What are steelhead:

Rainbow trout that spend much of their adult lives in the ocean or large lakes. They swim into freshwater to spawn but, unlike salmon, can spawn more than once before they die. Their Latin name is Oncorhyncus mykiss.

Source of name:

They take their name from the silvery hue their heads and body take on in the lake or ocean; they darken when they return to the stream to spawn.

Size:

Steelhead in the Lake Erie tributaries average about 24 inches and typically weigh three to eight pounds, though larger fish are common.

Biggest fish:

The state record steelhead measured 36.5 inches and weighed 20 pounds, 3 ounces. It was caught April 1, 2001, in Walnut Creek.

Stocking:

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission stocks more than 1 million steelhead smolts annually. Local clubs plant another 115,000 steelhead smolts each year on average.