Steelhead go way out in the north Pacific. Steelhead have been caught and tagged by research vessels more than 6,000 miles out, then recovered in the Columbia, and as I recall one in the Sol Duc some years ago. They are caught occasionally by commercial trollers in the ocean off Washington and by anglers while salmon fishing off Westport and inside places like the Strait. They're caught regularly in winter by beach anglers along the west shore of Whidbey, using a Spin 'n Glo ahead of a plastic hula skirt, usually in red and orange. I've caught many there and have tried the same technique off beaches on the Strait (like at the mouth of the Hoko) with no success.

They can go a long ways. A fish that was tagged as a smolt in the Clearwater was caught just north of Japan ( I could look up the exact longitude/ latitude) but you get the idea. The world record steelhead was also caught out in the salt. However, little is known about where or how they travel out there. I have often thought about this topic. I wonder if they travel together out there or ???

Not all steelhead hang out in in the middle of the ocean. People sometimes stand on the beach at Widbey Island and cast out into the surf to catch the elusive ironhead. I have caught one steelhead in the puget sound while trolling for coho. I was using a 1/2 ounce cannonball sinker and a cutplug herring. We were trolling very close to the beach, and when the fish struck, the depthfinder in our boat read that we were in 8 feet of water. I could see the bottom easily and was surprised that our boat didn't spook the fish.

Troutscout,

Steelhead are high seas migrators, often crossing the international date line, or 180 degrees longitude. Steelhead caught off the beaches of Puget Sound and the Strait are on their return migration to their rivers of origin. As near as can be told, they don't usually travel in schools on their high seas journey as most salmon species do.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Gill netters in the Sraits get 'em as incidental catch during their sockeye season. I'd guess migratory summer steelhead. (The cat is now out of the bag)
The sight of their catch is disheartening. Not just steel, but chinook, coho, and whatever else swims though. Not to mention the sockeye.

Wow,
I never would have guessed that they got around that much, that's incredible!
Thanks for the replys

fishing S.E. Ak (ocean) I've had 3 steelhead brought to the boat by guests, all were unclipped fish and all were released. A biologist I once mentioned this to in Craig speculated they were probably B.C. fish, but didn't say what he based his opinion on.
1 of those fish was in the low to mid 20 lbs. range, beautiful fish but didn't fight worth a damn.

when i worked on a fish tender back in 97' up by prince of wales island, i think that is, near the town of wrangell..the gill netters there would catch a fair amount of them..cant remember if they were wild or not..

The steelhead caught along the beaches of Whidbey Island and at other locations in the Sound are on their way back to their natal rivers to spawn.