Cleveland Metroparks: early steelhead in the Rocky, and a canal plant of trout and catfish

Early steelhead are in the Cleveland streams, and the Rocky River is still low. Aquatic biologist Mike Durkalec’s Cleveland Metroparks fishing report posted Oct. 15, 2026, says the river got a small rise and remains low and clear, with more rain in the forecast into the weekend. Anglers caught steelhead this week. The marina area has been the most consistent spot. Fish are also around the rocks at Edgewater Park and the East 55th and Wildwood breakwalls, and a few have shown in the lower Chagrin River and Euclid Creek. Durkalec points to spoons, spinners, and shallow crankbaits, cast or flatline-trolled.

The same report says the park stocked the Ohio & Erie Canal off East 49th Street last week with 1,000 pounds of rainbow trout and 600 pounds of channel catfish. The trout averaged 1.5 pounds. The catfish averaged 2 to 3 pounds, with a few larger fish and some golden rainbows mixed in. On the Lake Erie shoreline, Durkalec lists yellow perch, white perch, sunfish, walleye, channel catfish, and freshwater drum, and says walleye have been best after dark on minnow-profile crankbaits. Wendy Park and the East 55th breakwall are the spots he names.

Angler notes in the Thursday report include a 26-inch walleye caught Saturday night from the rocks at Edgewater, a 16.5-inch rainbow that won largest trout at the Fall Family Fishing Fest, and a 22-inch channel catfish. Questions go to Durkalec at (440) 331-8017 or md@clevelandmetroparks.com.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Cleveland Metroparks — fishing report, October 15, 2026 (posted Oct. 15, 2026).