February 13, 2025

***NOTE: The Fishing Report Blog is updated weekly on Thursdays from September-May***  Local streams have been slushy in the mornings following colder nights but are offering lots of open water for steelhead anglers. Anglers need to be careful navigating around treacherous ice slabs are piled up high along the banks in some areas (especially at the marina on the Rocky River). 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>. Ice on our smaller lakes and ponds has been sustained by the colder temperatures this week and anglers have been out ice fishing for recently stocked trout. 

The Rocky and Chagrin rivers are offering plenty of open water for steelhead anglers, although the stream conditions have been especially slushy in the morning following colder nights. Weekend conditions will be dictated by temperature as well as how much precipitation we receive so anglers should check the flow data links offered above before heading out. Be aware that treacherous ice slabs are piled up high along the river banks in areas, especially near the Rocky River boat ramps. Steelhead anglers have been reporting good success this week on a variety of offerings. Drifting dime to nickel size spawn sacks, smaller marabou/hair jigs (1/32-1/64 oz) tipped with a few maggots, and egg mimicking beads under floats through the holes have all been connecting anglers with winter fish.

The return of colder weather has sustained ice on our inland lakes and ponds and ice fishers are still pursuing the recently stocked trout. In late January we stocked the second (and final) bunch of winter trout at Wallace (1,900 lbs), Shadow (750 lbs), Ledge (650 lbs), Ranger (100 lbs), and Judge’s (100 lbs) lakes. These complement the 3,500 pounds of mixed trout we stocked in the same lakes back in December. The bulk of these fish were rainbow trout averaging a pound each although there were plenty of bonus brook, brown, golden rainbow, and even tiger (brook x brown hybrid) trout in the mix. Anglers should fish small baits and jigs under small ice floats and to expect light hits and set the hook quickly. Another good option is small to medium size (1.5-3”) jigging spoons, which can be worked at various depths of the water column until active fish are encountered. Although jigging spoons do not require bait, they can still be tipped with a few maggots, a waxworm or a small minnow, which can sometimes elicit more bites.  A dime size ball of PowerBait on a bare hook or molded on a small jighead can also produce.

To clarify trout limit by location (all trout species combined), the daily limit is 3 trout at Wallace, Ranger, Ledge and Judge’s lakes.  The daily limit is 5 trout at Shadow Lake and Ohio & Erie Canal. For steelhead in winter the daily limit is 2 with minimum size of 12” whether fishing the rivers, harbors or Lake Erie.

Ice fishing on the Cleveland harbors can offer a variety of species including steelhead, yellow perch and northern pike among them.  The trick is to find areas that are not loaded too thick with schools of gizzard shad (they can get so abundant that at times you can’t avoid snagging them while jigging). Steelhead through the ice will hit similar baits to stocked trout (listed above) as well as offerings they bite in the river. Yellow perch and other panfish bite a small ice jig tipped with a maggot or two or a waxworm and pike bite jigging spoons and live minnows best. Ice in these areas has more variability than inland lakes so be extra cautious. The protected harbors at E55th Marina, Gordon Park/E72nd boat ramps, and Edgewater Park boat ramps are some of the areas traditionally targeted. Exercise extra caution on these harbors as they have more variability in ice formation than our inland lakes due to current and other factors.

As far as ice fishing most state conservation agencies recommend at least 4" of solid ice before anglers should venture out, and in Cleveland Metroparks it is the angler's responsibility to check that. One method is to use a spud bar near shore and check the ice thickness, and if it is > 4 inches and solid, good quality ice then walk out a little further and check again. Ice is often thinnest right at the water's edge and around inlets and outlets of the waterbody. A pair of emergency ice picks held at the ready on a cord around the neck are a safety must, as is an emergency length of rope. Other safety tips are to always fish with a friend, let someone know where you'll be, and focus on areas near where other anglers have already been fishing recently. The forecast for the next week looks promising to keep ice around. For those leery of stepping onto the frozen lakes, trout and other species can still be pursued through the ice from the safety of fishing platforms, docks, and in other areas that the shoreline slopes quickly into deeper water (Wallace and Ledge lakes have good opportunities for this). 

