***The Fishing Report Blog is updated every Thursday*** The Rocky and Chagrin rivers are largely frozen over. Anglers can check the flow and temperature data at the following links:
<Rocky River flow gage data><Chagrin River flow gage data> <Rocky River NEORSD station with turbidity>. Note: in winter ice on gage sensors can cause erroneous readings. Mixed trout were recently stocked at five locations with more on the way scheduled for next week (details below). and anglers are pursuing them on the ice.
Cold temperatures this week have lead to very limited open water in our local stream for the most part. But a new opportunity has been presented- ice fishing for steelhead! Anglers caught quite a few steelhead through the ice at the Rocky River boat ramps area this week.
PLEASE SEE ICE SAFETY TIPS BELOW AND BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL ON RIVER ICE! Ice anglers catch steelhead on spawn sacks, small jigs tipped with a waxworm or a few maggots or a minnow, all typically suspended 4-6 feet beneath a small ice bobber. Small to medium size jigging spoons, such as Litle Cleo or KastMaster, actively jigged without any bait added, also produce steelhead through the ice with reularity. Despite not being stocked directly, steelhead are also available in the Cuyahoga River since it freezes up notably more slowly than our other streams and can be a good bet under our current conditions. Protected Lake Erie harbors, such as Edgewater, Wildwood and E72nd boat ramp area also offer ice fishing opportunities for steelhead, northern pike, yellow perch and sunfish.
On Tuesday January 25th and this morning we conducted our second round (and final) scheduled winter trout stockings. This consisted of a total of 3,000 lbs of trout distributed as follows: Wallace Lake (1,400 lbs), Shadow Lake (750 lbs), ledge Lake (650 lbs), Ranger Lake (100 lbs) and Judge's Lake (100 lbs). These complement to 3,000 lbs of trout distirbuted in the same manner back in December. The majority of the fish were 1-1.5 lb rainbow trout, but an impressive number of brook, brown, golden rainbow and even some tiger trout (a brown trout x brook trout hybrid) were in the mix.
Note: the daily limit at Wallace, Ledge, Ranger and Judge's lakes is 3 trout/angler and the limit at Shadow Lake and the Ohio & Erie Canal is 5 trout/angler. The trout can bite well on colorful dime size balls of Power Bait dough, a waxworm ot two on a small marabou or tube jig and jigging spoons.
Since anglers began venturing onto our frozen lakes and ponds to ice fish this week I offer the following safety advice. Most state conservation agencies recommend at least 4" of solid ice before anglers should venture out to ice fish, and in Cleveland Metroparks it is the angler's responsibility to check that. One method is to use a spud bar near shore and check the ice thickness, and if it is
> 4 inches then walk out a little further and check again. Ice is often thinnest right at the water's edge and around inlets and outlets of the waterbody. The heavy snow this week will serve to insulate the water and slow additional ice formation, as well. River ice forms less consisatently than on lakes and ponds and changes more quickly, so exercise extreme caution in this scenario. A pair of emergency ice picks held at the ready on a cord around the neck are are a safety must, as is an emergency length of rope. A floating "survival suit" is something you may consider, as well. Other safety tips are to always fish with a friend, let someone know where you'll be, and focus on areas near where other anglers are already fishing.
If you ever do fall through the ice, the most important thing to do initially is gain your composure. Panicking is the worst thing you can do. People report getting the wind knocked out of them when they first feel the hit of the ice cold water. Get to the edge of the ice and once your breathing is under control use your ice picks to simultaneously claw back the direction yor came in while kicking your legs. It's as if you are "swimming" back onto the ice. Once on the ice DO NOT STAND UP! Roll the direction you walked in until you feel you are on thicker ice then retreat to shore the same way you came in. Hopefully you never need to use this advice. I did watch a person fall through the ice on a local Lake Erie harbor a few years ago. The inexperienced ice fisher did not have ice picks on him. At the urging of those folks nearby he did everything noted above, but could not get the grip to pull back onto the slick ice. Then someone slid him a pair of picks and he immediately got out as described above, thankfully.
Fishing Guide Permit Renewal Reminder. Anybody interested in guiding on Cleveland Metroparks waters in 2022 may find a link to the application materials following the photos at the end of this report. Thank you and may all your clients have fish filled trips into the New Year!
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 covered too.
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] .