Rocky River was named one of the ?��150 Best Places to fish in America?�� in the June 2007 issue of Field and Stream magazine.
***Saturday May 26 morning update: Due to an unexpectedly heavy overnight storm the river is elevated and muddy this morning and will remain stained through the weekend.***
The Rocky River is currently on the low and clear side, and based on the forecast this will continue to be the situation through the weekend. Anglers can check the latest river flow and temperature trends at the following link: <river flow gage data>
Smallmouth bass currently offer a highlight fishery in the river. Many of these fish are of quality size at 2-4 pounds, with a few even larger trophy bass available. These fish are the backbone of a popular and naturally sustaining fishery, so anglers are strongly encouraged to release them unharmed. Smallmouth bass are most often found in the deeper holes and bite well on 3-4?�� olive or dark brown tube jigs (which look like a goby) or rubber crayfish bumped along the bottom, live bait (minnows, crayfish, leeches), weighted flies in the same colors and sizes as reference for jigs (woolly buggers and sculpin/goby patterns work well).
Reports of lake-run channel catfish and carp in the northern river reaches (the few miles closes to Lake Erie) continue to be good this week. A healthy number of these fish will reach, and even exceed, the 10 pound size class. Anglers targeting catfish are focusing on deeper holes with shrimp or chicken liver fished near the bottom, and carp anglers are using corn and doughbaits in holes and runs. For an angler wishing to hook either of these rod bending species, as well as smallmouth bass, a nightcrawler or crayfish drifted near the river bottom are both good choices.
A growing number of anglers are enjoying the challenging of stalking carp in the shallows and sight fishing (targeting visible fish) with a fly rod and weighted crayfish, woolly bugger, or nymph fly patterns, a pursuit some compare to much more expensive bonefish fly fishing in the tropics (and it sure feels tropical out there right now!). Stealthy wading and accurate casts are a must for this brand of fishing. Anyone who fishes for steelhead and has also tried fly fishing for carp will likely acknowledge that it is a greater challenge then hooking the big trout.
A total of 800 pounds of trout were stocked at Wallace Lake last Thursday for the kid?�+s fishing derby this past weekend, and many of the fish remain for anglers to pursue. Trout this week have been biting best on Power Bait fished on the bottom and casting small spinners. Fishing the cooler morning hours has produced best.
Additionally, a total of 1,400 pounds of farm raised channel catfish were equally distributed betweenWallace Lake and the Ohio & Erie Canal fishing area last week. These fish are biting especially well on chicken liver, shrimp, nightcrawlers, and processed stinkbait fished on the bottom in the morning and evening hours.
Panfish (bluegill, other sunfish, and crappie) and largemouth bass fishing has been heating up in Cleveland Metroparks lakes and ponds lately. The democratic angler wishing to catch just about anything that swims in these areas can dunk a worm about 2 feet under a medium size bobber. This is a great plan for the family with kids who wants to enjoy some fishing during a family picnic to a place like Wallace or Hinckley lakes. Bait is available for purchase at the newly renovated boathouse at HinckleyLake, which is as of recently under Cleveland Metroparks management (instead of a lessee).
As an example of what our lakes and ponds have to offer, local angler Armando has a ?��secret spot?�� at a lake in Cleveland Metroparks where he has been having some great action on his 5 weight fly rod. Just yesterday morning I ran into him and he had caught and released over a dozen larger sunfish, topped by a 10 inch Fish Ohio bluegill and a bonus 15 inch largemouth bass. He was fishing a black floating foam spider with white rubber legs followed about a foot and half by a small nymph dropper. These are certainly above average results, but Armando has paid his dues learning his local waters and it has certainly paid off for him.
Westlake High School Trout in the Classroom Project. This past Friday, a Westlake High School advanced placement biology class released 100 fingerling rainbow trout at the marina as the culmination of their <Trout in the Classroom> project. Since less than half the students in the class had ever been fishing, the trout release was followed by a fishing outing at Wallace Lake where many of the students hooked their first fish. A special thanks goes out to teacher John Cuomo and the Emerald Necklace Chapter of Trout Unlimited for making this project happen. The Plain Dealer covered the project with a nice feature article this past Saturday, which can be read online at the following link: <Westlake HS Trout in the Classroom Article>. Tomorrow another school, Archbishop Luke Middle School, will be releasing about 75 little trout they also raised in their science class at the same location.
Fishing Derby Update. Thank you again to all who joined us this past weekend for a fantastic 2012 Spring Children?�+s Fishing Derby! And a very special thank you to all our valued volunteers and sponsors (Rodmakers Shop, Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders, Stink?�+s Bait and Tackle, Jason Dillinger at Pulse Jigs, Optimist Club of West Suburban Cleveland, and the Cleveland Fishing Association). An album of many happy kids and their prize catches can be viewed at the following link: <2012 Children?�+s FishingDerby Photos>
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] .
