Cleveland Metroparks Blogs & Podcasts

Rocky River was named one of the “150 Best Places to fish in America” in the June 2007 issue of Field and Stream magazine

The Rocky River level is currently fairly elevated and muddy due to recent rain, but was still fishable at the time of this writing. Anglers planning a trip would be wise to check the lastest trend in river flow and temperature at the following link: <river flow gage data> 

Smallmouth bass fishing has been good in the river this week. A dark brown or olive tube jig about 3-4” (on spinning tackle) or a brown/olive woolly bugger or sculpin streamer fly are great offerings for river smallmouth, and live bait are always another good choice. Please consider gently handling and releasing any larger smallmouth you catch in the river right now, as these fish are in the river to spawn and sustain a fine natural (unstocked) fishery.

There are still a modest number of steelhead available in the river, but their numbers seem to dwindle by the day. This latest rain will likely push those remaining spawned out fish from the river, but may entice a final few fresh ones to come in. For all intents and purposes, though, the steelhead run is pretty much done for the year.

Anglers have reported good success this week fishing for rainbow trout and channel catfish (stocked for the recent children’s fishing derbies) at Wallace Lake and the Ohio and Erie Canal fishing area. Another trout “hot spot” has been on the East Branch Rocky between Royalton Road (Route 82) and the covered bridge in Mill Stream Run Reservation (where they have been stocked throughout the spring season. Trout have been biting at Hinckley Lake, as well. Stocked trout have been hitting well on Power Bait in brighter colors and small spinners.

Virginia Kendall Lake Fish Collection and Release into Cleveland Metroparks Waters.  The Cuyahoga Valley National Park has decided to drain Virginia Kendall Lake for dam repairs and dredging. I have worked out an arrangement with their folks in which we can collect and transfer the fish in that lake to our Cleveland Metroparks waters (rather than letting them go to waste). On two dates thus far this season (April 15 and May 13) we have electrofished the lake and transferred a running total of approximately 2,000 sunfish, largemouth bass, and white crappie to our public waters. See the photos below detailing this activity. We plan to revisit the lake another time or two to obtain the remaining fish, which will be detailed in this report in the future.

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 .

Good Fishing,

Mike

Gabby shows off a beautiful Wallace Lake bluegill (photo courtesy of Scott Bendler).

Adom caught this 10 pound 6 ounce trophy channel catfish in the Rocky River (photo coutesy of Adom Mehwald).

Allister caught this fine buck steelhead this week (photo courtesy of Andrew).

David is still catching steelhead in the Rocky, too, including this beauty (photo courtesy of David Mullins).

Ken caught and released this 20.5 inch trophy smallmouth in the Rocky (photo courtesy of Ken Johnson).

A historic photo of an angler fishing the Rocky River.  Can you guess that ford?  (photo from Cleveland Metroparks archives).

The Rocky River eagle nest is doing well (photo courtesy of Tamara Lauschin).

A few photos form the Virginia Kendall Lake fish collection and transfer detailed in the text of the report:

We'll be back there soon for more.

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Cleveland Metroparks Fishing Fund

Cleveland Metroparks Fishing Fund helps provide a rewarding fishing experience to Northeast Ohio anglers through the stocking of rainbow trout, channel catfish, largemouth bass, and other sport fish. The Fund also supports children's fishing derbies and creation and restoration of essential habitat in the ponds, lakes, and rivers within Cleveland Metroparks.


For more information or to make a gift to Cleveland Metroparks Fishing Fund, please contact:

Karen J. Kannenberg, CFRE
Manager of Gift and Donor Development
Cleveland Metroparks
4101 Fulton Parkway
Cleveland, Ohio 44144
216.635.3217
kjk@clevelandmetroparks.com