# Fishing near Strongsville



## debo1683 (Jun 25, 2007)

Hey guys,

I grew up in the Mansfield area fishing Clearfork reservoir, Charles mill, pleasant hill, and Knox lake. I have moved to Strongsville and am looking for some places to catch some cats, carp and crappie. 

Is Wallace lake any good for that stuff? seems to be the closest.

Thanks for your help!


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## fishin4five (Dec 2, 2005)

Try Hinckley lake for cats and carp. That's all its good for anymore. The lake is silting in very quickly. It needs to be dredged. I worked out there when I was in high school. I've seen some huge cats caught...approaching 30lbs. There are a couple pictures at the boathouse of a big cat. In the past, Hinckley was stocked annually with channels. I'm not sure if it's still gets stocked. Crappie are abundant but small.


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## matthew1074 (May 23, 2007)

Wallace has some good cats in it although I don't ever seem to be able to catch any there. Hinckley isn't bad for cats and carp too, but thats about all you'll catch there other than when they stock it with trout. Ledge lake is pretty small but I catch some nice cats, bass, and some crappie out of there. Actually Brunswick lake might be ready to fish this year(right behind giant eagle on 303). I'll have to check to see how long it's been since they had it drained but I know I was over there last year and it was loaded with fish but they were still pretty small so it might be another year before its ready to go.


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## Bobinstow90 (Apr 13, 2006)

There are a lot of other fishing options in NE Ohio that you may want to consider. The Rocky River has some nice smallies and gets good steelhead trout action in the colder months. Lake Erie has bass, perch, walleye, white bass, fresh water drum (sheephead), pike, cats, carp, steelhead.

Welcome to the area and good luck.


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## fillet (Jul 22, 2006)

my friend was at Brunswck lake a few weeks ago said he caught some nice crappie and saw some nice size bass jumping


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## [OSF]smoke (Jun 1, 2007)

lots of big carp at Wallace you got to walk around and go by the tree's


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## debo1683 (Jun 25, 2007)

[OSF]smoke;475976 said:


> lots of big carp at Wallace you got to walk around and go by the tree's


Were you there last night in a silver ford truck? I noticed in another post you said to look for your ford truck. I was there around 9 walkin around the backside by all the trees.


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## liquidsoap (Oct 22, 2005)

I would suggest hinckley for cats but also try the area for crappie, crappie can be found in the wood along the shoreline, or the little rock piles if you can find them.


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## williamonica0214 (Aug 1, 2006)

wallace lake is great for cats my son and i got at least 10 in just 2 hours of fishing one late evening. this might sound funny but use hot dogs for bait. make sure to put them in the microwave for about a minute . when putting them on the hook either use a treble hook and push it all the way thur the piece of hot dog or if useing a single hook make sure to hookthe skin. and cast real easy they come off pretty easy. If you want i can meet you there some night and show you . WOW thats my longest post yet LOL


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## [OSF]smoke (Jun 1, 2007)

yep was there on Monday but i think i left to come home around 8:30 not sure about the time .If things go right going to try and go today around 6:00 stop up if you want


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## CraigJC (Jun 26, 2007)

There's always Ranger Lake in Strongsville. It's by the entrance to the turnpike next to the Ranger station. Supposed to be bass in there. Only fished there 2 or 3 times.


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## rp101 (May 5, 2006)

The ranger station is now demolished but the lake is still there. Never really had any luck there though....


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## debo1683 (Jun 25, 2007)

Hit up Wallace last night for a couple of hours in between rains. My wife caught a minnow sized crappie and saved my pole from going in at the mercy of a flathead. I was down the trail a little bit. Flat head was nice, 20 inches or so. 

Caught it on a night crawler. Got some other hits on the crawlers, but I will def. try the hot dogs next time out. I used to fish with those a while back and always had pretty good luck on em.


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

I've been 'hot dogging' wallace for over 30 years, and the cat/carp/turtle fishing has been consistently great if you're there at the right time. They stock it heavy with cats every year for the kids derbies. Most are channels, but some big bullheads (caught a few near the state record size) and some flatties are present.

Best to fish during/after a rain. Better to find places were the water enters the lake due to runoff. Use a slip sinker above a sizeable hook and a small split shot a foot or two above the hook between the hook and sinker to keep the bait floating a bit off the bottom. Thread the hook thru the middle of the dog, cast it out, keep the bail/spool lock open and put a small rock/bottle cap over the line between the reel and first eye. Once the line takes off, give 'em a few seconds and set the hook. I've witnessed quite a few rods pulled into the lake when tightlining, so this is a method to improve hookups and save rods.

I use the cheapest hot dogs I can buy - raw. If they're biting well (after/during a hard rain), I'll go as big as a half hotdog on the hook. Normally, it's a quarter or less.

The park closes at 11:00pm so your after dark fishing is limited a bit. You might be able to extend it a bit (especially if you know a ranger), but the Berea police start patrolling after midnight or so. These guys aren't as happy to see you in the park after hours.


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## [OSF]smoke (Jun 1, 2007)

The thing about going to Wallace after it rains is the mess when you go back by the trees all you find is beer cans and empty nightcrawler packages don't see why its that hard for people to take there trash home


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## drh146 (May 16, 2006)

has anyone ever tried the river from strongsville by pearl, down to a bit past the covered bridge? (before berea)

just wondering if there is any smallies and pike in there like in the cuyahoga by kent


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

No pike. A few bass, but most on the small size. Average depth is pretty shallow, as well as the flow. That section is stocked with rainbow trout from March thru April, with some available thru June it it doesn't get too warm for too long.


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## mike529 (Jun 30, 2007)

Last summer, I was in a convienent store in North Royalton buying night crawlers, and the guy in line behind me asked me where I was going to fish. I was headed to Ranger lake. He told me about a lake behind Southpark mall. He said he and his sons have had some decent luck there. I'm pretty sure he said he's caught some bass and his boys have caught some bluegills.

I didn't bother going that day, but I eventually checked it out when I went shopping at the mall. It's not behind the mall, it's in the mall parking lot! Next to an Ethan Allen furniture store. It kind of looks like a catch basin for the mall parking lot, but I don't know, maybe it was there before they built the mall.

Anyone ever seen this or fished here? It's on the east side of the mall off of Howe Rd. Look it up on "virtual earth", it's pretty big really. It's also located right outside of the Dick's Sporting Goods store. Maybe a good place to test new purchases from Dick's?


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