# Chagrin - How very far actually can they go??



## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

OK, so I was checking maps at lunch. Since the dams removed themselves on the Chagrin, how far can steelieheads get?
Looks like they probably get hung up by a dam on the east branch. If they go up the main branch and hang a left, they can get up to Chagrin Falls.
If they hang a right onto the Aurora Branch, how far can they get? Looks like they could easily get up past rt 422 and even further?


----------



## Raylaser (Apr 8, 2015)

creekcrawler said:


> OK, so I was checking maps at lunch. Since the dams removed themselves on the Chagrin, how far can steelieheads get?
> Looks like they probably get hung up by a dam on the east branch. If they go up the main branch and hang a left, they can get up to Chagrin Falls.
> If they hang a right onto the Aurora Branch, how far can they get? Looks like they could easily get up past rt 422 and even further?


I know they get up to and past Chagrin Falls on the branch you are referring to. Have a friend that lives on that section of the river and they catch them there in the Spring, but so far no word on Fall steel in that section.


----------



## grant778 (Nov 22, 2014)

Its impossible for them to get past Chagrin falls. Its too big an obstacle. They might be able to jump the dam on the east branch at kirtland country club, bows are pretty good jumpers, but not sure how tall the dam is. Aurora branch has several smaller dams on it. I think there is another country club up there with a dam. Again, not sure how tall these are and if the fish can jump them. Odds are a few can jump the dams, however, I know on the grand river (in ontario) there is a fair sized dam before most of the good quality spawning water, and their wild fish can usually jump this dam, whereas the stray stockers usually can't. As such, most of their returning fish are high quality wild fish. But regardless of if they can pass these dams, there is very little public access on the east branch, I looked on google maps once and I think I saw two small sections, and very little on the aurora branch as well. The east branch is classified as a cold water tributary, which has always intrigued me since I believe we could have a fair bit of natural reproduction in the Chagrin system if the fish could bypass that dam, though there are other factors and potential drawbacks to that which I won't go into here.


----------



## Raylaser (Apr 8, 2015)

Grant, not sure if your reply is in regard to my reply but I can assure you that steelies to go up the Chagrin as far as Chagrin Falls, and that's a fact. If your reply is not in regard to my comment then never mind this reply, LOL!


----------



## grant778 (Nov 22, 2014)

I said they couldn't get past the chagrin falls


----------



## Raylaser (Apr 8, 2015)

Hey Grant, I read your post as past Chagrin Falls (the town not "the" falls themselves because you wrote it as "Chagrin Falls" not "The Chagrin Falls"). Hope that makes sense. Sorry for being a grammar nut!!!


----------



## ReelPower (May 18, 2009)

There are several pretty big obstacles on the lower aurora branch in the general South Chagrin Metropark area that make life tough for the migrants unless the water is super high and they are motivated. You can see the obstacles fairly easily if you are scouting the area. The water upstream on the aurora branch gets pretty froggy, log-jammed and private, too. I'm sure some make it up there but I doubt the numbers make it worth the chase. I used to fish the aurora branch as a kid having grown up in Solon. Buddy and I saw a small sturgeon there in the late 80's. Crazy.


----------



## The Fishing Addict (Mar 19, 2014)

I think that I might have seen pike in the east branch before as well


----------



## Fuzzygrub (Nov 1, 2008)

This is still an interesting read from a few years ago. These steelhead will go as far as they can. http://www.outsideonline.com/1903401/great-steelhead-rescue


----------

