Fly rod wt question

Fly rod wt, Erie steelhead:
 
Small stream erie sthd rod wt, 6 to 8, length 9 to 10 ft. Of course wt, length is all angler preference. You can get by with a 5 wt, going lighter than a 6 wt IMO is not a good idea, too much loss of control over a hooked fish.
 
My favorite rod is a 10' 7 wt Loomis glx classic, 2 piece.  A lot of money for this rod, I fish just about every day after the 1st of Oct, so to me the rod is worth it.  You can get a perfectly suitable sthd fly rod for $150-$200.  Most erie anglers go 9' 6 or 7 wt.

I would say think about going bigger than a 4wt. Its not a question if you can land steel on a 4. You probably can but with the crouds in erie I would not want to try it. I use both a 7 wt and a 8wt both 9' long. If I get another steel rod it will probably be a 6wt and a little longer, mabey 10'.

I agree with rollcaster.
I've landed fresh run fish on a 4wt but that was with no one around.
If you tie into a hot fresh silver, you're going to have a lot of work on your hands with a 4 and even a 5 will be work.  
The tough part is when you have a heavy fish in close. You will run out of rod flex and are going to have to drag the fish to shore.
This year I caught some off the shoreline with a strong 5 wt. Getting em in was the easy part. From there, I had to walk backward and drag em on the beach.
If you need to cast weight or large streamers in deep fast water, A 6,7 or 8wt will be more comfortable to fish.

Thanks for everyones reply, it has really helped.