Erie Steelhead Fishing

[jigstick]

I mostly target walleye and lakers out of Barcelona on Erie. I would really like to dial in on some steelhead but have never had consistent luck.

Can anybody give me some idea of where to fish for steelies out of Barcelona? I have downriggers, dipsys, and a Fishhawk X4D probe. I usually find the thermocline, and then set my spoons and flies from 10ft below to 10ft above it, trolling 2.2 - 2.8mph. But I'm lucky to catch one a day.

[zackblain]

I'd fish above the thermocline

[fishing fool]

If you find them let me know,I have only caught a handful while walleye fishing in 60 to 90 ft of water suspended from the Catt to dunkirk in the summer over the yrs,I heard they do good on them off Erie pa on right off the mountain in 100 plus ft, good luck

[jigstick]

When u say "mountain" do you mean the one located straight out from North East harbor?

[fishing fool]

That's the one

[jigstick]

So I should troll the drop off side of the ledge? My contour map looks like it goes from 60ft to over 120ft rather quickly, and the ledge stretches for a couple miles in a west - east direction.

[Gill-T]

Most of the Steelhead in Erie are caught over the deep basin.  When you have the same water temp from top to bottom like you do in the summer from the Catt to Buffalo, you will not find many Steelhead. 

[jigstick]

from my understanding, from the city of Erie all the way to Buffalo, i.e. the eastern basin…is all much much deeper than the portions of Erie located in Ohio.  I can easily get into depths over 110ft out of NorthEast and Barcelona harbor.  Where do you consider the deep basin to be?

 

I do a TON of lake trout fishing out of barcelona, and there is definitely a thermocline out in the deep water.  If there is water cold enough to hold lake trout then it should be cold enough for steelhead.

 

Im going to try for steelies tomorrow, so please keep any advice flowing my way.  I really want to hear my wire dipsy reels scream

[dukhnter8]

I found a thermocline in 50 ft water, this last Saturday off buffalo. Went from 60 something degrees to mid fifties at the bottom

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[Gill-T]

Unusual for this time of year to have a thermocline east of the Catt this time of year but the lake is cold this year.  Steelhead can be caught near the bottom but they are true pelagic species and like to have a lot of water under them.  Look at the bathymetry chart for Lake Erie and head for deep water.  Barcelona has Steelhead.  Put a spread of orange spoons at and above the thermocline with cheaters, dipsys, leadcore and you will catch them.

[dukhnter8]

^{Didn't realize what I was looking at when I first dropped the probe down, then it dawned on me after I left so numbers might not be exact. First year with the probe so still learning. I will be out tomorrow and see/report what I find. This time with better knowledge of what I'm looking at.}

[Traveling Circus]

duk..... pretty sure that thermocline "off Buffalo" is gone.... I fished out of SP yesterday, and the 55 F water that was there a week ago was now in the mid 60's. There's still a temperature gradient from top to bottom, but the coldest water I saw yesterday was 62.... It didn't hurt the fishing though as my daughter and I boxed a limit on harnesses. 4 color, 5 color, riggers and divers all took fish......

[dukhnter8]

Yeah was out Friday and thermocline was gone. The other day when I dropped the probe deeper and the temp dropped I was thinking about it then the light bulb went off as to what I was looking at. This is my first year with the probe.

Sent from my XT907 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[jigstick]

well I did lock up on 2 steelhead out of Barcelona over the weekend.  Hit a HogWild spoon and a CedarPoint Bayrat.  They came up high, in really warm water.....like 73 degrees.  I was shocked.  I just dont understand those fish

[W.W.IV.]

well I did lock up on 2 steelhead out of Barcelona over the weekend.  Hit a HogWild spoon and a CedarPoint Bayrat.  They came up high, in really warm water.....like 73 degrees.  I was shocked.  I just dont understand those fish

 

  You can find steelies feeding on bugs along scum lines in warm water,run flat lines with smaller spoons off boards around the edges.

[Gill-T]

Just because the steelhead hit in 73 degree water does not mean it was hanging out there.  Steelhead are extremely aggressive feeders and will jet to a high running bait from below in seconds.  You never want to fish below steelhead.

[Storm Warning II]

I fish the PA shore exclusively from June through the end of August...all of our Steelies but 1 this year have come from 60 degree water or less.

[jigstick]

How fast are u trolling and how deep are the baits

[Gill-T]

When Steelhead are just getting back on their feet after leaving their spawning rivers at the end of May thru the first couple of weeks of June they sometimes like a slower presentation say an evil eye at 2 mph.  Once they get their energy back, 2.25mph- 3 mph downspeed.  NK's and DW spoons are a good choice as they can handle that speed.