Avg size of plants were 11.5"

 

It was like 7 inches

 

That was in 2016 anyway.

 

It's odd that it doesn't still have parr marks.

 

Ya

Ya, you are right. Got any other pictures Ron?

 

Fair enough. The first pic wasn't showing any.

 

 

welcome Tom T :Welcome:. the fish looks too clean and healthy for a stocker.

 

Kinda looks like a steelhead smolt.

 

what is a steelhead smolt?

 

Steelhead can't get passed the dam at Nakin mills which is 3 dams below the area this fish was caught. That stretch gets LOW and HOT during the summer, a lot of the stockers get caught during the derby. I have heard of some stray trout caught in Newburgh lake. After any good rain the rouge is FULL of brown trout....

 

I hear this all the time, but there were huge dead salmon in the Rouge past Nankin last Summer. I called DNR but they didn't investigate (and kinda told me I was crazy . Unless someone is bringing large numbers of dead salmon and dumping them into the Rouge above Nankin, they're getting up there somehow! [If someone is dumping dead salmon in the Rouge, please tell me so I can stop investigating ]

 

Thanks for the insight, all the help from everyone is really nice and I’m glad that you all know so much about this. But I still can’t figure out the who, what, where, how, why, am, is, was, were?

 

Why exactly can't it be a plant? No fins clipped?

 

Compare the pictures, they do not look similar at all

 

Really doesn't mean anything. Any high-water event or constant exposure to stained water will bleach a fish.

Might be native?

 

Really doesn't mean anything. Any high-water event or constant exposure to stained water will bleach a fish.

Might be native?

That’s what I’m starting to think, could it be a native

 

They used to stock browns in Johnson creek but never heard of rainbows. When hatchery fish spawn in the wild are those fry technically wild?

 

When hatchery fish spawn in the wild are those fry technically wild?

I think that is more or less a matter of opinion or debate. Wild? yes/maybe. Native? No. Rainbows/Steelhead, Browns and Salmon are not and never were 'native' to the Great Lakes. They were all brought here long ago.

The only natives were the Brook Trout, Lake Trout and Grayling.

It may be a matter of semantics, but don't confuse, 'wild' and 'native' with 'naturally reproduced'.

 

I know that they're not native just wondering if they would be considered "wild"

 

If they were born/hatched by natural reproduction in a stream, then my opinion is yes, they are 'wild'.

 

slowpaya , thanks for the welcome.

BassmasterRon, suggest you contact local DNR at 313-396-6890 to get an expert opinion on your Trout. I'm sure we all would like to know their take on your experience.

 

This is Sally from Friends of the Rouge. We have been doing fish surveys all over the Rouge River watershed. We find rainbows in the Lower though the DNR does not stock. We have found a few rainbows and browns in the Middle branch (browns used to be stocked in the Johnson Creek) near Waterford Bend. Where did you find this one?

 

welcome to Michigan sportsman friend./:Welcome: sally(the first post rainbow looks naturally reproduced to me)

 

Yes there is some nice clean gravel up there, they could be reproducing.

 

Are these trout or any fish taken from the Rouge in the Northville or Oakland County area safe to eat?

 

Bueller?

 

Where is Nankin?

I hear this all the time, but there were huge dead salmon in the Rouge past Nankin last Summer. I called DNR but they didn't investigate (and kinda told me I was crazy . Unless someone is bringing large numbers of dead salmon and dumping them into the Rouge above Nankin, they're getting up there somehow! [If someone is dumping dead salmon in the Rouge, please tell me so I can stop investigating ]

 

Alright, King Salmon have been running the Rouge to spawn for years. Not many, and it doesn't help anything to bring this to light on a forum that gets upwards of 10,000 visitors daily. But they do spawn there, and are not stocked - other than maybe a couple classroom projects. It would be nearly impossible to actually fish for King Salmon in the Rouge, where they spawn. And they are very poor table fare, at best, when they are spawning.

I imagine Nankin refers to Nankin Blvd @ Westland, MI.

Can we please let this thread sleep now?

 

Why let it sleep? This thread was about trout in the Rouge. We'd like to hear of any future reports of trout. This can remain to be the place to post about such catches.
A recent survey of the Rouge found trout in Dearborn near the Henry Ford Estate where they plan to build a fish ladder.

 

We got this little guy last August while doing net surveys on the Rouge. Fowler Creek area if I remember correctly.

 

not seeing any fin clips on this side of the fish. Interesting little Bow.

 

The person running the collection said they get a few in this area. When he asked the DNR about plantings they told him they weren't doing any in The Rouge. He did find out that someone else was doing it on his own but last he heard he stopped.

This particular area is downstream of the Ypsi water treatment plant so there is plenty of cool clean water being sent into the river. Wouldn't surprise me if there was some natural reproduction.

How did Jeff Goldblum put it?........Nature finds a way?