The strain that Ohio stocks is the Little Manistee from Michigan. These eggs are obtained through a fish swap between the two states. Rainbow trout were first introduced in 1876 in the Au Sable river by Daniel Fitzhugh, of Bay City. The eggs came from Cambell's Creek, a tributary of the McCloud River in northern California. Four years later rainbows were introduced into the Lake Michigan watershed by the Michigan State Fish Commission . This fry plant originated from 2,000 eggs obtained from Crooks Creek,  the other major tributary of the McCloud River. Between 1890 and 1898, several more egg transfers of these "California" trout were made , and Michigan also received eggs from the Willamette and Rouge rivers in Oregon. By 1909, major runs were occurring in several rivers, including the Pere Marquette,  Pentwater, Boardman, Muskegon, and Pine(before the Tippy and Stronach dams). These fish ranged in size  from 3 to 20 pounds and averaged 8 pounds. Michigan's modern day steelhead era began in 1966, when the Little Manistee weir operation started. This operation continues today and is the sole source  of steelhead eggs for Michigan's stocking program. The steelhead spawn in spring and run in two stages. The late fall/winter migration and the late winter/spring migration. Once spawning is complete, not all steelhead die, but rather return to the lake. Unfortunately, natural reproduction in Ohio is very small so they have to be stocked as smolts every spring. The fish imprint those rivers they were stocked in and return 2-4 years later as adults.