Let's start off this month's Home Page with a March fishing video from last year.  Weather was cloudy, temperatures in the low 40's, water was slightly stained and dropping, bait was egg sacs under a float.

The month of March marks the beginning of a new steelhead fishing year.  When ice locked streams once again become fish-able, we are ready to go.  Everyone knows that the steelhead have been patiently waiting for you to drift an egg sac, jig, egg pattern or nymph through that perfect tail-out section of your favorite steelhead tributary.

A spring fishing trip will rescue anglers suffering from “cabin fever”.   In March, careful planning is a high priority.   You need to keep a watchful eye on stream gauges to avoid high, muddy stream conditions.  Timing is everything.   Depending on your presentation, when a quick warmup arrives in Erie that event will trigger snow melt and spring rains.  Steelhead will bite as the water level warms and rises.  The other good period is the extended period of time as water levels slowly return to normal.  Colored, slightly high water level is the “egg sac” angler’s perfect conditions.   Stable weather and reasonable water conditions is the best possible spring fishing scenario.  Plan now and book a room at The Green Roof Inn if you like fishing anywhere on Elk Creek.  The motel is a short drive from all the best locations.

A steelhead "spring run" does take place, but it is not like the fall rush of fish that enter the tributaries.  In March, most of the larger tributaries have a decent supply of "hold-over" fish.  You can add to those numbers the spring jacks that move upstream.  Some steelhead that delayed entering the tributaries in the fall or had no access during the cold weather, winter months, travel upstream in March.  The finally element of the sprng run is the Mainistee strain that are a spring run fish.  The numbers of available spring fish varies from year to year so we need to fish this month to find out. 

Go fish!