May 18, 2017

As late spring transitions into summer, highlight species targeted by anglers in Cleveland Metroparks include steelhead trout, stocked trout, panfish, catfish, walleye, yellow perch, and largemouth and smallmouth bass.  The rivers are fairly low and clear and warming quickly this week.  To monitor the most recent river water level, temperature, and clarity (turbidity) you can check the following links: <Rocky River USGS flow gage data> <Chagrin River USGS flow gage data> <Rocky River NEORSD station with turbidity>. 

The Rocky and Chagrin rivers are fairly low and clear at the moment.  With the water warming rapidly the last of the steelhead are exiting the rivers.  It sure was a great winter and spring for local steelhead anglers!   Taking the spotlight are good numbers of lake-run smallmouth bass.  These fish are present in deeper, rocky holes throughout the Rocky and Chagrin rivers.  Anglers fishing a jig, wooly bugger, live shiner, or other lures/flies that mimic a baitfish have a shot at hooking the "silver and bronze" (a steelhead and smallmouth) in the same day, although this feat will be increasingly difficult to accomplish as we get further into May.  Note:  smallmouth bass may not be kept in Lake Erie or the Rocky River downstream of the Detroit Road bridge between May 1 and June 24.

On April 24th we stocked 600 pounds of rainbow trout in the East Branch Rocky River.  Recently ODNR stocked trout at Hinckley Lake (2,500 fish) and Shadow Lake (500 fish), as well.  These fish will range from 11-14" in length.  Trout hit well on PowerBait fished near the bottom, jigs tipped with a few maggots/waxworms suspended below a bobber, minnows, and smaller spoons and spinners. Please note the current seasonal trout regulations:  Lake Erie and all streams 5/day minimum size 12" (post May 15, it was 2/day prior to that date), 3/day no size limit at Wallace, Ledge, Judge's and Ranger lakes, and 5/day no size limit at Shadow Lake and Ohio & Erie Canal. 

Rock bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, freshwater drum and sunfish species are biting along the Cleveland shoreline of Lake Erie on offerings such as tube jigs and live minnows.  Walleye are also biting along the Cleveland shoreline after dark on Husky Jerk and Perfect 10 style stickbaits.  Yellow perch are being caught from shore intermittently at E55th on emerald shiners fished on crappie rigs on the bottom, as well.  The ODNR Division of Wildlife weekly Lake Erie fishing report can be viewed <here>.

Spring Childrens Fishing Derbies This Weekend on May 20 & 21.  Our popular annual kids fishing derbies are coming up this weekend on Saturday May 20 at Wallace Lake and Sunday May 21 at the Ohio & Erie Canal fishing area. In anticipation of the event, 1,400 pounds of farm raised channel catfish and 1,300 pounds of rainbow trout were stocked this week between both locations.  Of those trout, each site also recieved 100 golden rainbow trout each to celebrate the Cleveland Metroparks centennial mark this summer.  Additionally, the Ohio Division of Wildlife is stocking approximately 3,000 trout at the canal tomorrow.  PLEASE NOTE:  both locations are clearly posted to fishing by the general public until 4:00pm on the respective date of each event.  The event is free and fishing gear and bait will be provided for those in need at no cost. For more information, you can check the following link: <May 20 Fishing Derby Info>  <May 21 Fishing Derby Info>.

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

Buddies Mark and Donnie went trolling out of E72nd on Tuesday evening and landed 7 keeper walleye on Husky Jerk stickbaits 20 feet beind planer boards (photo courtesy of Mark Warren).




Pat joking shares "Hey Mike you can let everyone know I caught the last steelhead in the Rocky River on Wednesday.  LOL. I actually hooked 3 but only landed this nice buck. Thanks buddy." (photos courtesy of Pat Jurco).




Markeys caught all kinds of fish at E55th marina this week- including bluegill, rock bass, crappie, yellow perch, and catfish (photos courtesy of Markeys Hines).



On his second cast last Friday Brian caught his first smallmouth bass ever on a spinner in the Rocky River by Hogsback Lane (photo courtesy of Brian Franko).




On Tuesday after work Craig scored the "silver and bronze" in the Rocky River.  He was casting RoosterTail spinners under the I-90 bridge (photos courtesy of Craig Osterholt).



Pete caught some nice Cleveland shoreline walleye after dark (photo courtesy of Mike Sekerak).



On Tuesday morning river veteran Ken Harper caught his "farewell steelhead" and observed "What a great winter and spring on the Rocky.   Very likely my last this season as the heat is coming but I can't say enough about how fortunate we are to have this treasure in our back yard." (photo courtesy of Ken Harper).

Evan shares "I caught this little perch in Porter Creek at Huntington Reservationon 5/10, much to my surprise. I didn't know they sometimes enter streams to spawn." (photo courtesy of Evan Shie).







Matt has been catching some high quality smallmouth and largemouth bass on tube jigs alonng rocky areas of the Lake erie shoreline).





This week we stocked a bunch of catfish and trout for the Spring Children's Fishing Derbies this weekend.  But please take heed:  the north half of Wallace Lake is closed to fishing until Saturday 5/20 at 4:00pm and the Ohio & Erie Canal fishing area is closed to fishing until Sunday 5/21 at 4:00pm.  The closures are clearly posted at both locales.






This past Saturday an objective team of fisheries staff (myself included) began our second year of fish monitoring at 9 locations proposed for a possible offshore wind farm between Cleveland and Avon Point.  Among our catch were the two species pictured above.  For this week's Know Your Fish Challenge can you name them in the coments section below?