I know it may not apply specifically where you fish, but there were a few things in here I did not know about the species. Very detailed and fun to read if you're a fish geek like me.
Some good reasons they may be better suited than Pacific Salmon, brown trout, and steelhead in the Great Lakes. And of course they were native and quite common in Lake Ontario at one time.
I did not know the smolts are more toleratant of warm temps than steelhead planted in tributary rivers and streams, and less vulnerable to predation than brown trout plantings in the lakes. Apparently they are more opportunistic feeders too, as when alewife numbers are down they don't have any problem eating gobies, yellow perch, even small bluegills (Gull Lake, Michigan), and minnow species. However they seem to be very sensitive to handling. Lake Superior State college releases them right from the raceways directly into the St. Mary's River, which apparently produces a much higher survival rate after planting. Apparently they just pull a plug in the raceways and into the river they go. No better way than that to grow fish in the water they will go into and just pull a plug.
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/FR17_552466_7.pdf