May 25, 2023

***NOTE:  The Fishing Report Blog is updated weekly on Thursdays from September-May and monthly from June-August***   The Rocky and Chagrin rivers are offering very good fishing conditions for smallmouth bass and a variety of other species.  Anglers can monitor the trend in river level at the following links: <Rocky River flow gauge data><Chagrin River flow gauge data> <Rocky River NEORSD station with turbidity>.

The Rocky and Chagrin rivers are offering very good fishing conditions at this time and based on the weather forecast conditions should not change much through the weekend.  Although it will be wrapping up soon enough there are still lake-run smallmouth bass in the Rocky and Chagrin rivers on their spawning runs.  Smallmouth bass will strike artificial lures similar to steelhead- such as medium size crankbaits, spinners, tube jigs (dark brown and olive are good), ned rigged plastics, as well as marabou jigs under floats and streamer flies that imitate gobies, minnows and crayfish.

As the weather warms up trout fishing opportunities will come to an end, but with the cooler temperatures this month plenty of trout are still available. Among good spots to try, just last week a total of 1,300 lbs of rainbow trout and 1,400 lbs of channel catfish ere stocked between Wallace lake and Ohio & Erie Canal fishing area for the Spring Fishing Derbies and lots of these fish remain to be caught by anglers. Note: the daily limit in the river is 2 trout/angler of minimum size 12”.  At Wallace, Ledge, Ranger and Judge's lakes daily limit is 3 trout/angler and the limit at Shadow Lake and the Ohio & Erie Canal is 5 trout/angler.  

Additionally, the East Branch Rocky River in Millstream Run Reservation was been stocked with 2,700 lbs of rainbow trout since March 21 (spring river stocking is now complete).  Several easy access locations were stocked along the river and include the parking area on the north side of Royalton Road (Rt 82) along the river, off the low bridges to the Strongsville Wildlife Area and the Chalet, at the Whitney Road covered bridge, and off the ford south of Wallace Lake.  The trout average a little over a pound each and they bite well on a variety of offerings, including dime size balls of colorful PowerBait dough, small jigs tipped with a few maggots or a waxworm, single salmon eggs or small spawn sacks, a few kernals of canned corn on hook, and small spinners.  Bait should be drifted close to the bottom or held down in place with a small sinker.

The Cleveland shoreline of Lake Erie bite has been hit or miss this week for walleye anglers casting shallow running stickbaits from shore after dark. Harbors, such as Edgewater, Wildwood and E72nd boat ramp areas are offering mixed catch opportunities for largemouth/smallmouth bass, rock bass, northern pike, yellow perch and sunfish species. This time of year the breakwall area at E55th traditionally offers opportunities to catch yellow perch or white perch using minnows or bits of worms on crappie spreaders on the bottom.

This is the Final week of the Orvis Giveback Days Partnership.  For the second year in a row we are excited to partner with Orvis for their Giveback Days program to raise awareness and donations for our Fishing Fund. If you make a donation of $10 or more during the month of May to our Fishing Fund you will receive a onetime use savings card that you can use at either Orvis Cleveland in Woodmere or Orvis Westlake in Crocker Park.  Please consider supporting those who support local public fishing! You can donate in store for this promotion or online through the Cleveland Metroparks website here:  <Orvis Giveback Days Partnership>.

Rocky River Volunteer Clean-Up is Saturday June 3^rd.  Please join us on Saturday June 3rd starting at 9:00am at the Scenic Park/Rocky River Marina picnic shelter for the family-friendly volunteer river clean-up!  Cleveland Metroparks is partnering with Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District and Rocky River Watershed Council to host the event.  We will break up into groups and clean up trash from along the river banks, then re-convene at the picnic shelter starting around 11:30am to host a thank you cookout.  Trash bags will be provided and long pants and boots are recommended.  Please pre-register here as an <adult> or for <youth> if you are parent or guardian.

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 already covered.

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

Gabi shows off a few nice largemouth bass that she caught recently (photos courtesy of Mark Durkalec).

Elizabeth shows off a nice yellow perch from a two person limit caught in 36 feet of water on Monday.