The Rocky and Chagrin rivers got a slight bump in flow this morning and are offering good fishing conditions today and should continue to do so through the weekend. Lake-run smallmouth bass, some walleye and white bass (by the marina), and a few lingering steelhead are available in local rivers. Anglers can monitor the most recent river flows (and turbidity on the Rocky) at the following links before planning a trip:
<Rocky River flow gage data><Chagrin River flow gage data> <Rocky River NEORSD station with turbidity>. Rainbow trout are available in the East Branch Rocky River, Wallace Lake, Ohio & Erie Canal, and Ledge Lake and a variety of species, including walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass and yellow perch are being caught along the Lake Erie shoreline. Our Spring Children's Fishing Derbies are this weekend (see details below).
The Rocky and Chagrin rivers recieved a welcome bump in flow from rain passing through today are offering good fishing conditions that should continue through the weekend.
Local streams are offering good numbers of lake-run smallmouth bass. These fish are present in deeper, rocky holes throughout the main branch of the river. For the second year in a row some adult walleye and white bass are making a late spring appearance seeking baitfish by the marina (see photos below). A few
post-spawn steelhead were still being caught this week, but as is typical this time of year their numbers in the streams have thinned out as most have headed back to Lake Erie. Anglers fishing a jig, wooly bugger, live shiner, or other lures/flies that mimic a baitfish by the marina have a rare shot at hooking "the gold, silver and bronze" (a walleye, smallmouth bass and steelhead) in the same day. Now there is a challenge to set for yourself! Note: as of May 1 the Lake Erie zone smallmouth/largemouth bass combined bag limit changes to 1 bass/day of 18 inches minimum size. The zone includes Lake Erie waters and (locally) the Rocky River to Detroit Road bridge, Cuyahoga River to Harvard Road bridge, and Chagrin River to Route 283 bridge. Lake-run channel catfish and common carp are also showing up in the streams.
The Cleveland shoreline breakwalls are offering a good post-spawn night bite for walleye. Perfect 10s, Husky Jerks, and glow swimbaits are a few of the offerings that produce.
The breakwall at E55th, pier and breakwall at Wendy Park (old Coast Guard station) and rocks at Edgewater Park and E72nd are good spots for walleye. Yellow perch are also being caught at these locations on a crappie rig baited with live or salted emerald shiners on the lake bottom. Harbor areas at Edgewater, Gordon, and Wildwood parks in late spring are a good place to find largemouth and smallmouth bass, various panfish species, freshwater drum and channel catfish with a shot at northern pike. Beginning this boating season our public boat launch ramps at Rocky River, Edgewater, Gordon Park, and Wildwood will be charging a fee ($5 daily or season pass for $30 for Cuyahoga county residents and $35 for out of county residents) for trailered watercraft. Please note that 100% of proceeds will go back into Lakefront improvements projects. See highlight below for details on obtaining a launch pass online.
Opportunities for catching trout are very good at our stocked inland lakes. Last week Wallace Lake and the Ohio & Erie Canal were stocked by Cleveland Metroparks with a combined 1,300 lbs of rainbow trout and 1,400 lbs of farm raised channel catfish for our Spring Children's Fishing Derbies and plenty of these fish remain. Additionally, the ohio Division of Wildlife stocked 2,100 rainbow trout averaging 3/4 pound each in the ohio & erie Canal last week. In addition to these most recent stockings, on May 7 we released 400 pounds of trout at Ledge Lake. A few trout are still present at Shadow, Judge's Hinckley and Ranger lakes, as well.
Rainbow trout stocking in the East Branch Rocky River has concluded for the season. There are still trout to go around as we released 2,400 pounds in the river since March 19. The stocking zone is between Route 82 (Royalton Road) and the river crossing ford about a mile south of Wallace Lake.
Trout typically bite well on PowerBait, small jigs (marabou, hair, or rubber) tipped with a few maggots/waxworms, and smaller spinners (such as Rooster Tail). Please note the current seasonal trout regulations: 3/day no size limit at Wallace, Judge's and Ranger lakes and 5/day no size limit at Shadow Lake and Ohio & Erie Canal. The Lake Erie and tributary streams bag limit on trout (includes steelhead) bumped up to 5/day as of May 16 and need to be minimum size of 12 inches.
Rocky River Clean-Up Saturday June 1. The annual Rocky River volunteer clean-up will be held Saturday June 1 from 9:00-noon, to be followed immediately by a cookout to thank our valued volunteers (thank you to local business Slyman's Restaurant for sponsoring this year's cookout with food donation of 120 hotdogs, buns, and condiments). This is a collaborative effort between caring citizens, Rocky River Watershed Council, Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District, Earnest Machine, Slyman's restaurant, local groups (such as Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders and Boy Scouts) and Cleveland Metroparks. We will be meeting at 9:00am sharp at the picnic shelter at Scenic Park (near the marina) to form into groups and discuss our plan of attack to clean-up the river. All are welcome at this family/kid friendly event, and please come dressed to possibly get a bit wet and muddy.
Cleveland Metroparks Boat Launch Passes Are Available Online! Due to public feedback, we are now offering an online puchase option for annual boat launch passes. The passes can be puchased at this link:
<Annual Boat Launch Pass>.