March 31, 2022

***The Fishing Report Blog is updated every Thursday***   The Rocky and Chagrin rivers are in good shape, and weekend steelhead and stocked trout fishing prospects are looking good.  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>.  Trout were stocked in the East Branch Rocky River on Tuesday this week (details below).

The Rocky and Chagrin rivers have both dropped into nice shape for anglers, and steelhead and stocked trout fishing opportunities into the weekend are looking very good.  Anglers on all streams reported good success this week, with a mix of active spawning, pre-spawn and post-spawn steelhead present.  Best bets include dime size spawn bags, salmon egg mimicking beads and soft rubber eggs (8-12 mm), small (1/32-1/64 oz), jigs tipped with maggots and live minnows under a float for anglers fish noodle rods or centerpin rigs.  Fly fishers are doing well with eggs flies (ie glow bugs and sucker spawn), streamers (ie Clouser minnows and wooly buggers) and beadhead nymphs.  Anglers can also keep it simple and cast a medium size Little Cleo spoon, Roostertail spinner or similar on a standard medium action spinning rod spooled with 8 pound line.  Lake-run white suckers are currently abundant in the Rocky River and will bite well on small flies, jigs or a worm on the river bottom with a sinker.  The first lake-run smallmouth bass are also beginning to make an appearance.

Lake Erie harbors, such as Edgewater, Wildwood and E72nd boat ramp area offering mixed catch opportunities for steelhead, northern pike and pre-spawn largemouth bass and panfish.  Courtesy docks are in at Gordon Park and Edgewater boat ramps and one is open at Emerald Necklace Marina on the Rocky.  The launch fee pay kiosks are also being put out.  Next up: the fish cleaning station at Gordon Park is scheduled to re-open the week of April 18th t.  Boat Launch Annual tags for the 2022 season can be purchased online <here>.

Many of our lakes and ponds offer stocked trout.  This winter a total of 6,000 lbs of trout were stocked between Wallace, Shadow, Ledge, Judge's and Ranger lakes (Wallace recieved almost half of the total fish) and a decent number of these trout remain.  The majority of the fish were 1-1.5 lb rainbow trout, but a good  number of brook, brown, golden rainbow and even some tiger trout 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.  In the river, the combined rainbow trout/steelhead limit is 2 trout/angler of minimum size 12 inches.  Trout often bite well on small to medium size spinners/spoons/crankbaits, a small marabou or tube jig tipped with a waxworm or a few maggots, canned corn kernals fished on the lake bottom or a dime size ball of colorful PowerBait. 

The second spring stocking of the East Branch Rocky River took place on Tuesday this week with 900 lbs of 14-16" rainbow trout (the river stockings are 100% rainbow trout, unlike our lakes).  These complement the first 900 lbs of trout stocked in the same stretch in mid-March.  The stocking zone is largely in Strongsville and extend from Royalton Road (Rt. 82) heading north to across the parkway from Wallace Lake.  Stocked trout in the river bite the same types of offerings mentioned in the paragraph above.  We hope to stock this stretch of river again late next week.

Barbie Rod Steelhead Derby is This Saturday April 2nd!  The always popular Barbie Rod Steelhead Derby is back this year and scheduled for this Saturday April 2nd.  The sixth annual event was held in 2019 so we will pick up where we left off and call this our seventh annual event.  Cleveland Metroparks will be leading the event this year and Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders (a non-profit) will be hosting the raffle.  Trophies for three largest steelhead, raffles (see a few teaser packages in the photos below), and a cookout are all part of the day's festivities for this fun event where anglers must fish for steelhead with a kiddie fishing pole!  100% of proceeds from the fundraiser event go to support the Cleveland Metroparks Fishing Fund.  The event headquarters will be at South Mastic Woods Picnic Area (immediately south of the Putritas Road bridge), a central location on the Rocky River that offers lots of space.  Mark your calendars for this fun event for a great cause!  More on the event here: <Barbie Rod Steelhead Derby info page>.  You can save $5 versus the day of the event ($30 vs $35) by registering for the Barbie Rod Steelhead Derby online.  You may do so at the following link: <Barbie Rod Steelhead Derby online registration>.

Thank You to our Event Partners!   This week PHYT for Function (manual therapists) and Joseph Jakab Point Blank Hunts and European Fly Fishing joined our group of Barbie Rod Steelhead Derby sponsors.  They join our presenting sponsor Slyman's Restaurant and Jason's Automotive, Inc. on our support team.  Please consider patronizing these local businesses that support local public fishing!

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] .

Dan caught and released this beautiful buck tiger trout at Ledge Lake yesterday.  He was using PowerBait (photo courtesy of Dan K).





Jimmy and friend have been alternating between catching steelhead in the Rocky River and trout at Wallace Lake (photos courtesy of Jimmy Miranda).



Pete caught a dandy pair of rainbow trout in the East Branch Rocky River.  Note: only rainbow trout are stocked in the river, unlike our lake (photo courtesy of Pete Surace).




Ray and a buddy scored the "silver and bronze" from the Rocky this week.  This is right around when those lake-run smallmouth bass start joining the steelhead, making for some exciting opportunities (photos courtesy of Ray Vargo).



John swung up this Rocky River chromer (photo courtesy of John Brochue).



Courtesy docks are in at Gordon Park and Edgewater boat ramps and one is open at Emerald Necklace Marina on the Rocky.  The launch fee pay kiosks are also being put out.  Next up: the fish cleaning station at Gordon Park is scheduled to re-open the week of April 18th (photo courtesy of Michael Ruffo). 



Some nice improvements are underway at E55th breakwall fore shoreline anglers and others who enjoy the lakeshore.




Mike displays a few spring steelhead from the Rock (photos courtesy of Mike Sekerak).






Roxanne was adaptable when the rivers were up and muddy this week and exploring a smaller stream that cleared quicker paid off (photos courtesy of Roxanne Schultheis).



Ted and a buddy each got their two person limit of rainbow trout in the East Branch Rocky River this week (photo courtesy of Ted Choukalas).





Mike shows off some brute steelies he caught quite a way up the Rocky River recently (photos courtesy of Mike Hwodeky).





Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders will be offering an outstanding grand drawing in their raffle at the Barbie rod Steelhead Derby this Saturday- a beautiful Cleveland-made Majestic Prophecy centerpin reel paired up with a North Forth Composites custom float rod crafted with top components by Gary Pugh.  There will be over a dozen amazing raffle packages offered and you can attend the raffle between 2:00 and 3:30pm even if you are not in the fishing competition.  More <here>.



Who is going to take home the bling in the Barbie Rod Steelhead Derby this year?