October 10, 2019

In early fall highlight species targeted by anglers along the Rocky River and other area streams include steelhead trout, smallmouth bass, carp, panfish, and channel catfish. Local streams are low and clear on the date of this report.  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> <Rocky River NEORSD station with turbidity>.  Lake Erie nearshore anglers are primarily targeting steelhead and walleye and inland lake/pond anglers are primarily pursuing largemouth bass, channel catfish and panfish.  Beyer's pond was stocked with largemouth bass, sunfish and channel catfish last week (details below).

With the return of cooler weather a increasing number of steelhead are being caught off the rocks at Edgewater and E55th, Wildwood Park, and in the northernmost river sections by the lake (as evidenced by quite a few photos offered below).  Casting a spoon (such as a 2/5 oz 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.  A bobber with a 1/32 oz jig tipped with minnow or maggots suspend 3-6 feet below is also a good producer in the aforementioned areas.  Since an angler can use two rods in Ohio, one stratgy is to cast out a bobber rod with bait and watch it while working a spoon or spinner with the other rod.  Upon recieving enough rain to elevate stream levels greater numbers of steelhead will be enticed to return.

Anglers are pursuing a mix of warmwater species in the streams.  Smallmouth bass are typically found in the deeper, rocky pools of the river during the day in summer, and often move to the heads of such pools in the early morning and evening hours to feed actively.  A dark olive or brown tube jig 3-4" length is one of the best producers of bass in the river, although a white and silver spinner or minnow plug has a shot a hooking an early steelhead, too.

Anglers at our inland lakes and ponds are catching catfish, largemouth bass, and panfish.  Wallace Lake was stocked with 224 largemouth bass and big bluegill in late September and Beyer's Pond was stocked with 848 bass, sunfish and channel catfish last week.  Hinckley Lake, Shadow Lake, and Ledge Lake are just a few other spots worth poking around in late summer/early fall. 

Increasing numbers of walleye are lurking the shallows around Cleveland in 10-15 feet of water as temperatures cool, and the big schools are reported being to move south to ~50-55 feet of water off the city.  Yellow perch fishing off Cleveland continues to be slow.  The ODNR Division of Wildlife weekly Lake Erie fishing report can be viewed <here>.

Fall Family Fishing Fest this Saturday October 12.    Come out and join us for Fall Family Fishing Fest at the Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation this Saturday October 12th from 9-1:00pm  This event is free and we will have a limited number of fishing poles to loan out, as well as bait.  We stocked 600 lbs of channel catfish and 1,000 lbs of rainbow trout at the Ohio & Erie Canal this week in anticipation of the event.  PLEASE NOTE:  the area is closed to public fishing until 9:00am on Saturday morning.  Although anglers of any age can participate, prizes in several categories will be reserved for kids 15 years old and under.  Thank you to Ohio Division of Wildlife and Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders for supporting this great event with grant funds.  More details here:  <Fall Family Fishing Fest>.

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
 

John caught this steelhead at Wildwood Park on Tuesday casting a blue and silver K.O. Wobbler spoon (photo courtesy of John Davis).




Tony was casting a 3.5" green tube jig against the breakwall at Edgewater Park from his kayak and scored his personal best smallmouth bass (photos courtesy of Tony Cilluffo).





Tudor was kayak fishing the Rocky River by the marina and accomplished the "gold, silver and bronze challenge" (walleye, steelhead and smallouth in one day).  I set this challenge in a past fishing report and Tudor is the first person who has documented making the impressive accomplishment (photos courtest of Tudor St Stephens).



Future fishin' dog Blu met her first steelhead on the Rocky River yesterday, surely the first of many (photo courtesy of Ken Harper).





Igor and Eni have been catching some nice channel catfish and largemouth bass at E55th and Edgewater Park (photos courtesy of Igor Gromilic).




John and a buddy recently made a good catch of walleye from shore at E55th breakwall casting deep diving crankbaits after dark.  John also recently caught a trophy walleye (photos courtesy of John Winters).




On Sunday Mike caught his first steelhead of the season while casting a spoon at Edgewater Park, and his father Brian got his first yesterday (photo courtesy of Mike Reed).






Ed recently caught some sub-legal walleye on the Rocky River by the marina, then on Sunday he caught a 27" steelhead off the rocks near Edgewatwer Pier and a 15" largemouth bass at Wendy Park (photos courtesy of Ed Schmitt).



Speaking of juvenile walleye, this one was caught several miles up the Cuyahoga River at the dam in Brecksville. This aging dam has been an impediment to fish migration for many decades and will be removed over the next year.  This will open up many more miles of potential spawning habitat for fish like walleye in the future  (photo courtesy of Jake Kainec).


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Steve caught a 28" steelhead while casting a blue and silver K.O. Wobbler spoon at E55th breakwall yesterday (photo courtesy of Andy Young).



Shaun caught a fresh steelhead casting from the wall at the Rocky River marina on Tuesday (photo courtesy of Shaun Campbell).



This steelhead was caught by anglers targeting walleye in 13-20' of water near Rocky River (photo courtesy of Bill Marquard).



Jarred was fishing a blade bait targeting walleye at Edgewater Park on Monday evening and got this catfish (photo courtesy of Jarred Bugg).



Corey caught a bass at Wallace Lake and his boys dared him to kiss it-  and dad wasn't about to disappoint! (photo courtesy of Corey Butram).





Sam and a buddy recently made a great mixed catch out of Cleveland-  which included walleye, channel catfish and steelhead (photos courtesy of Sam Horn).



On Sunday Roy caught a healthy catfish at Shadow Lake.  Channel catfish are stocked in this lake annually (photo courtesy of Roy Wainwright Jr.).



Lana was fishing a local lake with her dog Erie and landed her biggest largemouth bass of the year (photo courtesy of Lana Ostry).



Chuck landed 1 of 2 steelhead hooked at Edgewater Park yesterday.  He was using spoons and a jig with twister tail (photo courtesy of Chuck Naujoks).



This juvenile steelhead (rainbow trout) was sampled in a tributary of the Cuyahoga River on Saturday (photo courtesy of Owen Lockhart).








On Satuday and Sunday September 28 and 29 we had our annual Family Fishing day where the city of Middleburgh Heights Recreation Department purchases fish to stock their pool for an end of the season fishing derby before the pool is drained (there is no chlorine when the fish are stocked).  Above are just a few of the literally hundreds of fish caught in two days.  See below regarding the fate of the fish (spoiler alert: it's a happy ending for them).






Following the Middleburgh Heights fishing derby Metroparks staff rounded up the fish and transported them to scenic Beyer's Pond for release.  This year a total of 285 largemouth bass, 485 sunfish (mostly hybrid), and 78 channel catfish were released (photos Jessica Rockhill and Claire Weldon).



600 pounds of channel catfish and 1,000 pounds of rainbow trout, incuding a few dozen beautiful golden rainbows like the one pictured above, were stocked in the Ohio & Erie Canal in anticipation of Fall Family Fishing Fest this Saturday.  PLEASE NOTE:  the area is closed to public fishing until 9:00am on Saturday morning (October 12).



On Monday a local angler captured a beautiful sunset at E55th breakwall (photo courtesy of Aaron Kondas).