steelhead in other streams besides the normal?

I know steelhead return to the stream there were born, but do they ever happen to run up somewhere else, like other creeks or streams going to the lake?  I thought i seen a video where a few ran up into what looked like a drainage ditch, only 3 feet wide maybe 10 inches deep. 

I believe steelhead do run up other streams and tribs that they were not born in. I've seen fish in tribs that are 2ft wide that flow into the creeks.

Very VERY little. And yes, sometimes.

Mostly the geologly of the stream bed. Water quality, and summer temps play a big part also. Keep in mind Steelhead are NOT native to the great lakes.

A good book to purchase, that explains a lot about steelhead, is John Nagy's book. 
It's called, "Steelhead Guide"  http://groups.msn.com/JohnNagySteelheadGuide/

There have been reports of natural reproduction on some of the east
side creeks, and I have caught a few smolts that had to be natives,
but I think now that is almost non-existent.  The heavy rains in 2004 washed most of the smaller eastside creeks (even 16) down to the shale,
and there is nothing for them to spawn in.  I suppose the creeks will
eventually return to the way they were, but probably not in my lifetime.
 
Answer to second question.  Yes, but maybe not this year, because of lack of rain. Maybe in the spring.

it might have swam up?

Trans,
 
N.Y. puts stock Browns in their waters on 20 mile.

TransAm,
     Steelhead, like most trout, need gravel creek bottoms with small stones about 1/4 > 1/2 inch around to build their redds in.  If such a place is found on the tribs (I have personally only seen 4 confirmed redds) it is few and far between.  The tribs are mostly shale bottoms with little or no rock cover to stop the flow of flood water.
     Remember after the eggs are laid they must fall to the bottom and fall down between the gravel and remain there with a constant flow of cool, well oxygenated, water untill they hatch and become fingerlings.  Since the tribs are subject to severe washing out of the creek bottoms there is hardly any stable gravel bottom for the eggs to hatch out in.
     Also as was stated earlier the temperature swings in the summer on most of the tribs is too extreme to support trout.  Therefore the cards are really stacked against natural reproduction.   Maybe someplace like the Little Elk or one or the smaller feeder streams would have good spawning areas but they are so small that the parent fish would also be subject to human and animal predation.  If someone reported that there were steelhead in a very small trib do you think that for one minute there wouldn't be 50 fishermen after them.  Jusy my 2 cents.  Hope the info helped answer your question.

ORIGINAL: FiveMilePete

There have been reports of natural reproduction on some of the east
side creeks, and I have caught a few smolts that had to be natives,
but I think now that is almost non-existent.  The heavy rains in 2004 washed most of the smaller eastside creeks (even 16) down to the shale,
and there is nothing for them to spawn in.  I suppose the creeks will
eventually return to the way they were, but probably not in my lifetime.

Answer to second question.  Yes, but maybe not this year, because of lack of rain. Maybe in the spring.

 
I caught a smolt the size of my index finger in October fishing a stream in Erie.....had to be a wild fish.
 
I agree that there is not allot of natural repro, but I have to believe there is some.

ORIGINAL: FiveMilePete

There have been reports of natural reproduction on some of the east
side creeks, and I have caught a few smolts that had to be natives,
but I think now that is almost non-existent.  The heavy rains in 2004 washed most of the smaller eastside creeks (even 16) down to the shale,
and there is nothing for them to spawn in.  I suppose the creeks will
eventually return to the way they were, but probably not in my lifetime.

Answer to second question.  Yes, but maybe not this year, because of lack of rain. Maybe in the spring.

 
Speaking of 16-mile, I caught two out of there this past saturday that appeared to be native rainbows.  Both were in the 7 inch range.

The smolt I caught was half the size of any stocked smolt I've ever seen. 

What did it do??  Shrink since spring, and if a smolt can be "leftover" why can't a wild smolt be in the creek???

Not trying to argue, but I think there is more natural repro than people think some years.

I know it's not anything significant but we do get natural reproduction in Crooked.  Everybody makes it seem so rare to catch a fry.  Unfortunately catching one of these beautiful fish is too many but it's a amazing how big of piece of skein one of these little guys can get in their mouths.  Some days skein is the ticket for the steelies and the fry follow suit.  It's not uncommon to catch several a day.  Sunday I caught five.  I had said in the other post I would get some pictures.  I just mentioned this to my brothers today.  I can barely use a computer so they'll have to help me. 

Nate and I caught several wild smolts in crooked last week 

there is some natural reproduction in a couple of the streams. my wife was in a biology class at gannon about 2 years ago and this was discussed by the professor who is involved with most of the biological studies in the area. can't remember his name of the top of my head though. any natural reproduction is usually in the very head waters of the streams. not in any of the lower areas. the very upper stretches of streams like elk and such have a much more gravel bottom. as far what stream they go up, the majority get up the same stream they are stocked in, but so many more wander to other streams. there are many streams that are prime examples of this. if there is running water and they can get in it, they will try and run it. unforunetly when somebody finds that there are fish in the smaller feeder streams those fish don't last long. i have seen it so many times.