Fishing Ohio by Tom Cross

Author:Tom Cross
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781461747086
Publisher: Lyons Press
Published: 2015-03-02T00:00:00+00:00

84 Rocky River

The Rocky River is one beautiful stream—a true treasure in northern Ohio and, thankfully, almost completely protected by the Cleveland Metroparks. The Rocky has a short, if not abrupt mouth, turning into a small stream within a mile of its confluence with Lake Erie. Located within the town of Rocky River, a western suburb of greater Cleveland, over 10 miles of Rocky River is under the protective umbrella of the 2,572-acre Cleveland Metroparks’ Rocky River Reservation.

The string of parks that join together starts at the Emerald Necklace Marina and continues south along Valley Parkway, offering anglers an unbroken chain of access sites along the entire stream.

In summer anglers find a good supply of smallmouth, rock bass, and sunfish. Beginning in late September, steelhead begin moving into the stream, and anglers start picking them up at the mouth at the Emerald Necklace Marina with 1⁄16-ounce white jigs tipped with maggots or minnows; later, spawn sacks and a variety of steelhead flies take the lion’s share. The Rocky has a number of low-head dams along its course through the reserve, but these have proven to be no obstacle to steelhead as they move upstream. Lagoon Dam on the east branch has been an obstacle that stops most upstream migration on the east branch of the Rocky, except during periods of high water.

Rocky is one on the state’s premier steelhead streams. By November, steelhead fishing is in full swing and doesn’t stop until late April. It is a popular stream, easy to wade and fish. Access is readily available from any of the parking areas along Valley Parkway; no one location is any better than another, as the entire stream is full of 25- to 30-inch steelhead. It’s a sight to witness if you’re a first-time steelheader.

Public boat launching is available only at the Emerald Necklace Marina. To get to the boat launch and to the Rocky River Reservation, take Valley Parkway south, which is located on the east side of the river, at the Highway 254 Detroit Road Bridge.

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