CLEVELAND, Ohio – Northeast Ohio’s rivers and streams have been high and muddy after recent rains, but that’s a good problem for steelhead trout anglers in the area. High water has been drawing Lake Erie trout into the rivers to make their runs, and as river levels continue to drop and the waters clear, the world-class steelhead fishery should respond to hardy anglers .
The forecast right now is for a relatively dry weekend with moderate temperatures on the popular Rocky and Chagrin Rivers, as well as tributaries of the Vermilion, Grand and Ashtabula Rivers and Conneaut Creek. While the rivers should still be a bit stained for a few more days, expect the steelhead trout in the deeper pools to cooperate.
To hook up with big trout, work hatch bags near the bottom of the river in the deeper pools, as well as marabou rigs and tube rigs tipped with worms, wax worms and minnows,
Fly Master Competition is a challenge this month: The Trout Club of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History has created the Fly Master Competition at Gormley’s Pub, 19500 Center Ridge Rd., Rocky River on Saturday, Jan. 28, from 7 to 9 p.m.
Participants will receive a bag of mystery tying materials and must create a fly of their own design, club manager Jerry Darkes said. Competitors must bring their own baits and tools, and the top three fly creations will win prizes.
The fly tier whose creation is deemed the overall winner will be named the “Fly Master of Cleveland,” quite an honor considering the talented fly tiers in northern Ohio.
There is no cost to enter, the contest is open to everyone and spectators are welcome. Registration is required to participate as a stand or spectator. To register, visit https://forms.gle/fZgUJmrRQ69iRNvd8
Lake Erie Heads West, and They’re Biting!: Lake Erie’s open water and Lake Erie’s abundance are a great combination for anglers heading into western Lake Erie. The Walleye have been there during a spring spawning season that usually starts in early April and they are feeding heavily.
The biggest concentration of walleye right now has been from Vermilion to Huron. While hungry walleyes often head into the shallows to feed on walleye after dark, they can also be caught in deeper water during the day, said Capt. Frank Kittrick of Y-Knot Charters in Litchfield .
Kittrick went out this week on his smaller tow boat with Marc Battone of Lorain of My Bonnie Charters. The pair solved the troll bait speed, depth and color problem (chrome and purple bandits) pretty quickly and put a couple walleye limits in the cooler.
“We were fishing Cranberry Creek, and with the water temperature in the 30s, we dropped our fishing speed to 1.2 to 1.3 miles per hour,” Kittrick said.
Where did the ice go?: The recent arctic blast that iced northern Ohio waters and kicked off the ice fishing season didn’t last. The warmer weather that followed allowed for a nicer walleye drop on New Year’s Eve in Port Clinton last Saturday, drawing big crowds for the big league party.
But the mild weather also drove out ice and ice fishermen. That wasn’t bad at all. Now that Cleveland Metroparks’ ponds and lakes are open again, so is the inshore fishery for the 3,000 rainbow trout that were released in mid-December into Wallace, Shadow, Ledge, Ranger and Judge lakes.
The vast majority of trout were pan-sized rainbows, but there were a few brook and brown trout released, as well as a handful of exotic tiger trout. To connect with rainbow trout, suspend PowerBait dough or worms on a hook or leadhead jig under a float, or use small spinners or spoons.