Best Bead Size & Colour for Steelhead in Blown Out Water

Steelhead anglers know the water tells you what to tie on before you even reach the run — the fish of a thousand casts — a sea-run rainbow, not a salmon. Blown Out water asks a different question than clear water does: is the fish finding the bead by sight, by silhouette, or barely at all? High and muddy. Fish big and bright below a clearwater tributary, or wait for the drop. For steelhead specifically, that means leaning on bright pink / cerise, red in the 16–19mm range rather than a one-size-fits-all pick. Quick ID if you're new to the species: white mouth; fine spots on back and whole tail; chrome with a pink cheek/stripe. Use the 19mm recommendation below as your first tie-on, then let the fish tell you whether to size up or down. Keep a few sizes and colour families on hand so you can adjust without a trip back to the truck. The full picture for steelhead across every water condition — low, prime, high and blown out — is available in the interactive Bead Match tool, linked below this recommendation.