Coastal Rainbow Subspecies
Coastal Rainbow: is a designation given to all anadromous coastal forms of rainbow trout from Baja California north to Alaska.
Distribution of Steelhead
Steelhead populations are strong in southeast Alaska and British Columbia but spotty along the Gulf of Alaska. Some steelhead populations have expired inland, east of the Coast Ranges and interior Columbia River basin. Current distribution may reach as far south as Santa Barbara with limited spawning manifests well into Baja, Mexico.
Oncorhynchus mykiss Steelhead
Steelhead do not die after returning to spawn in freshwater and can live fairly long lives ranging from 4 to 8 years. Steelhead adapt to a variety of environmental conditions and utilize the entire river basin - from small tributary streams to deep river channels.
Steelhead have two general life history patterns: winter and summer.
Winter Steelhead
Winter steelhead enter streams from the ocean when the more abundant winter rains contribute to larger in-stream flows. These larger flows widen and deepen thestream greatly aiding the steelheads' migration and access to spawning ground. The usual spawning grounds for wild strains of steelhead are located in tributaries to the mainstem river. Afer spawning, these steelhead will return downstream to the ocean.
Summer Steelhead
For the Summer steelhead, or spring-run steelhead, they enter streams as smaller, immature fish during the receding flows of spring. They gradually migrate upstream looking for deep pools to hold in near the headwater. They spend the summer in these waters while they mature - moving later to spawn in the winter or spring.
Photo of McCloud River Redband Trout by P. Michael Carl © The Ecological Angler
