THUNDER BAY — Many of the city’s urban rivers continue to see relatively healthy stocks of rainbow trout but numbers of the popular sport fish appear to be in decline in a number of other watercourses in the region.
That’s according to ongoing research done between the Ministry of Natural Resources and the North Shore Steelhead Association, a group dedicated to the conservation and preservation of regional fisheries.
However, Kyle Stratton, a management biologist for the MNR’s Thunder Bay and Ignace district regional operations division, says, overall, it’s less a sign of a species in decline, rather numbers returning to more normal long-term levels.
“We had two huge year classes, back-to-back, which really propelled the fisheries to heights that were unsustainable over a long period of time,” he said.
“So, people remember, and it's also in the not-too-distant past — I'm talking three, four years ago when the fishing was otherworldly.”
Overall, he said, population trends over the past 15 years remain above long-term averages.
In an email, Stratton also cautioned that, while numbers appear to be dropping in some monitored rivers, “without more data, we cannot say that this is indicative of a problem across the entirety of the North Shore.” He did say that environmental conditions generally lake-wide haven’t been ideal for the fish recently, pointing to data from Minnesota and the south shore of Superior.
One specific area of concern in our region, however, is Black Bay. The North Shore Steelhead Association’s 2024 annual assessment report has a specific section dedicated to the popular fishery and stated that estimated numbers of rainbow trout — also known as steelheads — in Portage Creek went from 500 in 1992 up to over 2,000 by 2003. Since then, however, those estimated numbers have dropped down to less than 200 by 2020.
“The increase in the adult steelhead population size (1994 to 2003) was probably the result of decreased harvest, followed by several strong production years (1998, 2000 and 2001),” the report said, adding that, since then, the survival rates of juvenile fish from their smolt stage — or when they migrate from the creek to Black Bay proper — have been poor.
“In 2023, the adult population size has declined to the lowest since the study began in the early 1990s,” the report said.
“In Black Bay, I think we've seen an increase in the number of predators — predatory fish species,” Stratton said. “So, things like pike and bass and walleye numbers have increased substantially over the last decade-and-a-half.”
Stratton also pointed to 2018 and 2021 as especially strong years for steelheads spawning there.
“Robust year classes can support healthy populations for several years, while weak ones can lead to rapid declines,” Stratton said in an email. “Many factors influence year class success, most of which — like environmental conditions — are beyond our control.”
There are no pending changes to fishing regulations around steelheads, he said, adding that “angler harvest is something that we will continue to monitor.”
Steelheads are popular among anglers as they’re easily fished in the spring (when there are fewer options) and catching them generally doesn’t require a boat or expensive equipment, Stratton said.
In Thunder Bay, tributaries like the McIntyre River and McVicar Creek appear to still have strong steelhead numbers, Stratton said. The steelhead association is also making infrastructure improvements along the Current River aimed at establishing a rainbow trout population there.
He said that, with climate change, people may notice more frequent back-and-forth swings.
“The conditions in the rivers and the conditions out in the lake are becoming more volatile, it appears, in recent times,” Stratton said.
“And that's not a good thing for creating your classes.”
