Lake Superior Chrome

[Garett Svir]

I recently returned from my first steelhead trip of the season on Lake Superior. We made our way out to the river early to find that we were going to be faced with low and cold water. These are not the ideal conditions when chasing steelhead, but it felt good to be out on the water again. Prime time in the morning came and went leaving the group fish-less and a little discouraged. Around 10 am, I crossed the river to get a different angle on a drift and was surprised when my float slipped below the surface. I quickly subdued a 25" male into the net. The fish didn't fight as hard as I remember them fighting in the fall in this cold water, but I was happy to get the skunk off non the less. Thinking this was going to be the first of many the group was alive with energy again. Every time a line would hesitate a big downstream hookset would ensue from the other group members. I too drifted my float with a new intensity. Several hours and a few holes upstream we were still left with just the one hook-up. It was finally mid- afternoon at another river when I noticed a big boil in the water downstream of me. I looked over to see my wife's 10' rod doubled over. She had hooked into a beast and unlike my fish this one wasn't going to come to the net easy. The battle lasted for what seemed like ever with the fish running upstream, then downstream, then back at her, when the line went slack. A sigh was let out from everyone in the group, the fish was off. The violent head shakes from these fish shake hooks with ease. On day 2 my wife did manage to land a beautiful 24" male steelhead. She seemed to have a new confidence about her as the rest of us went fish-less. Many people have been humbled fishing migratory rainbows on Lake Superior. I too sometimes find myself cheering for the fish. I guess that's what keeps me coming back!

[reinhard1]

here are the total Steelhead and Looper {Kamloops] trap catches from the DNR at the French River and Knife River sites since April 26th.

French River: 107 steelhead and 1190 kamloops

Knife River: 263 steelhead and 18 kamloops

anglers interviewd are catching more steelhead than loopers. also they had some coho cought in the streams along with some brookies but very few of them. river temps last week were 44-48 in the am and temps as high as 54 in the afternoon. good luck.

[Tom Linderholm]

Great post and nice pics Garret, thanks for sharing!