I'm pretty interested in Steelhead and fishing for them. After looking at maps and exploring a bit it doesn't seem like they would be able to get further up Big Creek tributaries like Jordan Creek (Chair factory Falls) or East Creek (Cascade Falls) but are they able to make it all the way to Big Creek Park? If not, are there any considerations for fish ladders?
You are correct that steelhead typically cannot make it upstream if there are dams or large waterfalls blocking them. These fish may be able to make it upstream in Big Creek to Big Creek Park, but most fish likely do not venture upstream that far. Fish ladders are installed in the western United States so that salmon and trout can reach their spawning grounds. We just don’t have the right conditions in Ohio for much successful breeding, so as a result, the steelhead is a non-native fish here that is released from fish hatcheries to support a put-and-take fishery.
-Naturalist Andy Avram
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