Ohio Steelhead Small Streams

M

midgeman

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Dec 29, 2008
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Hi everybody I'm looking for help locating small streams in Ohio for steelhead. Now I'm not looking for your favorite spot but I am trolling for a little help. I'd like to get up there this weekend for about two or three hours worth of fishing but I'm unsure where to go and I'm rather inexperienced with steelhead fishing. I have all the right flies and I got a eight way flyrod that would handle a big fish. Honestly I'm a little scared driving all the way up to find a stream just be run off the stream. I've heard stories of guys fishing little tributaries to bigger creeks and catching whopper fish to be nice if could point me in the right direction. I have no desire to keep any of the fish just want to drive up there for couple hours drive him happy camper. Please private message me if you can help me out thanks much

Midgeman

PS I've never caught a steelhead should I also buy a net like most guys use in the videos?
 
There's the bigger stocked streams/rivers like Vermillion, Rocky, Grand, Chagrin, and Conneaut. Those are the stocked rivers, but everything that goes into the lake has a run of fish. The only small un stocked stream I have fished is Euclid Creek, but didn't catch anything although I did see a guy hook a nice one at the mouth. The Grand tribs are supposed to be good, but it may still be a little early for them.
 
Thanks for the input Streamerguy. I'm headed to the Rocky, I've done some online research and checked out GE. What are the Grande tribs?
 
I'd stick to the Conneaut, the Ashtabula, the Grand and its tribs, and the Chagrin if comming from PA. The Rocky is a good river, but to get there you drive past all the other great rivers I mentioned. Why keep driving all the way to the Rocky? There are other real small streams but access is an issue and they don't really hold enough water unless all the bigger streams are blown out. If the Grand is blown out, its tribs are usually fishable. Lake County Metro parks has good access to the Grand and some of its tribs. Check out their website for maps. You don't really need a net on most rivers, just work the fish to shore and beach it. There are places on the Grand where the banks are cut away and you can't beach a fish, a net would be good in those kinds of places. PM me if you are heading out this way.

-B
 
Thanks for the help everyone. It was a tough day for sure and the fish just were not there. I literally covered Rocky from the confluence of the east and west branch down to the Marina and back. I certainly was rewarded with exercise on a beautiful day. I saw one chrome landed and I spotted 3 fish in a flat that appeared to be laying down. I was recommended by another angler to go to a stream recommended by boychick. After the next rain I'll explore some more.

Thanks again to all!
 
The Ohio tribs are better later,the strain of Steel stocked is a spring run fish,however they also get some fall runners that spill over from Pa.
 
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