Originally posted by Josh Choronzey
Slim to none chance.
Skamania are not a salmon/steelhead hybrid and they DO NOT spawn in August.

The variations of steelhead apperance is huge. It jumps, its long, it had a big head or tail....all of which are not identification traits for Skamania.
Salmon and steelhead do not breed and produce offspring.
Google doesn't provide the right info on all topics
Skamania were discontinued over 15yrs ago by Ontario.

I watched a few fish come to the Saugeen Shores scales last week that were in fact Coho that hit the scales as steelhead.
Agreed that the entry is very, very unlikely to be a Skamania. I was at the computer when his fish came in and can't recall it clearly. But the description tallies with an under-nourished fish. Chris and I spoke today and I think we cleared up that matter.


I did not write that Skamania were a Salmon/Trout hybrid. I am aware that it is a strain developed in Skamania Washington.

I got my info on Skamaina from MNR who at that time had a web site called "Ask the Biologist" or something like that. I didn't have to actually pose the question as it was already there.

The suggestion of hybridization was from some of the local guys in response to my puzzlement. I don't accept or reject the notion as I never delved into it. However, Atlantic Salmon have been crossed with Brown Trout:

Atlantic x Brown

So, what are the chances of encountering a Skamania today?

Skamania are cited in a 2008 bulletin from Wisconsin Natural Resources

Wisconsin Skamania


Wisconsin's planting records show the last planting of Skamania was in 2006. However, Skamania are cited in egg collections in this document, telling me that a possibility exists of encountering one.

Skamania Run

Given that we are now taking a growing number of US Atlantics, who knows?

The above was all Googled :P

As to my long ago fish? I can't say what it was, but I've seen nothing like it since.

Josh, you mention "...identification traits for Skamania..." and I was not able to uncover anything about that. Can you enlarge on that?

For that matter, can you provide any guidance on the different variations we encounter in silver, big-water Rainbows: solid black or blue, mottled green, etc?