush spot just like downstream of a point in a stream.

 

[CRB]

I haven’t fished at the mouth in decades, but here are some thoughts.

As people have noted, the larger streams have a fairly large angler following on the beach that is not necessarily fly fishing friendly. Maybe try the Eastern Tribs this time of year (especially the smaller ones) on days when water flow is up and water temp drops. That should trigger a some activity.

I’d fish streamers at the mouth in the last 2 hours of daylight. I’d guess the closer to dark the better it gets. It might get pretty boring though since the mouth area is so vast. A few avid fly fishers I know cast spoons on spinning rods. You can cover more water. I was surprised those guys made that adjustment.

Stop at Trout Run and observe the Steelies entering the creek. I’d watch for at least 30 minutes trying to figure out if the fish “usually” enter the stream from the west, east or straight on. Take note if the way the fish are entering coincide with the wind direction or something similar. The folks bait fishing might also provide clues of the steelhead path through the surf based on which guys are hooking up more frequently. Hopefully you will see a pattern develop that may help you on a different beach. This is important since you want a lot of steelhead to see your fly.

Eastside tribs mouths get fisherman too.
There are no secret spots.😔

 

[Mashbill]

I tied up a bunch of these emerald shiners for my next trip to Elk - looking forward to drifting a pair of these through one of those long ledge pools by the rt 20 bridge … or Girard Borough Park … WHAM!

 

[Prospector]

Eastside tribs mouths get fisherman too.
There are no secret spots.😔

For sure, just less crowded

 

[CRB]

Depends I've seen east side tribs more crowed than west side tribs durring the peak.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

I've contemplated fishing the mouth where Trout Run enters, maybe sneak a few casts into Trout Run itself if I'm having a slow day. It did look crowded down there when I took a gander. It seems to me that fly fishing it would be a nightmare.

 

[Mashbill]

Last fall … I’m watching the Avonia webcam just to see what’s going on … and theres a guy with a fly rod - right in the mosh pit at the mouth - and he’s casting away . I said … “ I got to see this “. He’s doing the “ look at the forecast … turn around and look at the backcast“ style, and he’s got a big streamer on …. Then he hooks a guy with a spinning rod who’s walking behind him … it turned into a real poop show!!

you see some really crazy stuff up there … we’d Take our lunch break over at the Walnut Creek access area … we‘d say “ let’s go over to The Circus and see what’s happening” … guys crossing lines, guys hooking eachother, guys falling in, guys with nets soooo big you could land a Tarpon with it … we’d just sit there and laugh our ¥^€es off!! It was all great fun.

 

[jifigz]

I never tried the surf/lake for steelhead, but my best fly up there is easily a white woolly bugger with some flash. I have only been up a few times, but that fly has been my best producer.

 

[guzfish]

View attachment 1641232652
I tied up a bunch of these emerald shiners for my next trip to Elk - looking forward to drifting a pair of these through one of those long ledge pools by the rt 20 bridge … or Girard Borough Park … WHAM!

Is that synthetic olive hair?

 

[Mashbill]

I’m not home right now — but I think I remember it’s called
Waspi Craft Fur. It comes in a bunch — and it’s very easy to snip, use, etc. comes in a wide variety of colors. I really like it.

 

[bigslackwater]

I've contemplated fishing the mouth where Trout Run enters, maybe sneak a few casts into Trout Run itself if I'm having a slow day. It did look crowded down there when I took a gander. It seems to me that fly fishing it would be a nightmare.

They have cameras on trout run, so I don't recommend sneaking a cast in the run. You'll either get a fine or an earful from other fishermen. It's posted because it's nursery water.

 

[Mashbill]

I was up there last Friday. Did get a chance to get some casts off on the beach .. got nothing. The run is incredible. Elk was loaded with feeshies … but no water. Anyway I had a good time bopping around … visited some of my old spots, happy I still knew my way around. I did get some apple cider from Godfrey Run Orchard’s market on Rt 5 …. It is absolutely delicious. Always a fun trip.

 

[CRB]

After fishing this past weekend early week, I feel the run is far below average for this time of the season. The lack of rain is not allowing the fish to travel very far.
The PAFBC busted another group poaching fish at Trout Run.
These poachers must not have the internet.