Head Out to Lake Ontario Tributaries for Big Steelhead

It’s not only about the trophy fish that you catch, it’s about the experience and the environment.”

That’s how Upstate New York guide Ryan Lorensen (lockedwithlorensen.com) describes winter steelheading, chasing rainbow trout that swim up rivers that empty into Lake Ontario. These fish begin leaving the lake in October and November, spawn in March and April and drop back into the lake as spring begins. They are renowned for their fighting prowess and acrobatic ability and can grow to 20 pounds. Frigid temperatures and snowstorms don’t stop Eastern anglers from chasing them.

SALMON RIVER

The Salmon River that runs through Pulaski is the most famous and heavily pressured steelhead fishery on Lake Ontario. Although these rainbows spawn in a host of streams, creeks and rivers throughout the early spring, the Salmon undoubtedly draws the most anglers from the farthest distances.

The first stretch of the river that empties into Ontario is known as the Douglaston Salmon Run, and is privately owned and operated. Anglers pay a fee for a wristband that allows them to fish this stretch. In December, the steelhead that have been following the king salmon up the river and eating eggs begin to move into wintering holes as the water temperatures drop.

“They turn their winter colors, a bright silver with a purple hue to them that turns darker as winter sets in and they begin to slow down,” Lorensen says. “When December hits, they hunker in holes and conserve energy.”

The depth where they’ll hold will be proportional to the surrounding water, the guide explains, noting that a hole could be as shallow as a foot or as deep as 10 feet. In addition to holes, they will use seams, rocks, trees and roots along the bank to find a break in the current. Lorensen likes to be on the water at first light to take advantage of a potential sunrise bite, but has also found that on bitterly cold days the bite can heat up as the sun rises.

Whereas in October and November he’s focusing on boulder fields and moving water, December marks a transition to holes. Steelhead will even move within a hole as the water temperature drops. They will move from what Lorensen calls the “head” of a hole, where the depth first begins to change, to the “belly” or deepest part. He says typical holes on the Salmon range between 2 and 6 feet.

His top tactic for targeting these fish is float-fishing, which typically involves fishing an egg or egg sac imitation under a slip-style or fixed float. Both styles of floats are made to ride vertically in the water, with a color change on the float to help you discern when it gets taken under.

A fixed float can be held by a peg at a given location, while a slip float can slide freely between two bobber stops. Under the float, Lorensen attaches several pieces of split shot, from heaviest to lightest, on a fluorocarbon leader. At the top end of the leader, he’ll have split shot as large as size 5, adding smaller sizes until he gets down to split shot that are categorized in sizes like AAA and smaller.

With heavier split shot near the top of the rig he can match the faster current near the surface, while the lighter split shot near the bottom will match the slower current so the float and suspended egg ride at the same speed through the water column. White, pink, orange and chartreuse are favorite colors, as brighter colors stand out in dirty water on dark days, both of which are common in winter.

Lorensen says that fishing egg imitations under a float is the most effective way to target winter fish, and he estimates that 90-plus percent of guides use the tactic. The float indicates whether your drift speed is correct. If it is pointing downstream, you are dragging bottom and are set too deep. If it’s lying flat on the surface, you don’t have enough weight to keep the presentation down. Varying the size and number of split shot on your leader until the float is riding straight up or slightly pointed upstream is ideal. Lorensen has found that floats between 5 and 15 grams are best for the Salmon River.

OSWEGO RIVER

The Oswego River, which empties into Lake Ontario in the town of Oswego, is formed by the confluence of the Seneca and Oneida rivers northeast of Syracuse, 37 miles southeast of Oswego. Because it’s a much larger body of water than the Salmon that drains more rivers and lakes over its span, the Oswego’s levels are higher and can fluctuate more with runoff and rainfall. These factors, depending on the water level and flows (anglers can check online to see what gauges at various points are reading in cubic feet per second), can call for heavier split shot to get your offering down, and larger floats to keep it all suspended.

Typically, the Salmon River will cool down fast and stay cool, meaning the steelhead will start running slightly later on the Oswego. Lorenson notes that a number of factors affect the timing every year, but when water temperatures dip below 60 degrees, you start seeing good runs of fish. Big rains around that time often trigger fish movement. With deeper holes and more water pouring into the Oswego, Lorensen might rig heavier sinkers under a larger float to accommodate faster, deeper water, but he’ll target the steelhead in much the same way as he does on the Salmon. Floats 15 grams and heavier are often necessary.

“Brighter and bigger presentations are more effective here most of the time,” says Lorensen, adding that in some deeper spots, like the stretch along the wall that sits about a mile inland from Lake Ontario, a flashier offering can help get more bites in stronger current.

NIAGARA RIVER

The last river Lorensen highlights is the largest, the Niagara River that connects Lake Ontario and Erie.

“That’s a whole other world,” he says, because of the sheer volume of water moving through.

Heavier floats, up to an ounce, are necessary here. The Niagara can run clear and have a greenish color, which allows anglers to employ more natural colors in bait selection. Generally speaking, with the potential for seasonal exceptions, the water on the Niagara can stay cooler longer in the spring, making for the longest potential steelhead season of the three rivers.

This enormous river has holes reaching deeper than 30 feet, so heavier gear is necessary. Whereas the Salmon River is fishable by drift boat, the size of the Niagara requires something more stable with an outboard. The volume of water makes it a good bet for anyone chasing these fish earlier or later than the typical season window.

TACKLE AND TACTICS

The suspended baits beneath the float can vary based on day, water clarity and conditions. Lorensen typically fishes beads in natural colors in clear water, with eggs that are translucent, mimicking the coloration of a live egg. Matte colors do a better job mimicking a fertilized or dead egg.

“Salmon River Blue” is a popular color on the Salmon River for egg sacs, and chartreuse is typically a top bet for beads.

A pink worm imitation fished as a fly or under a float on spinning gear is also a popular Salmon River staple.

For rods, Lorensen prefers the 10-foot 6-inch Okuma SSTs for clients and 13-footers for himself. The longer, lighter rods keep line off the water, which makes for a more natural drift. The length also helps to absorb impact when a fish runs, jumps or rapidly changes direction, all of which steelhead are well-known for.

When the water is high and fast, Lorensen says he’ll use 10- or 12-pound-test mono mainline with 6- to 10-pound-test fluorocarbon leader material. He has gone as low as 4-pound-test for leader material when the water is clear.

When he’s not float-fishing on the Salmon River, Lorensen will back-troll plugs through popular steelhead holes on medium-light trolling setups. This involves dragging lures like the Yakima FlatFish through the water column, specifically by holes, in a manner that’s aggravating enough to entice a strike. Lorensen likes pink, gold, copper and green for plug colors, adding that a pattern known as “Showstopper,” has been particularly effective.

While it sounds simple, navigating a drift boat in such a way that the plugs are suspended at the right depth and travelling at the proper speed in front of given holes is anything but. Everything from boat positioning to speed to your ability to respond to a rod going off plays a crucial role in whether or not a strike results in a fish.

Lorensen’s years of experience and attention to minute details highlight just what a science it can be to routinely have success with the powerful steelhead that run these rivers every winter.

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• This article was featured in the December-January issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe.

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