May 4, 2023

***NOTE:  The Fishing Report Blog is back to regular weekly Thursday updates from September-May***   The Rocky and Chagrin rivers are elevated from rain but the forecast is looking dry into the weekend so stream levels are expected to drop into the weekend.  Anglers would be wise to 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 elevated and muddy from rain but a dry forecast into the weekend should see river levels dropping daily.  Anglers should check the trend in flow at the links above before heading out on a trip to the river.  Lake-run smallmouth bass are going strong this week in the Rocky and Chagrin rivers on their spawning run.  Smallmouth bass will strike artificial lures similar to steelhead- such as medium size crankbaits, spinners, tube jigs (dark brown and olive are good) as well as marabou jigs under floats and streamer flies that imitate gobies, ,minnows and crayfish.  Lake-run "smallies" are typically available in the streams until early June.  This time of year offers a great opportunity to score the "silver and bronze", which is catching a steelhead and lake-run smallmouth bass in the same day, often from the same pool on the same offering.

The East Branch Rocky River between Royalton Road and the ford (river crossing) about a mile south of Wallace Lake has 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.

On March 31 Wallace Lake was stocked with 900 lbs of rainbow trout and a fair number of trout remain from earlier stockings at Shadow and Ledge lakes, as well. The majority of the fish are 1 lb rainbow trout, with some golden rainbow, brown, brook, and tiger trout were mixed in. 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.  

The Cleveland shoreline of Lake Erie bite has been good for  walleye anglers casting shallow running stickbaits from shore after dark, as well as boating anglers. Harbors, such as Edgewater, Wildwood and E72nd boat ramp areas are offering mixed catch opportunities for largemouth bass, rock bass, northern pike, yellow perch and sunfish species. As spring continues to warm up 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.

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>.

Children’s Spring Fishing Derbies are coming May 20 & 21.  Our Cleveland Metroparks Spring Chidren’s Fishing Derbies are a multi-generation old tradition and will be held at Wallace Lake on Saturday May 20 and Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation on Sunday May 21.  More info on the events <here>.

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

Brent caught this bruiser smallmouth bass fly fishing with an olive colored gamechanger pattern (photo courtesy of Brent O’Neill).