October 26, 2023

***NOTE:  The Fishing Report Blog is back to regular weekly Thursday updates from September-May***   Anglers on the Rocky River and other area streams are targeting steelhead trout. 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 primarily targeting walleye, yellow perch and steelhead and on inland locations they are pursuing fresh stocked rainbow trout and farm raised channel catfish at the Ohio & Erie Canal off E49th Street.
 
Anglers have been catching steelhead and various stray salmon (photos below) in the Rocky, Chagrin and other area streams, with the most fish concentrated in the areas closer to Lake Erie. There is some rain and a warm-up in the forecast into the weekend but the good fishing conditions should not change until then. Anglers are also connecting with some steelhead off the rocks at Edgewater, E55th, and Wildwood parks. In the streams fish are being caught on an array of offerings including dime to nickel size spawn sacks (colored mesh bags containing trout or salmon eggs), live minnows, 1/64  or 1/32 oz jigs tipped with maggots, and salmon egg mimmicking beads drifted under floats in holes and deeper runs. Fly fishing with egg patterns and streamers is also catching some fish.  In streams and lakefront locations anglers aree casting spoons ie 2/5 oz Little Cleo or KO Wobbler, medium size spinners (ie Vibrax and Rooster Tail) and crankbaits. Cleveland shoreline areas are also producing a few walleye after dark, as well, with Perfect 10 and other shallow running stick-style crankbaits working well.
 
Some catches of yellow perch, white perch and channel catfish have turned up along the shoreline at E55th breakwall. Wendy Park at the old Coast Guard station can also produce when water coming out of the nearby Cuyahoga River is not too muddy. They have been biting on bits of worms or small minnows fished on the bottom on a crappie rig.  Boaters have been getting in on the action, too, with some tracking down limits of yellow perch off Rocky River and Cleveland in 32-36 feet of water. The best bite is often in the morning and late afternoon.
 
On Wednesday October 11 we stocked 1,000 lbs of rainbow trout and 700 lbs of channel catfish at the Ohio & Erie Canal off E49th Street for Fall Family Fishing Fest and many of those fish remain to be caught. The trout average a pound each and the catfish average 1-3 lbs, but we included a handful of bigger fish and quite a few golden rainbow trout to spice things up. For basic tips and techniques on fishing for these fish check out a past  <Facebook Live> segment offered by my colleague Faruq from Cleveland Metroparks Youth Outdoors program.  If you are content catching either species you can try a nightcrawler worm or piece of shrimp fished on the canal bottom.

Cuyahoga Celebration on November 16. Another Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI - Fish Tumors and Deformities) has been officially removed from the status of the Cuyahoga River and a celebration is in order! On Thursday, November 16 from 5 - 6:30pm an event will be hosted at Collision Bend Brewery to recognize this milestone occasion. Drinks and appetizers will be included in this free event buy you will need to register at CuyahogaBUIcelebration.eventbrite.com. As a side note, my staff/volunteers and I had the privilege of assisting US Fish and Wildlife Service with data collection in 2019 and 2021 that ultimately led to this BUI delisting. 

 
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] .

Tight Lines,

Mike


 

Proud father Brad shared this photo of the first steelhead his son Mitch ever caught on his own.  The fish was taken at the Rocky River marina area (photo courtesy of Brad Geduldig).



 Eric shared regarding this brute steelie “Had some good luck in a local creek this weekend. Here is the biggest one landed. Caught drifting a tube jig. Have loved your reports for a long time. First submission.” (photo courtesy of Eric Kuhn).




Curt caught this 32” northern pike casting a Little Cleo spoon at Wendy Park on Lake Erie (photo courtesy of Curt Adkins).




Collin caught a surprise chinook salmon among the steelhead while casting a Little Cleo spoon in the Rocky River.  Also know as king salmon, the fish likely strayed from Lake Huron as nobody is stocking them in Lake Erie these days (photo courtesy of Collin Morton).



Austin caught this buck pink salmon in the Rocky River this week. What a year it has been for pinks! (photo courtesy of Austin Harmon).




Speaking of salmon, Luke caught this coho salmon in a local creek this week.  In 18.5 years of doing this report this is the first time I recall 3 species of salmon turning up in the Rocky River in one week, and 4 species of salmon (add Atlantic salmon) turning up in the river in a season! (photos courtesy of Luke Giltinan).



Bobby shared from the Rocky River “Lite bite, but big fish.  4th drift through pool I was fishing netted this fresh hen, stretched 28", excellent fight, safely released. Note: the jig in it's lip is 1/64oz white bucktail w/flash, (Voodoo - but I paint the plain head) chartreuse head, red collar, tipped w/maggots. She gently pulled the float down but I had my finger on the line and could feel her weight pull vs the leaves that are quickly falling and complicate the drift at times. And please fishermen, pick up your discarded line tangles, lure and bait packaging and keep our sliver of nature in the Big City scenic!” (photo courtesy of Bobby Allison).




Matt shared “Good morning Mike. First time I've sent pictures in. Had great luck this week in the Chagrin with getting alot of steelhead on Little Cleo spoons and then got a nice buck in the Rocky River on Wednesday.  All on spoons.” (photos courtesy of Matt Macomber).



Toussant caught this bonus 24 inch walleye at the Rocky River marina casting a spoon at daybreak.  He reports that he has been catching steelhead there every morning (photo courtesy of Toussaint Herring).




Rocco shared the benefits of catch and release “Caught this same fish without the fin on October 8th further down the river and then caught it again on Tuesday.” (photos courtesy of Rocco Serio).




Sam has been finding some walleye out of Gordon Park/E72nd in Cleveland (photos courtesy of Sam Horn).



The new and the old Ken caught a fresh run steelhead with a recently spent (died after spawning) pink salmon on the bank nearby (photo courtesy of Ken Harper).



Owen landed his first walleye of the fall casting from the shoreline by E55th this week (photo courtesy of Owen Lockhart).





Another Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI 4 – Fish Tumors and Deformities)) has been officially removed from the status of the Cuyahoga River and a celebration is in order!  On Thursday November 16 from 5-6:30pm an event will be hosted at Collision Bend Brewery to recognize this milestone occasion.  Drinks and appetizers will be included in this free event but attendees will need to register at CuyahogaBUIcelebration.eventbrite.com.  As a side note, my staff/volunteers and I had the privilege of assisting US Fish and Wildlife service with the data collection (in 2019 and 2021) that ultimately lead to this BUI delisting.