Fishing Report - February 13, 2009

Published Feb. 13, 2009 at 4:41 p.m.

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

***February 18, 2009, update:  The fishing conditions on the river are currently very good and anglers have been catching steelhead throughout the river the past few days.***

The Rocky River is still elevated and muddy due to recent melt-off and rain but is dropping quickly.  The river may be on the muddy side of fishable later into the weekend, especially at barriers to fish migration (such as fords) that tend to concentrate fish during high water. Plan to use large and bright offerings for your best bet to hook-up with a fresh mid-winter steelhead trout. During changing river conditions, as we are now experiencing, anglers would be wise to monitor the most recent river water level and temperature at the following link:

To view a short video detailing the break-up of the ice jam near the marina on Sunday evening, as well as some images from the day prior and the morning after, you can check out the following link:  

CONDITIONS ON OUR LAKES AND PONDS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SAFE FOR ICE FISHING!   Ice conditions deteriorated very quickly during the thaw. Unwise anglers who attempt to venture out on thin ice anyways may find themselves being resuced by the team featured in the short video at the following link (filmed at Wallace Lake today):  

On the other hand, anglers are successfully fishing for recently stocked rainbow trout through the ice from the solid ground offered by numerous docks and fishing platforms, or at inlets where the ice has melted. Anglers the past two days have reported very good success fishing small jigs tipped with a few maggots under small bobbers. Additionally, stocked trout typically bite well on Power Bait in brighter colors, salmon eggs, live minnows, waxworms, and jigging spoons.

This winter, a total of 3,600 pounds of rainbow trout were stocked in Wallace, Shadow, Ledge, Ranger, and Judges lakes around the Park District (in descending order in terms of number of fish stocked). Fully half of those fish (1,800 pounds) were released in Wallace Lake, being the largest of these bodies of water.

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

 

Frank, Bo, and Al display some trout they caught this morning fishing from a platform on a Cleveland Metroparks lake.

 

Conditions at Morley Ford on the Rocky River this morning.  Although the river is still high and muddy right now, it is dropping rapidly.  Withholding further rain, the river should be approaching fishable conditions later into the weekend.

 

Click on the image above to view a short video detailing personnel from the City of Berea Fire Department practicing ice rescue manuevers on Wallace Lake today.  The video ends with a diver showing how a successful rescue is "celebrated".

 

Anglers who attempt to venture onto the thin ice may be meeting the guys from the video above up close and personal.

 

This is one way that "ice fishing" can be practiced safely right now...

 

...and this is the other way (both photos taken the morning of this report).

 

Joanne Steinhauser forwarded the following photos depicting ice and flood related images from the Rocky River valley this past week:

Thanks for sharing those nice photos, Joanne.

 

The following images depicts the close call at the marina during the icy flood over the weekend:

Click the above images to view a short video detailing the break-up of the ice jam that caused this situation over the weekend.

 

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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

 

 

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