Good fishing,
Mike
Tom and his son have had a blast chasing those smallies and carp on the Rock this week (photos courtesy of Tom Nock).
Josh has been catching some impressive smallmouth bass in the upper Rocky River (photos courtesy of Josh Jackson).
Buddies Matt (top) and Tom caught a bowfin and 15 pound carp, respectively, at the dam on the Cuyahoga River in Brecksville Reservation of Cleveland Metroparks (photos courtesy of Matt Wendling).
John, from Akron, caught his first Rocky River smallmouth this week...and what a fish it was! He also included a photo of a fly pattern that produced well for him (photos courtesy of John Dieringer).
Nathaniel appears to have those Rocky River bass figured out. He caught the nice largemouth (top photo) on a Yum Dinger rubber worm, and the smallmouth on a live crayfish (photos courtesy of Nathaniel Watkins).
Lots of fish and anglers turned out for the 2012 Children's Spring Fishing Derbies this past weekend. Many photos of happy kids and their prizes catches can be viewed at the following link: <2012 Fishing Derby Photos>.
Kevin and Vanessa had another great week fishing for smallmouth bass on the river, capped by a bonus late spring steelhead (photos courtesy Kevin Bunch).
Bob has been catching the heck out of those Rocky River bass this week. It's probably due to good karma, as Bob and his wife, Diana, volunteered to assist kids and families at our Children's Fishing Derbies this past weekend. I also found out that Diana is the one who made that custom pink camo vest that many of you have seen Joyce wearing in photos and on the river. Check out her website if you are interested in a professional quality custom fishing vest for yourself or for a gift, or need a repair done (ie: broken zipper) on a favorite vest: <Diana's Sewing Studio>. By the way, Diana is very modest and someone else told me about her service, and because they are among our valued volunteers I wanted to share (photos courtesy of Bob Brunner).
Who said centerpins are just for steelhead!? Justin caught this plump Rocky River channel catfish on his centerpin rig this week (photo courtesy of Justin Marconi).
This past Friday a group of Westlake High School biology students released 100 small trout they raised as a classroom project into the Rocky River. The release was followed by a fishing outing at Wallace Lake. See the highlight in the fishing report for more information about this neat project.
Danny is another angler who has those Rocky smallies really wired. He's even getting them on the fly rod! (photos courtesy of Danny Nagy).
Aaron caught this fine looking largemouth bass along the Cleveland shoreline this week (photo courtesy of Aaron Lalonde).
Thank you to the Optimist Club of West Suburban Cleveland for donating $500 to Cleveland Metroparks Fishing Fund, as well as providing food for sale at the fishing derby on Sunday (photo courtesy of Brian Fyfe).
"GRRRRRRRRR!!! Gimme that catfish!". Just because a fish is on your stringer, it doesn't necessarily mean that someone else isn't going to try and claim it, as evidenced by this photo of a hungry and determined snapping turtle from Ohio & Erie Canal fishing area this week (photo courtesy of Cathy Boozer).
The Rocky River Fishing Report is updated weekly (typically on Thursday afternoons) between September and May and monthy between June and August.
2012 Cleveland Metroparks Registered Fishing Guides (name, company, contact)
#12-001 Monte Casey, The Steelhead Guide, www.steelheadguide.com
#12-002 Jeffery Liskay, Silver Fury Guide Service & Schools, [email protected] (440) 781-7536
#12-003 Owen Murphy, Ohio Steelhead Drifters, www.ohiosteelheaddrifters.com
#12-004 Ryan Buddie, Ohio Steelhead Drifters, www.ohiosteelheaddrifters.com
#12-005 Brett McCrae, Chagrin River Outfitters/Steelhead Alley Outfitters, [email protected] (216) 780-9209
#12-006 Robert McClintock, RSM Fly Fishing Services, www.rsmflyfishing.com
#12-007 Nathan Miller, Chagrin River Outfitters/Steelhead Alley Outfitters,[email protected] (440) 796-6105
#12-008 James Chamberlin, Fish With Jim Outfitters, http://fishwithjimoutfitters.com
#12-009 Duncan Golder, Golder?�+s Guide Service, [email protected] (440) 654-1785
More information on Cleveland Metroparks Fishing Guide Permit requirments, including a copy of the permit application, you may check the following link: <Fishing Guide Permit Program>
Cleveland Metroparks Fishing Fund Cleveland Metroparks Fishing Fund helps provide a rewarding fishing experience to Northeast Ohio anglers through the stocking of rainbow trout, channel catfish, largemouth bass, and other sport fish. The Fund also supports children's fishing derbies and creation and restoration of essential habitat in the ponds, lakes, and rivers within Cleveland Metroparks.
For more information or to make a gift to Cleveland Metroparks Fishing Fund, including a web donation option, please visit: <Fishing Fund Donations Online>