September 26, 2024

***NOTE: The Fishing Report Blog is back to regular weekly Thursday updates from September-May***   The cooler weather and rain this week has boosted the early season steelhead fishing along the lakefront and in local streams. 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 inland lake/pond anglers are primarily pursuing largemouth bass, channel catfish and panfish.
 
Reports of steelhead being caught around Cleveland have increased this week. With the cooler weather and shorter days steelhead are showing up around the rocks at Edgewater Park, E55th breakwall, and Wildwood Park as well as in the northernmost river sections closer to Lake Erie (the Rocky River marina area is one such spot).  The rivers received a boost in flow from rain this week luring a few fish to run further upstream.  Casting a spoon (ie Little Cleo or KO Wobbler) or spinner (ie Vibrax or RoosterTail) at these locations are a good a bet for connecting with an early steelhead trout. Trolling spoons and medium size crankbaits (like Flicker Shad) around the river mouths can also produce. These same locations can also produce walleye after dark, with Perfect 10 and other shallow running stick-style crankbaits working well. I recently did a podcast with 120 Outdoors that discusses early season steelhead as well as the upcoming Steelhead Expo that is available on <Apple> and <Spotify>.
 
Along the Cleveland shoreline a few yellow perch will turn up at E55th breakwall and will take minnows fished on the bottom on a crappie rig. The best bite is often in the morning and late afternoon. 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.
 
Anglers at our inland lakes and ponds are catching catfish, largemouth bass, and panfish. Wallace Lake, Ledge Lake, Shadow Lake, and Beyer's Pond are just a few spots worth poking around in early fall. The Ohio & Erie Canal at E49th Street will be stocked with rainbow trout and channel catfish in mid October. Please note that Hinckley Lake is currently drained for a dam rehabilitation project and will not be refilled until sometime in 2025.
 
Steelhead Expo at the Rocky River Nature Center this Saturday, September 28. The Steelhead Expo is a great way to kick off the steelhead season and will be held at the Rocky River Nature Center this Saturday September 28. This event is a collaborative effort between the Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders and Cleveland Metroparks and will offer a full day of expert speakers and seminars, vendors, and other related information to usher in the fall steelhead season (details listed in the images below). There is no charge for the event but OCBS, a non-profit sportman's group which is very active in the local fishing and conservation communities, is offering a raffle as a fundraiser so donations or participation in the raffle is encouraged. Location info here: <Rocky River Nature Center>.
 
Fall Family Fishing Fest will be held Saturday, October 12. Come out and join us for Fall Family Fishing Fest at the Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation on Saturday, October 12 from 10 - 2:00 p.m. This event is free and we will have a limited number of fishing poles to loan out, as well as bait. We will be stocking 600 lbs of channel catfish and 1,000 lbs of rainbow trout at the Ohio & Erie Canal in anticipation of the event. Although anglers of any age can participate, prizes in several categories will be reserved for kids 15 years old and under. Thank you to Ohio Division of Wildlife and Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders for supporting this great event with grant funds.
 
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


 

Tuan reports “Me and my son Jayden were lucky to catch few steelheads casting spoons at the Edgewater Park this week.” (photos courtesy of Tuan Truong).



 
I don’t know which I like better - the steelhead, the smile, or the shirt! Tony shared from the Cleveland shoreline “First one of the season! Caught on a white Blue Fox spinner” (photo courtesy of Tony Modic).




Gail scored a beautiful steelhead this week (photo courtesy of Brian DiGioia).





Chuck scored a big accomplishment this week - a walleye, steelhead and smallmouth bass in the same day! We call this the Gold Silver Bronze challenge (photos courtesy of Chuck Naujoks).




Rocco found a recently dead blue crab in the Rocky River this week. The non-native crustacean was likely discarded by someone who had originally purchased it with plans to eat, but instead dumped it for whatever reason (photo courtesy of Rocco Serio).











Students from our Cleveland Metroparks <Youth Outdoors Fellowship Program> recently had a fun outing learning about fish at Wallace Lake.






Here’s the lowdown on info for the Steelhead Expo.






Although not from Cleveland Metroparks, I caught my biggest Ohio muskie last week, a 50.25” fish with an estimated weight of 40 pounds. She was released after the photos.