September 24, 2020

As we begin our approach to fall, highlight species targeted by anglers along the Rocky River and other area streams include steelhead trout, smallmouth bass, carp, panfish, and channel catfish. Area streams are low in level and very clear this 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> <Rocky River NEORSD station with turbidity>.  Lake Erie anglers are primarily targeting walleye and inland lake/pond anglers are primarily pursuing largemouth bass, channel catfish and panfish. 

This week saw an uptick in reports of early steelhead in the northernmost river sections by Lake Erie as well as off the rocks at Edgewater and breakwall/rocks at E55th/E72nd areas.  These fish are staging, or concentrating in these areas waiting for the next cool rain to bring stream levels up (stream levels are currently very low) so they can migrate upstream. Casting a spoon (ie 2/5 oz Little Cleo or KO Wobbler) or spinner (ie 1/8 oz Vibrax or RoosterTail), or drifting a 1/32 or 1/64 oz marabou jig tipped with a waxworm or a few maggots under a sensitive float, at these locations are as good a bet as any for connecting with an early steelhead trout.  These lakefront areas are producing walleye after dark, as well, with Perfect 10 and other shallow running stick-style crankbaits working well.

Anglers are also pursuing smallmouth bass in streams, in deeper pools during the day and at the heads of these pools in the mornings and evenings.  A dark olive or brown tube jig 3-4" length is one of the best producers of bass in the river.  "Smallies" also bite well on live bait (ie: minnow, crayfish, and leeches), lures (ie: spinners and minnow plugs), and flies (ie: crayfish patterns, Clouser minnows, dark brown or olive sculpin or muddler minnow patterns). 

Decent catches of white perch and yellow perch have been made intermittently at the E55th breakwall in recent weeks and have been biting on bits of worms, waxworm or small minnow fished on the bottom on a crappie rig.  The bite continues to be most dependable in the afternoon.  Rounding things out, bluegill (and other panfish), largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, freshwater drum and channel catfish can be found along the Cleveland shoreline in late summer and can be caught on offerings such as tube jigs, dropshot rigs and live bait. 

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 just a few other spots worth poking around in late summer and early fall.  In mid October we plan to stock rainbow trout and channel catfish at the Ohio & Erie Canal off E49th Street despite the annual Fall Family Fishing Fest being cancelled due to the pandemic.

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 Jeff Little on catching his first steelhead ever on the Rocky River on Monday while fishing on his buddy Chuck's boat (photo courtesy of Chuck Earls).



Chris scored a beautiful Chagrin River resident smallmouth bass.  He was using a surface gurgler with rubber legs on his fly rod, which sounds like an exciting way to get them (photo courtesy of John Rode).




Barnabus scored an early Rocky River steelhead on Sunday using an unusual colored jig.  Sometimes trying an oddball color that the fish have not seen can pay off (photos courtesy of Barnabus Bakai).





Greg scored the coveted "bronze and silver" on the Rocky River, a feat more commonly accomplished in spring.  The toughest challenge is the "gold, silver and bronze"- catching a walleye, steelhead and smallmouth bass in the same day in a river or Lake Erie (photos courtesy of Greg Palka).




Rob scored a very nice channel catfish fishing chicken liver on the bottom at E72nd, and Owen notes that he "likes to harass juvenile fish"- a poke at his own small walleye catch.  Hey, it takes a baby fish to become a big fish! (photos courtesy of Owen Lockhart).



Wes notes regarding this chunky steelhead "Caught Friday afternoon near the Rocky River boat docks on a 1/4 oz pink Rooster Tail spinner" (photo courtesy of Wes Bombik). 





Sean really has the E72nd shore walleye night bite figured out, but he also knows how to catch daytime bass there, too (photos courtesy of Sean Johnson).



Chuck landed his first steelhead of the year at the Rocky River boat ramp area on Monday.  He notes that he saw quite a few steelhead hooked there between Saturday and Monday (photo courtesy of Chuck Naujoks).



Tony's smile is evidence that a smallmouth bass doesn't need to be a bruiser to make a person happy! (photo courtesy of Tony Modic).



On Sunday Cory reports that is dad caught their first steelie of the season on the lower Rocky River, and a fine specimen at that! (photo courtesy of Cory Gwynn).





Mike and friends are making some great walleye catches out of E55th Marina trolling the crankbaits pictured (photos courtesy of Mike Ruffo).



Mike scored his first steelhead of the season off the rocks at Edgewater Park on Tuesday using a 2/5 oz purple spoon (photo courtesy of Mike Reed).



Brad did some early season scouting on the Rocky River this week and was rewarded (photo courtesy of Brad Gardner).



During recent sampling on the Rocky River, Mark from the Northeast Regional Sewer District turned up an eager steelhead all the way up to the West Branch of the river in North Olmsted (photo courtesy of Mark Matteson).



Veteran local steelheader Ken Harper notes that there are decent numbers of steelhead in local streams in areas closest to Lake Erie.  These fish are staging, or concentrating in these areas waiting for the next cool rain to bring stream levels up (stream levels are currently very low) so they can migrate upstream.  Understanding what triggers steelhead to migrate should factor into any angler's approach when deciding where exactly to go fishing (photo courtesy of Ken Harper).






On Tuesday my staff and I relocated 223 fish from a pond being drained (not on Metroparks property) to the larger public fishing lake at Acacia Reservation.  Most of the fish were modest size bluegill, but did include some nice channel catfish and largemouth bass, as well.







Although an often fickle undertaking anymore, yellow perch can be found along the Lake Erie shoreline of Cleveland at spots like E55th breakwall and Edgewater Park.  A shift in perch diet to include more invertebrates means adaptive anglers who use things like bits of worm, waxworms and maggots on Sabiki rigs with smallers hooks (reduced to only 3 hooks per rod to stay legal) will often outfish the more traditional emerald or golden shiners as bait.  That's what Elizabeth and I did to score enough jumbo perch for a few delicious meals cooked in peanut oil on the camp stove.