October 6, 2022

***NOTE:  The Fishing Report Blog is back to regular weekly Thursday updates from September-May***   Anglers on the Rocky, Chagrin and Cuyahoga rivers are pursuing steelhead trout.  Stream levels are low and clear at this time, so fish are concentrated closer to Lake Erie waiting for an increase in flow before running further upstream. 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 targeting walleye and inland lake/pond anglers are primarily pursuing largemouth bass, channel catfish and panfish. 

River levels are low and clear at this time, so most steelhead are staging (concentrated closer to Lake Erie waiting for an increase in flow before running further upstream).  The lower portions of the Rocky River, Chagrin River and other area streams closer to Lake Erie all have a decent number of steelhead around.  Anglers in the lower rivers have been doing well drifting smaller size 1/16-1/64 oz jmarabou or hair jigs tipped witha waxworm or a few maggots under a float.  Early fall steelhead are also being caught off the breakwall by E55th Marina and off the rocks at Edgewater Park, as well as Wildwood Park on Lake Erie, although that bite varies from day to day.  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.  .  These same areas are also producing some walleye after dark, as well, with Perfect 10 and other shallow running stick-style crankbaits working well.

Rock bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, freshwater drum and sunfish species 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.  White perch and yellow perch have made sporadic appearances at the shoreline at spots like E55t breakwall and Wendy Park at the old Coast Guard station, although most reports have reported a slow bite this week.  They have been biting on bits of worms or small minnows fished on the bottom on a crappie rig.

Anglers at our inland lakes and ponds can find catfish, largemouth bass, and panfish.  Wallace Lake, Ledge Lake, Shadow Lake, and Beyer's Pond are just a few locations worth poking around in early fall.

Fall Family Fishing Fest will be held Saturday October 15.    Come out and join us for Fall Family Fishing Fest at the Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation on Saturday October 15th from 10-2:00pm  This event is free and we will have a limited number of fishing poles to loan out, as well as bait.  We will be stocking 600 lbs of channel catfish and 1,000 lbs of rainbow trout at the Ohio & Erie Canal in anticipation of the event.  Although anglers of any age can participate, prizes in several categories will be reserved for kids 15 years old and under.  And all attendees will be eligible for the grand drawing of a walleye fishing trip with Captain Gary Norman and Dog Pound Charters (must be present to win).  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>.

2022 International Fly Fishing Film Festival November 4th.  The Trout Club of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History is pleased to host a showing of the International Fly Fishing Film Festival on Friday, November 4, 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM.  Sponsored by it will be a series of short films features a look at fly fishing destinations around the world.  The showing will take place at the Cleveland Metropark’s Emerald Necklace Marina in Rocky River Reservation, 1500 Scenic Park Dr., Lakewood, OH 44107.  Tickets are $25.00 per person and include all films, refreshments, door prizes and raffles, and a cash bar.  You can purchase tickets <here>.  (Please note this is a different event than the traditional Fly Fishing Film Tour held in spring).

Attention Perch Anglers!  The Ohio Division of Wildlife Can Use Your Help.  Are you a perch angler who wants to play a role in assisting biologists in better understanding Central Basin yellow perch in Lake Erie? Well, here's your chance!  The Ohio Division of Wildlife Fairport Fish Research Station is looking for filleted perch carcasses with the spine/head/tail still intact (they will be taking lengths and removing otolith bones from heads for aging) until the end of October.  The fish need to be from the Central Basin between Huron to Conneaut, not from the Western Basin.  The carcasses should be frozen and have general location and depth where caught included.  They can be dropped off at the Fairport Fish Research Station M-F between 9 and 5, or if 20 or more carcasses are available they can arrange pick up (within reason).  For Cleveland area anglers I am also able to accept carcasses to retain and deliver to the researchers (arrange details using my contact info below).  This is an ideal situation because it is making use of perch already harvested by anglers.

Photo Release Waivers for Fishing Blog Photos (fast and easy to complete online).  Photo release waivers for photos sent in for the fishing report can easily be completed online through Smart Waiver (takes only about 30 seconds to complete) at the following link: <Smart Waiver link>. You only need to do this one time and any future additional photos submitted are already covered.

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] .

Congratulations to Vinny on catching (and releasing) his first steelhead ever at the Rocky River marina boat ramps this week.  The fish was caught on a black jig with red head tipped with a waxworm and suspended 4 feet below a bobber (photo courtesy of Brian DiGioia).







Father and son Jonathan and Mason made some lifetime memories on the Chagrin River this week.  This was the first time 4 year old Mason caught a steelhead completely on his own.  The fisher lad was casting a spinner (photos courtesy of Jonathan Sweitzer).



Mark shared on Friday "My first Steelie ever, caught by the Marina in Rocky  River on a plain old minnow (from the Marina store, no less, the last of their minnows!)​".  Contratulations, Mark! (photo courtesy of Mark Barrus).



Alex, from New Jersey, was visiting his brother and caught these fine smallmouth bass along the rocks by E72nd St on a Little Cleo spoon (photo courtesy of Fred Miranda).



Wes caught this steelhead by the Rocky River marina on a white RoosterTail spinner (photo courtesy of Wes Bombik).




Roxanne and Tony are back at their fish catching ways (photos courtesy of Roxanne Schultheis).



Chris caught and released this super thick buck steelhead at the Rocky River marina area this week (photo courtesy of Chris Dietrich).




Our colleagues at the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District were doing routine fish population monitoring on Euclid Creek at Wildwood Park and turned up a surprise brown trout along with a good number of steelhead (photos courtesy of Mark Matteson).









Whether by river or by lake, Brad posesses a very specialized set of skills honed over many hours on the water.  He will find the steelhead, and he will catch them! (photos courtesy of Brad Gardner).



Fall Orvis Days are back!  Please consider supporting businesses that support local public fishing.  More <here>.