As we enter fall, highlight species targeted by anglers along the Rocky River and other area streams include steelhead trout, smallmouth bass, carp, panfish, and channel catfish. The Rocky River is currently low in level and fairly clear and will remain that way until our next significant rain. 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>. Nearshore Lake Erie anglers are targeting walleye, steelhead, bass (largemouth and smallmouth), and yellow perch, and inland lake/pond anglers are primarily pursuing largemouth bass, channel catfish and panfish.
The Rocky River is flowing low and fairly clear today and will remain that way until we recieve some significant precipitation. A fair number of steelhead turned up this week off the rocks/breakwalls at Edgewater, E55th/E72nd, Wildwood Park, and in the northernmost river sections by the lake. Casting a spoon (ie Little Cleo or KO Wobbler) or spinner (ie Vibrax or RoosterTail) at these locations are as good a bet as any for connecting with an early steelhead trout. Things traditionally start to heat up with the steelhead fishing later into October.
Anglers are also pursuing a mixed bag of warmwater species in the streams. Smallmouth bass are typically found in the deeper, rocky pools of the river. A dark olive or brown tube jig of about 4" length is one of the best producers of bass in the river. "Smallies" also bite well on live bait (ie: minnow, crayfish, and leeches), lures (ie: spinners and minnow plugs), and flies (ie: crayfish patterns, Clouser minnows, dark brown or olive sculpin or muddler minnow patterns). A surprise this season has been a respectable number of keeper size walleye by the Rocky River marina (see photo below). There have been a very impressive number of baby walleye in our streams lately, as well. Please be gentle handling these index finger size fish from the outstanding 2018 hatch.
Anglers at our inland lakes and ponds are catching catfish, largemouth bass, and panfish. In mid September we released 746 largemouth bass, sunfish,and channel catfish at Beyer's Pond following the Middleburgh Heights Family Fishing Days in mid-September. Wallace Lake, Ledge Lake, and Shadow Lake are a few other spots worth that can be worth poking around in early fall. Rainbow trout and farm raised channel catfish will be stocked in the Ohio & Erie Canal fishing area in mid October. The Ohio Division of Wildlife stocked 1,000 yearling (juvenile) channel catfish at the Ohio & Erie Canal yesterday, as well.
Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, freshwater drum, walleye, and panfish species can also be found along the Cleveland shoreline in early fall and can be caught on offerings such as tube jigs, dropshot rigs, crankbaits, and live bait. Some good eater size walleye (15-20 inches) have been found in shallow water 16-24 feet deep by Cleveland area boating anglers, although more consistent catches are still being made in 68-70 FOW. Yellow perch fishing off Cleveland has been slowly heating up off Wildwood Park in 32-38 foot of water. The ODNR Division of Wildlife weekly Lake Erie fishing report can be viewed
<here>.
Fall Family Fishing Fest this Saturday October 13. Come out and join us for Fall Family Fishing Fest at the Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation this Saturday October 13th from 9-1:00pm This event is free and we will have a limited number of fishing poles to loan out, as well as bait. We stocked 600 lbs of channel catfish and 1,000 lbs of rainbow trout at the Ohio & Erie Canal this week in anticipation of the event.
PLEASE NOTE: the area is closed to public fishing until 9:00am on Saturday morning. 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. More details here:
<Fall Family Fishing Fest>.
CMNH Trout Club News: Hank Patterson Event and Chagrin River Watershed Project Support. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History (CMNH) Trout Club is hosting Hank Patterson (fly fishing comedian/entertainer) for an event from 6:00-9:00pm on the evening of October 20th. Hank will release his new video and do a Q&A as the headline guest. Before Hank goes on stage they will have beer and whiskey, food, and offer 6 seminar tables (Cleveland Metroparks will be hosting one of them). Each table will be offering four consecutive 15 minute seminars on a relevant local fishing topic. Tickets are available
<here>.
I am also very pleased to report that CMNH Trout Club recently approved a Cleveland Metroparks application for an improvement project on a coldwater tributary of the Chagrin River. Spokeperson Kendrick Chittock shared last week
"I am happy to inform you that the Trout Club voted to approve and fund your application for the Beecher’s Brook Restoration project at the full $10,000. This type of project, and in particular, this accessible and well known tributary, is a great fit for our members and others who enjoy the stream and Chagrin River Valley." This stream has an outstanding native fish community in its lower reaches, as well as routine natural reproduction of steelhead/rainbow trout. This project will open up the upper stream reaches to fish migration, which are currently halted by an aging grade control structure (small dam). Thank you to the CMNH Trout Club for being a longstanding conservation partner in working to protect important water resources in northeast Ohio!
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
md@clevelandmetroparks.com .
Tight Lines,
Mike