I am doing a research project on endangered and threatened species for my Honors Biology class. My assigned topic is the Steelhead. I understand that it is an anadromous form of the Rainbow Trout, which is a very popular fish to target in Pennsylvania. I have been unable to find out if it is endangered or threatened or neither. Any help is appreciated.

They breed those things in hatcheries.

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I don't think steelhead are endangered or threatened. Maybe the true wild self-sustaining populations could be considered threatened but depending on how you look at it they are non native so fishing is the only reason we even care about their population status.

Interesting question. If they stopped stocking Steelehead, I would guess the population would die out pretty quickly (much like what happened to the Salmon when PA stopped stocking them 20+ years ago).  However, every once in a while a Coho or Chinook Salmon is caught in PA, so either there is some very minor natural reproduction or there is a really lost salmon from New York.  So Steelhead are not classified as threatened or endangered in PA, but if you wanted to get creative on your report, you could compare the fragile nature of the artificially planted fishery and the economic impact it has on Erie as one that could be considered "endangered" if the state ceased funding the stocking program.

thanks, i might give that a try