Freestone · Shale · Ohio, US

Grand River

Wide bend of the Grand River flowing over gravel bars beneath wooded banks near Painesville, Ohio
Today · Slow going — pick your moments
Stonefly Nymph
Forecast · Today
Slow going — pick your moments
Slow going — pick your moments and do not force it.
45% projected
Today's fly
Stonefly Nymph
Stonefly Nymph
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Rising
0.53 m
Lifting fast
Water temp13.1°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather8°C
WindN 33 km/h
Pressure1028 hPa
Rain · recent14.7 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Steelhead
Warm — slow
13°C est.ideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Steelhead
When
Steelhead Oct–Apr; needs a few days to clear after a big rain
Where
The largest of the Ohio Steelhead Alley rivers — bigger water that holds a lot of fish but takes longer to drop and clear than the smaller streams.
Why this works
Fair — river flow is working for you, but water temperature is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Mayflies
Chironomids
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 21:00

12:00(now) — Eastern Blue-Winged Olive

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 26%
Peak emergence window

Peak activity at 21:00 — Brown Dun (Brown Dun)

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Brown DunHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Quill GordonHatch
2
2
Blue QuillHatch
2
3
2
HendricksonHatch
2
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Fly box · Steelhead
Local fly shops: Chagrin River Outfitters·East End Angler·Elk Creek Sports Shop
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Ohio licence; verify ODNR reach rules
  • Introduced, harvestable sport fishery.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Fishing better nearby · 5
Conneaut Creek
57 km
84
Steelhead
Vermilion River
100 km
73
Steelhead
Chagrin River
17 km
30
Steelhead
Ashtabula River
39 km
30
Steelhead
Rocky River
65 km
30
Steelhead
Gallery · 2
  1. Wide bend of the Grand River flowing over gravel bars beneath wooded banks near Painesville, Ohio
    The Grand River in Painesville, Ohio
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Supporting
  • Fish consumption: Impaired
  • Recreation: Impaired
What this classification means

Fish consumption: Consumption advisory (Polychlorinated Biphenyls PCBs) — fish for sport, not the table.

Recreation: Bacteria/pathogen advisory — mind wading cuts and immersion.

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Grand River Mainstem (Mill Creek to mouth)' (OHLR041100049001), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Fully Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Pathogens, Polychlorinated Biphenyls PCBs. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · OHLR041100049001

Why this score · for Steelhead
  • Temperature2528% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity7518% weight
  • Feeding Time5513% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity3712% weight
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts