Below are the most commonly caught fish in Pentwater Lake in the SPRING months.

atlantic salmon are stocked in lake huron and migrate throughout the great lakes. a few have been caught in pentwater lake. they are andadromous, which means they live in both fresh and saltwater

1. atlantic salmon: “salmo salar” features: spindle-like body shap; rounded, broad in the middle, and tapered at each end. the sahpe is somewhat flattened toward the sides; small head, about 1/5 the body length; underside paired fins prominent, esp juveniles. in freshwater darken to bronze color and further darken when they spawn. habitat: lakes, rivers, ocean length: up to 30: weight: 8-12 lbs bait: salmon eggs, jigs

2. BROWN TROUT: “SALMO TRUTTA” FEATURES: LONG SLENDER BODY; MOSTLY SILVERY TO GOLDEN-BROWN W/ RED & BLACK SPOTS; TAIL FIN AND LOWER FINS W/OUT SPOTS; TAIL FIN SQUARED HABITAT: LAKES, SMALL STREAMS, LARGE RIVERS LENGTH: TO 36” WEIGHT: TO 40 LBS. BAIT: WET FLIES, DRY FLIES, SALMON EGGS, MINNOWS

rainbow trout / steelhead —

3. RAINBOW TROUT: “ONCORHYNCHUS MYKISS” (PICTURED ABOVE) FEATURES: WHITE MOUTH, LONG BODY; METALLIC BLUE BACK; SILVER SIDES W/ PINK BAND; FLECKED W/ PEPPER SPOTS OVER ENTIRE BODY; WHITE BELLY; SQUARE TAIL HABITAT: LARGE RIVERS TO SMALL STREAMS, LAKES, BELOW DAMS LENGTH: TO 45” WEIGHT: TO 40 LBS BAIT: MINNOWS, WORMS, SPINNERS, FLIES

4. STEELHEAD: “ONCORHYNCHUS MYKISS IRIDEUS” FEATURES: HEAD & NAPE STEEL-COLORED; LONG SLENDER BODY; LIGHTLY PEPPERED W/ BLACK FLECKS ON TOP OF HEAD TO TAIL; GREEN TO BROWN ON TOP; SILVERY SIDES W/ ROSY OR PINK TONES HABITAT: COLD CLEAR LAKES, STREAMS, & RIVERS LENGTH: TO 40” WEIGHT: TO 42 LBS BAIT: DRY FLIES, WET FLIES, SPINNERS

SEE INFORMATION BELOW FOR ADDITONAL INFORMATION.

Rainbow trout and steelhead are ray-finned fishes in the salmon family, and they are one of the top sport fish in North America. Rainbow trout and steelhead are the same species, but they have different lifestyles.

Steelhead are anadromous—meaning they spend part of their lives in the sea before going to rivers to breed—while rainbow trout spend their lives mostly or entirely in freshwater. Because of their different lifestyles, rainbow trout and steelhead are different in appearance, most noticeably in size and color. Rainbow trout derive their name from their beautiful, multi-hued coloration. Their bodies are blue, green, or yellowish, shading to silvery white on the underside, with a horizontal pink-red stripe running from the gills to the tail and black spots along their backs. Steelhead are generally more streamlined in shape and silvery or brassy in color as adults, earning them their name.

Adult rainbow trout and steelhead range in size. They can reach 45 inches in LENGTH BUT are usually much smaller. They can weigh more than 50 pounds (22 kilograms), but a more typical weight is 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms). Because steelhead spend two to three years in freshwater followed by two to three years in the ocean, they are typically larger than rainbow trout, which live all of their lives in fresh or sometimes brackish water.