***NOTE: The Fishing Report Blog is back to regular weekly Thursday updates from September-May*** The fishing report is being updated a day early this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Anglers on the Rocky, Chagrin and Cuyahoga rivers have been pursuing steelhead trout. Stream levels are low and clear at this time and steelhead fishing is calling for finesse techniques (tips in thye report below). Streams have been icy in the mornings this week but that should not be a problem in the coming days if the temperature projections prove accurate. Rain into the weekend could change these conditions, though. 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, yellow perch and steelhead and anglers are targeting recently stocked rainbow trout and channel catfish at the Ohio & Erie Canal fishing area (off E49th Street down the trail from Canalway Visitor Center).
Local streams are exhibiting low flow and clear water and steelhead fishing is becoming more challenging, accordingly. Rain forecasted into the weekend could change conditions, though, so anglers would b e wise to check the river flow trend (links above) before making a trip to the river. Streams have been icy in the mornings this week but that should not be a problem in the coming days if the temperature projections prove accurate. Finesse offerings are most effective under our current conditions with smaller spawn sacks (dime size or smaller in more subdued colors like white, peach, pale yellow or blue), live minnows, 1/64 or 1/32 oz jigs tipped with maggots, and salmon egg mimmicking beads drifted on 6 lb fluorocarbon leaders under floats in deeper runs. Fly fishing with egg patterns and streamers has also yielded some hook-ups, as have spoons, spinners and crankbaits. Also, the streak continues this week yet again with another stray salmon was caught locally (see images below)!
After the lake being kicked up muddy with big waves earlier this week the winds forecasted into the holiday weekend are more amenable to fishing Lake Erie. Steelhead are available off the breakwall at E55th Marina and off the rocks at Edgewater Park, as well as Wildwood Park. Casting a spoon (ie Little Cleo or KO Wobbler) or spinner (ie Vibrax or RoosterTail) at these locations are as good a bet for connecting with a steelhead trout, as is suspending a whole nightcrawler on a plain hook or jigs tipped with minnow or maggots a few feet below a bobber.
Lakefront areas like E55th breakwall also produce good numbers of walleye after dark, with Perfect 10 and other shallow running stick-style crankbaits working well. Walleye trolling off Cleveland is also good through the harbor freezing up. For late season boating anglers, yellow perch are another option off the east end of the Cleveland outer breakwall and by the Cuyahoga River lighthouse in about 30 foot of water, as well. Spotty catches of perch can be made from shore at E55th breakwall and the old Coast Guard Station at Wendy Park. Emerald shiners fished near the bottom on a crappie rig or spreader can both be effective.
In mid October Cleveland Metroparks stocked 1,000 lbs of rainbow trout and 600 lbs of channel catfish at the Ohio & Erie Canal off E49th Street and a fair number of those fish remain. Small jigs tipped with maggots under a floar, a ball of dime sized PowerBait dough fished near the bottom, and small spinners are among the more popular options for catching trout. The first winter stocking of trout in Cleveland Metroparks lakes and ponds is scheduled for sometime in mid December (stay tuned to this report for developments on that).
A few Updates from the Lakefront Park Manager. We plan on pulling the launch ramp docks next week on 11/30 at Gordon and Edgewater. We've left the fish cleaning station at Gordon on as well. The sprayers froze thisa week so we turned those off, but the grinder is still on until next week. Also, folks should be made aware that Whiskey Island Drive will be completely closed to traffic beginning December 5, through the end of January. Any fishermen looking to access Wendy Park or the Coast Guard station will be limited to the all purpose trail or Wendy Park Bridge. Additional note: there is still one courtesy dock in at the Rocky river boat ramps, but the park manager will pull that at his discretion based on advent of winter weather (he will do his best to wait until all boaters from the lot are back in before doing so, though).
New Paperless Launch Ramp Payment Process. There are a few changes boating anglers should be made aware of. Launch fees are required for the duration of the boating season. Lots of our late season boaters are walleye tournament anglers from outside our service area so it only seemed fair to our locals. Also, we have gone paperless for the daily launch fee process using the ParkMobile system. Signs outlining payment options are clearly posted throughout the parking areas at Edgewater, Emerald Necklace Marina, E72nd/Gordon Park and Wildwood parks. For daily launch the fee is only for the site where paid (cannot be transferred to different launches). Payment can be made via ParkMobile app, by scanning a QR code on the sign or by texting a number provided. For those without a smart phone there is a phone number for payment provided. Proof of purchase of daily fees can still be credited towards an annual tag but only if the tag is purchased in person at a Metroparks marina during the season these facilities are open (cannot be credited towards online purchase of the annual tag). The easiest and most streamlined option for boaters planning to use the ramps more than a few times is to just purchase the annual tag at the beginning of the season. Launch fees only apply to motorized and trailered craft and folks not trailering a boat can still use the parking lots with no fee required.
Free Virtual (Zoom) Author Interview on December 7th through the Cuyahoga County Library. Local fly fisherman Gabriel Venditti will be interviewing fly fishing/naturalist author, Steve Ramirez, on December 7th, from 7-8:00pm. In his new book
Casting Onward: Fishing Adventures in Search of America's Native Gamefish, the author traveled thousands of miles, exploring and fishing mountain streams, alpine lakes, National Wild and Scenic Rivers, desert canyons, brackish water estuaries, and the rolling ocean off the coast of Cape Cod. This event will be broadcast live on Zoom. Registration and an email address are required to receive the link to participate:
<Register Here>.
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] .