# Ranger Lake



## alock0889 (Feb 6, 2009)

I fished Ranger Lake today. Not even a bite. I have fished there before with no luck. Talked to another guy fishing there and he said its his 5th time fishing here and still hadn't caught anything. Is it possible that this lake is just overfished and there is nothing quality left? Has anyone done decent there?


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

Its tough unless you are there very early, late, or after dark. Most of the good depth and structure are best accessible by float tube or canoe. I don't think that there is a lot in there during the summer other than some carp, small bass and bluegill. The few trout that they stock in there don't make it much past the spring. Better lakes are available to the north of there (Coe, Wallace).


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## fillet (Jul 22, 2006)

fished there twice not even a bite


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## wayout440 (Apr 20, 2008)

Ranger is basically garbage. Coe even with all the pressure is giving up bass for me. I get them on artificial crawlers jigged off the bottom and buzzbaits in partial light.


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## POA4LIFE (May 4, 2010)

Ranger is way over fished. There hasn't been a decent bite out of that lake in over 15 years that I know of. The only thing I ever caught there were tiny blue gills with my son. But maybe timing is everything. I have never fished it very early or after dark.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Ranger lake has had a couple of devasting winter fish kills caused by continued snow cover and the addition of the stocked trout which resulted in oxygen levels too low to sustain the number of fish. Nothing has been done to restock the lake. The lake should be stocked and closed for three years and allowed to rebuild.


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## meat (Jul 12, 2009)

Lots of tiny blue gills, never had a bite there. Fished it twice with classic bass gear.


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## dklien (Aug 12, 2008)

I live five minutes from Ranger Lake. I don't believe there is one fish in that lake. I have been there several times. Not only have I never caught a fish, I have never seen one caught by anybody.


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## ouflyboy9 (Aug 12, 2008)

I'm done with that lake - too many trips with no fish/no bites. I don't know a single person who has caught anything there either


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## alock0889 (Feb 6, 2009)

In my two trips, I have seen only 1 small bluegill swimming around. The lake has great water visibility and some nice cover around it. Its just a shame that there are not any fish in there for us to catch. I agree with the restocking of the pond idea. It is a great habitat and location.


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## Cleveland Metroparks (Dec 14, 2005)

I certainly agree the fishery in Ranger Lake is definitely lacking (and am the one who has managed it for the past five years). The lake does offer decent fishing in winter for trout, especially within a week or two of a stocking. But the lake isn't a management priority right now for the following reasons. The Turnpike Commission, who owns much of that property, removed the parking lot. We don't have a restroom facility there (and picking up trash there one day I got a very unpleasant surprise reflective of that and the issue it poses). We have recurrent poaching issues there when we stock trout, so I have cut back on trout stocking and put more fish in Wallace instead (where poaching is much less of an issue) and stepped up our Ranger presence there during winter. The lake gets too much stormwater run-off from the surrounding area (especially being so small), and we are currently having issues with the aging dam. It is a very small pond with very easy access, and even w/out these issues it would be tough to maintain a quality fishery for that reason alone without very routine stocking, which just is not feasible to maintain. The idea to close down for three years idea would work on a larger lake (like Virginia Kendall in the CVNP, where just that is being done) where a really good fishery would establish first but, honestly, Ranger would probably be cleaned out again shortly thereafter even if we did do that. Not good news, but the truth. 

So, we manage our fisheries priorities by focusing on those that we feel we can improve on best (at Wallace this includes stocking with warmwater fish, adding more kids fishing platforms, and improving habitat such as the pickerelweed and lily plantings you may have noticed at the far south end of the lake over the past two years) and purchasing more land on the upper Rocky River to offer angler access and buffer water quality, and have not done much lately with some of the marginal ones (like Ranger and Judges) other than stock trout for a season fishery. Easy access small ponds and urban park districts are just a very tough mix when managing to offer a quality fishing experience, but we try to do what we can within reason to improve them when we see opportunities (like the trout stocking). Incidentally, I have not recieved word about a fish kill there in my five years w/the Park, so if that happened it was before my time, but does not surprise me. I appreciate hearing the feedback, even if not positive in this case, and if you ever need to reach me to share an issue, report something, or for anything else I can be reached at [email protected] or (440) 331-8017.

Mike


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## lsuhmjr (Jan 2, 2012)

well i have been fishing ranger lake since like 83 ,i am 43 now and i have mastered this lake as i have wallace ,judge,beyers pond,they are all pressured alot by fisherman,but ranger lake is the most challenging ,but i always catch fish there and last week we were there and caught lots of crappie only few trout,6 crappies were over 8 inches ,i buy these uncle josh micro jigs from fin,fur,feather down in auburn township,florecense pink,or hot pink and i get berkley power bait maggots,to tip them with,and its worked for me since the 90's and know my son who is 10 ,catches 5 to 10 fish everytime we go there ,fishing same way,and we dont ever use live bait,and throw fish back for another days catch,and we always have,in nov,and dec,before ice we fish bobber with 2 ft line between w/uncle josh micro jigs[hot pink ] cast and slow retrieve stopping and starting up again till u get to shore U CANT LET IT SIT THERE,and i am sure u will have more luck there ,,,,good luck


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## lsuhmjr (Jan 2, 2012)

i dont think people really know what a winter kill is ,means that all life in small body of water has been terminated ,by frost or continuess ice and we havent had that for many years ,and even if it was possible water foul and there presence in and out of that lake going from lake to lake ,transfer spawning fish eggs back and fourth ,would never allow a winter kill ,its always fishing methods u have to check to,even our winters last couple years havent been that bad ,only longer because like last year we got snow late in dec. and not nov,so i believe in the 80's there was some winter kills ,but not that lake,


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## oarfish (May 12, 2004)

I know of two shallow ponds in the Lorain Co. metro park system that had winter kill last winter. Both are shallow and weedy. I can get the exact names if I drive by. I talked to a ranger and also to a maintenance person who were reporting lots of dead fish in the spring after the long ice season.
Could not catch fish in either of them last spring. I think it will take a few years for the fishing quality to come back unless stocking takes place.


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