# Cuyahoga river steelies



## dlancy (Feb 14, 2008)

Just wondering how long do you think it would take for the steelies to make it into the Akron/Cuyahoga falls gorge dam area? I usually fish the rocky, but I'd like to start in the hoga cause its right in my backyard. Any insight? 


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## brodg (Sep 6, 2010)

They can do 5-6 miles a day, may be a couple up there already. Only one way to find out.

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## short rod (Sep 9, 2011)

A few strays make it up. But the river is highly polluted after a flow like this. The city of Akron dumps raw sewage into the river when there tanks can't hold it anymore. This is why the EPA is threatening to sue them. You will know this is true by the tampons you see hanging in the trees after a flood! Happy Fishing!


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## boss302 (Jun 24, 2005)

short rod said:


> A few strays make it up. But the river is highly polluted after a flow like this. The city of Akron dumps raw sewage into the river when there tanks can't hold it anymore. This is why the EPA is threatening to sue them. You will know this is true by the tampons you see hanging in the trees after a flood! Happy Fishing!


Thats about as accurate as a political add! Hehe......

The combined sewers overflow just like they do in most older ohio communities. Including many along rivers that are stocked. The biggest difference betwene the hoga and others is that it flows through akron and cleveland (and major suburban areas), it has a major port area, and it isn't stocked....all of the rivers have their share of nasties post rain

My understanding is the lack of stocking is based on Harbor end of the river, not storm event related water quality near Akron.

I for one wish the dams were removed and it was stocked!

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## short rod (Sep 9, 2011)

boss302 said:


> Thats about as accurate as a political add! Hehe......
> 
> The combined sewers overflow just like they do in most older ohio communities. Including many along rivers that are stocked. The biggest difference betwene the hoga and others is that it flows through akron and cleveland (and major suburban areas), it has a major port area, and it isn't stocked....all of the rivers have their share of nasties post rain
> 
> ...


Check it out for yourself.... http://www.ohio.com/news/local/fede...sent-decree-on-new-akron-sewers-plan-1.344853 
2 billion gallons of untreated sewer dumped every year explains the tampons in the trees and the needles in the whirlpools!


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## boss302 (Jun 24, 2005)

Your link supports my point. The problem is combined sewer overflows not "Akron releasing raw sewage when it's tanks are full"....not arguing that there isn't a verry real problem, just that it isn't any different than most other rivers or older cities with CSO problems.....this river gets a bad rap that it doesn't fully deserve. If you dig, I'm sure the rocky, grand and others all have CSOs, as do most streams running through our older urban or suburban areas....I've walked the grand and seen the garbage there to....

That and your link supports my position that your statment was misleading just like the political spin we've been overloaded with in the past few months. 

I've never seen a needle on/near the hoga and I've fished several areas in Akron proper over the past 10 or 12 years. Biggest threat is bacteria not medical waste.

Overall, the water quality in that river does support a small number of stray trout...would support more if they were stocked, more fishable water if the dams were removed.....perfect? no, but not as bad as some like to believe.

To the original? , their may be some there already. My first ever steelhead encounter was near Cuyahoga St. In late October.


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## Lundfish (Apr 7, 2010)

short rod said:


> A few strays make it up. But the river is highly polluted after a flow like this. The city of Akron dumps raw sewage into the river when there tanks can't hold it anymore. This is why the EPA is threatening to sue them. You will know this is true by the tampons you see hanging in the trees after a flood! Happy Fishing!



I think it's great the mentality of just dumping stuff in to bodies of water because the tanks can't hold it. This is where our pitiful government needs to put money.


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## brodg (Sep 6, 2010)

As an Akron resident I can tell you all that the city has jacked up our water/sewer rates in order to pay for improvements to solve the CSO problem. I'm not complaining, someone has to pay for it. Unfortunately, it's still going to take many years, I'm not sure how long.

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## dlancy (Feb 14, 2008)

Thanks for the info guys. I know the river isn't the cleanest of the bunch, but getting out there to fish beats a two hour drive both ways up near Cleveland, especially when I only have a couple of hours to fish. I have heard that the numbers aren't high, but neither is the fishing pressure. Happy tamponing to everyone haha


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

I have also seen used tampons and condoms along the river downstream of Cascade Metropark.
There is a lot of info out there on the web if interested.

I saw several steelhead jumping the 82 dam about 3-4 weeks ago. They are already in the river.


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## FishBoi (Mar 28, 2011)

Actually just left the Gorge, stopped first on Cuyahoga Street first. Waters up way high but I'm waiting for the Trout. As for the Gorge, I've personally seen the big drain right under the bridge release on several occasions years ago being that I'd toss my lil 12 footer right over the gaurdrail and with all of the condoms and what have u floating around, I d say it was the nastiest body of water I've ever seen. Unfortunately it's also probably the best fishing in the city.


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

Here's a pic of my first and only cuyahoga steelie. Got it in the Gorge in early October about 5 years ago. I have fished the gorge for 10 years for smallies from spring to fall and this is the only steelie that I've caught. Had another one break my line that same day. Was fishing for smallies and drifting a small jighead with half a nightcrawler. Even saw a steelie try to jump the 10' high natural falls below the dam that day! Not much steel in there, but you never know when a smallie trip will turn into a steelie trip! 

Was walking back to the car after dark with this steelie and the ranger stopped me. Thought I might be in trouble, but didn't know what for. Turns out, they were just checking for hooligans and were excited to see this fish! It was their first confirmed catch of a steelhead in the park! The ranger took a picture on his phone to show the other guys. 

The spot I was fishing is impossible to reach during high water and not easy during normal conditions either! Had some good times though this summer during the drought!

Also saw a used condom in the river this year....uughh!!! Can't wait till they get these problems fixed!!! Akron wasted 10 years fighting with the EPA about how many overflows were acceptable. The judge finally laid down the law and said "Zero overflows!", duh!

If you're coming from Akron, try the North Chagrin Reservation. It's only an hour away and has a good amount of steel.


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