A Reminder About Parking Along The Rocky River. Rocky River Park Manager Rick Ditch wanted to remind folks to only park in designated parking areas along the Rocky River parkway. The ground is soft and parking in non-designated areas (whether marked as no parking or not) can cause significant damage to the berm. In some cases our officers will issue parking tickets, as well.  Thank you for helping us maintain a beautiful park by following this rule!

Trout Club Fly Tying Night is Back on February 19. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History Trout Club welcomes folks to join them on Wednesday, February 19, starting at 6:00 PM for an open fly-tying session at The Beach Club Bistro, 21939 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44123. Come and show a favorite pattern or if you have questions on tying ask one of the experienced tyers onhand for help. Show up anytime and they will be there until 9:00 PM. Fly tying instructor and author, Jerry Darkes, will also be in attendance to help out and answer questions. Jerry will also be selling personalized copies of his new book Favorite Flies for the Upper Midwest. Cost is $30.00 and net profit from each book sold will benefit the Club. Payment by cash, check, Venmo, or PayPal.  To reserve a copy, contact Jerry at [email protected].

Annual Metroparks Boat Ramp Tags are now Available for Online Purchase. You can now purchase your Cleveland Metroparks annual boat launch tags online. Discount rates for seniors and veterans ($25), and rates vary if you are a resident of our service area ($30) versus outside the area ($35). You can find more information and purchase at this link: <2025 Boat Launch Tags>. Tags will also be available for in person purchase once our marina shops open again for the boating season in spring.

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

Michael caught this golden rainbow trout at Shadow Lake on a Panther Martin tipoped with maggots (photo courtesy of Michael Nemunaitis).

Rob shared “My dad and I had some luck fishing Ranger Lake on Groundhog's Day. We caught 2 nice trout (a rainbow and a tiger), both about 18 inches, both on a 1/8 oz green and silver Kastmaster spoon, about 4 feet under the ice. A beautiful day on the ice and some beautiful fish! We had another successful trip this past Saturday morning, and got to bring the kids along. The ice was concerning, so we stayed on the dock at Ledge Lake, opened up some previous holes and caught 2 more rainbows. My son and I were fishing side by side and one of the rainbows gulped up both our lures at the same time! The 1/8 oz Kastmaster was working again, as did a jigging Rapala. Big thanks to the stocking program for providing these opportunities!!” (photos courtesy of Rob Andrasik).

Mike had luck catching channel catfish through the ice at Wallace Lake Sunday including a real brute! (photos courtesy of Mike Angelucci).

Aaron made a surprise catch in the Rocky River on Sunday when this jack coho salmon munched on the jig tipped with maggots he was drifting (photos courtesy of Aaron J.).

Matt caught some rainbow trout on a Metroparks pond on tungsten jigs tipped with minnows. He has been getting them from the middle to the bottom of the water column (photos courtesy of Matt Jacquet).

Owen and Mark show off a chunky rainbow trout that ate a small spawn sack. They are also setting a good example with ice picks at the ready around their necks.

Jeff displays a trophy brown trout stocked at Shadow Lake recently.

#25-001 Jeff Liskay, Great Lakes Flyfishing LLC, [email protected] (440) 781-7536

#25-002 Gareth Thomas, Alley Grabs Guide Service, [email protected] (216) 235-5056

#25-003 Jim Lingenfelter, Wild Ohio Outdoors Guide Service, [email protected], (440) 731-9160

#25-004 Monte Casey, Steelhead Guide, (440) 773-8064 www.steelheadguide.com

#25-005 Nicholas DelVecchio, Wildwood Outfitters, [email protected] (724) 433-2315