Reply #48: Yeah, they used to run there.You could fish for them, too, back [View All]

in the 1950s. They stopped running in Southern California in the 70s, despite a closed season. The end of steelhead runs slowly moved up the coast of California. Now, I don't think there are any steelhead spawning south of Monterey Bay. And there's virtually no stream fishing allowed south of Monterey. The trout are still there, but you can't fish for them.

I last caught one south of there in 1969, in a small creek feeding Morro Bay. I released that one, of course, but they're not running there any longer, either. Fishing for steelhead was still permitted then, but only at the mouths of creeks anywhere south of Monterey. Nobody bothered. It wasn't the angling pressure that did away with Southern California steelhead, though. I'm not sure anyone knows the exact reason, but their range has shifted northward for decades.

There's a small stream that flows through San Luis Obispo, CA. San Luis Obispo Creek. There are still many rainbow trout there, but no fishing. Standing on one of the bridges over the creek, you can look down and see rainbows up to 18". They no longer go to sea, though, and remain in fresh water. They do spawn, though, and they're all natives. There is some illegal fishing going on, but I never did it.

Now, I live in Minnesota. Fishing is great here, and there are numerous lakes and streams within half an hour of my home. I'm loving it.