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The steelhead trout have arrived in Indiana.
Not in the great numbers that anglers anticipate, but enough that fish are appearing at the South Bend dam and some limits are being caught in Central Park of Mishawaka.
That means you can find fish throughout the St. Joseph River system, from Berrien Springs to Mishawaka.
Dave Meuninck of Bodine Fish Hatchery in Mishawaka said crews captured 22 Skamania in the South Bend ladder Monday and another 21 on Wednesday.
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Be extra cautious at the ramp.My best friend has nicknamed me “Just-in-case.”
He says I’m always taking extra precautions, somewhat needlessly.
But then, the evils of misfortune seem to have a thing for me, kinda like the poor guy who owns the boat and truck in the photo here.
Here’s what happened, according to Osceola angler Kris Thornton, who was on hand at the Paw Paw Lake boat launch last weekend when the incident occurred.
The unfortunate angler, whom we respectively won’t name, had just loaded his boat at the ramp.
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Cooler water temperatures, coupled with occasional rainstorms, are putting fish on the move.
A call to area bait and tackle shops this week indicates the fish are starting to transition from the dog days of summer to early fall with their movements.
Weather has certainly improved the summer/fall steelhead run – except in South Bend waters of the St. Joseph River. Trail Creek, however, has experienced a spurt of fresh steelhead moving into the Michigan City tributary.
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Steelhead movement up the St. Joseph River remains slow, but Trail Creek in Michigan City is a different matter.
Indiana fish managers have captured 76 fresh fish at the Trail Creek weir and have passed several other trout and salmon there the past couple of days.
The adult fish are being taken to Bodine Fish Hatchery in Mishawaka where they will be matured and used to produce eggs and future stockings. The Trail Creek location had to be used in light of minimal fish movements in the St. Joe, due to low water conditions.
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Lake Michigan fisheries biologist Brian Breidert reported this week that some steelhead were beginning to move through Berrien Springs Monday.
“We’ve got more fish moving into Trail Creek where we will resume trapping brood stock Tuesday for future stockings,” Breidert said. We hope begin seeing some fresh fish in South Bend later this week.”
Fishery officials prefer to trap fish at South Bend, but the summer run has been non-existent.
The summer/fall steelhead run has been handcuffed by low water and hot conditions, but the recent cold spell, coupled with some rain, has given the DNR – and anglers – reason for optimism.
Steelhead need cooler river waters and a steady flow to be drawn from Lake Michigan into the tributaries, where they will winter until spawning next spring.
The fall steelhead fishery is dependent upon good runs. Michiana Outdoors News will keep you posted as the run progresses.
Keep your fingers crossed!