February 17, 2022

***The Fishing Report Blog is updated every Thursday***   The Rocky and Chagrin rivers are flooded and muddy and still on the rise, but at least all the ice is blowing out opening the way for fresh migrating steelhead once levels begin to recede.  Anglers can check the flow and temperature data at the following links: <Rocky River flow gage data><Chagrin River flow gage data> <Rocky River NEORSD station with turbidity>.  Recently trout were stocked at five locations in Cleveland Metroparks (details below) and anglers were pursuing them on the ice, although ice conditions are rapidly deteriorating.

The Rocky River and other area streams are flooded, muddy torrents at the moment and still rising.  With additional melt off it's looking like it will be early next week before the rivers are fishable again, with smaller streams possibly fishing this weekend.  The good news is that ice slabs that had been blocking the lower Rocky River have blown out, opening up travel for fresh migrating steelhead as river levels recede and clear.  Good bets as the waters first begin to clear are brightly colored (neon pink, orange and chartreuse) dime to nickel size spawn bags under a float, with salmon egg mimicking beads and soft rubber eggs (8-12 mm), small (1/32-1/64 oz) jigs tipped with maggots and live minnows under a float gaining an edge once waters clear further.  The boat ramp area on the Rocky River is covered with large ice slabs and is not usable currently, and also makes many areas on the northern river banks treacherous right now.

Protected Lake Erie harbors, such as Edgewater, Wildwood and E72nd boat ramp area are still iced in, but ice conditions are deteriorating further daily.  The ice on Lake Erie is breaking up and depending on wind conditions could offer shore fishing opportunities at places like E55th breakwall and Edgewater Park.  Boat launches will not be ready for use for some time yet but for anglers looking ahead 2022 Boat Launch Annual tags can be purhcased online <here>.

In late January we conducted our second round (and final) scheduled winter trout stockings.  This consisted of a total of 3,000 lbs of trout distributed as follows: Wallace Lake (1,400 lbs), Shadow Lake (750 lbs), ledge Lake (650 lbs), Ranger Lake (100 lbs) and Judge's Lake (100 lbs).  These complement to 3,000 lbs of trout distirbuted in the same manner back in December.  The majority of the fish were 1-1.5 lb rainbow trout, but an impressive number of brook, brown, golden rainbow and even some tiger trout (a brown trout x brook trout hybrid) were in the mix.  Note: the daily limit at Wallace, Ledge, Ranger and Judge's lakes is 3 trout/angler and the limit at Shadow Lake and the Ohio & Erie Canal is 5 trout/angler.  The trout can bite well on colorful dime size balls of Power Bait dough, a waxworm ot two on a small marabou or tube jig and jigging spoons.  I would not recommend ice fishing at this time with the ice around lake and pond edges will be soft and risky to step onto.  You can pursue trout from the safety of solid ground from fishing docks, lifeguard platforms and and quarry wall shoreline drops-offs at locations such as Wallace Lake.

The Barbie Rod Steelhead Derby Fundraiser is BACK!  After a 2 year hiatus due to Covid, the popular and fun Barbie Rod Steelhead Derby is back this year and scheduled for Saturday April 2nd.  The sixth annual event was held in 2019 so we will pick up where we left off and call this our seventh annual event.  One big difference this year will be that Cleveland Metroparks will be leading the event and Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders (a non-profit) will be hosting the raffle.  A big tip of the hat goes out to past event organizer Mark Warren for 5 years of leading a highly successful event before passing on the reigns.  Trophies for three largest steelhead, raffles, and a cookout are all part of the day's festivities for this fun event where anglers must fish for steelhead with a kiddie fishing pole!  100% of proceeds from the fundraiser event go to support the Cleveland Metroparks Fishing Fund.  The event headquarters has been moved to South Mastic Woods Picnic Area (immediately south of the Putritas Road bridge), a more central location on the Rocky River that offers almost twice the space as the marina area location.  More details coming soon.  Mark your calendars for this fun event for a great cause!

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 covered too.

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
 

Rob shared "We've been enjoying all the photos and information from the weekly fishing blog and have a couple photos to add if there's room!  After I had a limit day on Shadow Lake last Tuesday, I brought out my sons Luke and Max and their Papa to try again. We only brought 2 trout through the ice that day, but it was their first ever ice fishing catch!  Everything was caught on 1/8 oz Acme Kastmasters." (photos courtesy of Rob Andrasik



Conner caught his first steelhead ever through the ice at Wildwood Marina this week on an egg sack tied by his buddy Benjamin (photo courtesy of Benjamin Dingeldine).



Wes shared "My dad (Gary) got this golden surprise while jigging a Kastmaster at Ledge Lake! Thank you for everything you do!" (photo courtesy of Wes Bombik).



Dexter caught this redear sunfish while ice fishing at Wallace Lake (photo courtesy of Corey Butram).



Vitali caught this chrome steelhead this week through the ice at the Rocky River boat ramp areas.  That ice is now gone!









Brian did a photodump of all the great trout he caught while ice fishing at Wallace Lake this winter including tigwer trout (male and female), brook trout (male and female), brown trout, golden rainbow trout and lots of regular rainbow trout (the latter not pictured).  He even caugh a channel catfish (photos courtesy of Brian Kich).





Walt and his son Christian have been catching some fine trout at Shadow Lake in jigging spoons.  They've mostly been getting rainbow trout with a few brook trout as a bonus (photos courtesy of Walt Gedeon).



A close-up of a nice Wallace Lake rainbow trout caught through the ice (photo courtesy of Mikle Wolf).



The ice plugging the northern Rocky River has blown out as of today, although the boat ramps are blocked by large ice slabs.




Ice at E55th breakwall is rapidly breaking up (phptos courtesy of Jeff Shaw).




This past weekend Elizabeth and I were out chasing big brown trout through the ice in Lake Michigan harbors.