In fall highlight species targeted by anglers along the Rocky River, other area streams, and Lake Erie include steelhead, yellow perch, walleye, and panfish. The Rocky River level is flowing low and clear this morning, but there is some needed rain in the forecast next week. To monitor the most recent river water level and temperature you can check the following link: <Rocky River flow gage data><Chagrin River flow gage data>.
A growing number of anglers reported catching steelhead in the northern stretches of the Rocky and Chagrin rivers this week, as well as along the Lake Erie shoreline at Edgewater, E55th, Wildwood Park, and Huntington Park. Casting a spoon (ie Little Cleo or KO Wobbler) or spinner (ie Vibrax or RoosterTail) at these locations are as good a bet as any for connecting with an early steelhead trout. Drifting spawn or a jig under a float has also been producing in the streams, as has a jig tipped with a minnow under a float along the lakefront. A few steelhead have run upstream to the Nature Center by Cedar Point Road and beyond on the Rocky River at this time, although the majority of fish in the system are from Rockcliff Springs to the lake. More steelhead will come in following each cool rain for the remainder of fall.
Anglers are still pursuing a mix of warmwater species in the streams, as well. Smallmouth bass have been biting dark olive or brown tube jigs of about 4?�� length, live bait (ie: minnow, crayfish, and leeches), spinners, and smaller crankbaits that mimic gobies, crayfish, or baitfish. Some quality size channel catfish are lurking around the marina on the Rocky, with anglers targeting steelhead hooking a few recently. Catfishing is usually best during lower light conditions using baits such as nightcrawlers, minnows, chicken liver, and processed dough baits. Carp can often be caught throughout the day on such bait as canned corn, carp dough baits, worms or crayfish tails. For the angling generalist, any of these species can be effectively targeted by fishing a crayfish or nightcrawler worm right on the river bottom with a sinker.
The Ohio & Erie Canal fishing area was stocked with 1,000 pounds of rainbow trout, 600 pounds of big channel catfish, and 1,000 smaller catfish (the latter by ODNR Division of Wildlife) late last week. Anglers at our inland lakes and ponds are catching catfish, largemouth bass, and panfish. Wallace Lake, Ledge Lake, Shadow Lake, and Beyer's Pond are a few spots worth poking around in late summer/early fall.
The yellow perch bite has continued to pick up this week. Anglers are using perch spreaders and live or salted shiners, although emerald shiners have been hard to come by this year. Boating anglers have found a few perch this week off Cleveland and Euclid in 40-43 feet of water. The perch size has been very good. Early fall walleye fish around Cleveland is improving and will only get better into fall, although there are many undersized walleye (15 inches) around shore. Rock bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, freshwater drum and sunfish species are also found along the Cleveland shoreline in early fall and can be caught on offerings such as tube jigs, dropshot rigs and live bait. The ODNR Division of Wildlife weekly Lake Erie fishing report can be viewed <here>. Anglers/boaters can view current lake conditions off Cleveland at the following link: <City Of Cleveland Water Intake Crib Cam>.
If you have a photo that you would like to contribute to the fishing report, or if you have any further questions regarding fishing in the Cleveland Metroparks, you may contact Aquatic Biologist Mike Durkalec at (440) 331-8017 or [email protected] .
Tight Lines,
Mike
Congratulations to Rocco on catching this fine channel catfish at the Ohio & Erie canal fishing area (photo courtesy of Sal Perconti).
Five year old Jayden caught this "trophy" striped shiner in the Rocky River on Sunday (photo courtesy of Tuan Truong).
Hey, maybe you steelheaders should be targeting smallmouth bass! Brian reported from the Rocky by Mastic Road on Sunday "The attached pictures are of steelhead I caught with my dad on a dark green tube jig while we were going for smallies today. It wasn't what we were going for, but it was a happy surprise" (photos courtesy of Brian Blaine).
Brian caught this northern pike in the Cuyahoga River on Sunday evening while casting a Husky Jerk lure (photo courtesy of Brian Smothers).
Andrey caught this beautiful steelhead at E55th breakwall this week on a black jig tipped with minnow suspended below a bobber, which is a top producing rig along the lakefront (photo courtesy of Andrey Gutsulyak).
Donny and his brother were casting spoons on the Rock by Mastic Road when this steelie bit (photo courtesy of Robert Miller).
Staff from the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District turned up some nice smallmouth bass and steelhead during routine electrofishing surveys on the Cuyahoga River last week (photo courtesy of Mark Matteson at NEORSD).
Chris was casting a blue and silver Krocodile spoon along the lakefront on Wednesday and hooked three steelies, landing this chromer (photo courtesy of Chris Bard).
Kevin is on the board this week with his first steelie of the season, a fine chrome from the northern Rocky (photo courtesy of Eric Tancak).
Matt and his uncle have been making some multi-species catches along the Lake Erie shoreline, including this first steelies of the season on blue and silver spoons. He also observed the fish in the last photo dying from an injury, and it is the Know Your Fish Challenge this week (photos courtesy of Matt Arroyo).
Naturalist Jenn displays a larger specimen and albino from the 600 pounds of farm raised catfish we stocked in the Ohio & Erie canal fishing area last Thursday. We also stocked 1,000 pounds of rainbow trout at this location last Friday.
We had great weather and 371 folks join us for Fall Family Fishing Fest at the Ohio & Erie Canal on Saturday. Above are a few photos of successful attendees from the event. Thank you again to OCBS/ODNR for providing a good portion of the funding to offer this event, as well as the bunch of great volunteers who assisted the day of the event!
The fish sampling offering at the Fall Foliage Tour in Medina county on Sunday saw a very engaged group of attendees of all ages. Among our catch were some very nice smallmouth bass from well up the West Branch Rocky River.
A big thank you to Paul Froehlich for his donation of ten brand new kid's fishing outfits for our upcoming children's fishing events!
Yesterday we re-surveyed Oxbow Lagoon in the second time in our five year cycle. We sampled zero largemouth bass in 2011, and sampled 75 yesterday in our follow-up- including a few dandies and lots of young bass spawned this past spring. A combination of stocking and habitat management (primarily aquatic vegetation control) lead to this success. The oxbow is still a work in progress, but this is a big step in the right direction. All of our pond and lake management plans can be found at this link, along with various other items of angling interest: <Cleveland Metroparks Natural Resources publications>.
Note: The fishing report is updated monthly in June, July, and August and weekly every other month
***Note: All photo submissions must first complete the Cleveland Metroparks photo waiver.***
2024 Cleveland Metroparks Registered Fishing Guides
(name, company, contact)
- #24-001 Gareth Thomas, Alley Grabs Guide Service, [email protected] (216) 235-5056
- #24-002 Jeff Liskay, Great Lakes Flyfishing LLC, [email protected] (440) 781-7536
- #24-003 Monte Casey, The Steelhead Guide, (440) 773-8064 www.steelheadguide.com
- #24-004 Anthony Montagnese, Covered Bridge Outfitters, [email protected] (440) 320-105
- #24-005 Lucas Smith, What That Vise Do LLC, [email protected] (724) 841-1564
- #24-006 Nicholas DelVecchio, Wildwood Outfitters, [email protected] (724) 433-2315
- #24-007 Nate Miller, Steelhead Alley Outfitters, www.steelheadalleyoutfitters.com (440) 796-6105
- #24-008 Jim Lampros, [email protected] (216) 513-6011
More information on Cleveland Metroparks Fishing Guide Permit requirements, including the permit application, you may check the following link:
<Fishing Guide Permit Program>
Learn how you can support recreation opportunities through a donation to the Cleveland Metroparks
Fishing Fund.