October 17, 2024

***NOTE: The Fishing Report Blog is back to regular weekly Thursday updates from September-May***   The Rocky River received a good bump in flow this week from rain and coupled with the cool weather the steelhead run in the streams is improving. 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 and yellow perch, and inland anglers are catching freshly stocked rainbow trout and farm raised channel catfish at the Ohio & Erie Canal fishing area (details below).

The rain and cooler weather this week is just what steelhead anglers needed, with rivers starting to drop into great shape just in time for the weekend. River anglers drifting jigs tipped with a few maggots, spawn sacks and egg mimicking beads through the holes are also catching fish. Trolling spoons and medium size crankbaits (like Flicker Shad) around the river mouths can also produce. The Rocky and Chagrin rivers have both been producing, and the Cuyahoga River and Euclid Creek at Wildwood Park are both also producing some fish. Along the lakefront steelhead are being caught off the rocks at Edgewater Park, E55th breakwall, and Wildwood Park. Casting a spoon (ie Little Cleo or KO Wobbler) or spinner (ie Vibrax or RoosterTail) at these locations are a good bet for connecting with an early steelhead trout. These same locations may also produce walleye after dark, with Perfect 10 and other shallow running stick-style crankbaits working well.  

Along the Cleveland shoreline yellow perch are being caught by boaters near the Cuyahoga River outer lighthouse as well as at the east end of the outer city breakwall. A few perch may also turn up at E55th breakwall, although shore fishing for them is less predictable, and will take minnows fished on the bottom on a crappie rig.  Please note that Wendy Park at the old Coast Guard station is closed for repairs and will reopen to the public in roughly August 2025.

On Thursday, October 10 we stocked 1,000 lbs of rainbow trout and 741 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 1.5 lbs each and the catfish average 2-3 lbs, but we included a handful of bigger fish and a few golden rainbow trout to keep things interesting. Trout bite good on a dime size ball of PowerBait about a foot from a sinker on the bottom, small marabou or hair jigs tipps with a few maggots about 2 feet under a small bobber and on smaller spinners. Either species can be caught on a piece of nightcrawler or shrimp fished on the canal bottom.

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

Buddies Zach and Vinnie enjoyed what local fishing had to offer this week, from steelhead in the streams to yellow perch along the Lake Erie shoreline (photos courtesy of Brian DiGioia).

Scott shared “Benjamin’s first chromer on his 13h birthday trolling the lower Rocky River” (photo courtesy of Scott Mills).