Freestone · Shale · Ohio, US

Chagrin River

The Chagrin River rushing over boulders through a wooded gorge in early autumn color, Ohio.

One of the cornerstone Steelhead Alley rivers east of Cleveland — a shale-bottom stream that runs hard after rain and fishes beautifully on the drop, with reliable stocked steelhead all through the cold months.

Poor · Steelhead
Egg pattern · 12–16
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River steady at a fishable height. Not much stacked in your favour today. Worth an hour if you are nearby, not worth the special trip.
55% confidence
What moved it
  • Level1.00 m
  • Water temp22.0°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Egg pattern
Egg pattern12–16
A dependable searching pattern for these waters.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
1.00 m
Water temp22.0°C
ClarityClear
Weather30°C
WindSW 18 km/h
Pressure1016 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead21.5 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
22°C est.ideal 413°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Steelhead
When
Steelhead Oct–Apr, on the drop
Where
One of the cornerstone Steelhead Alley rivers east of Cleveland — a shale-bottom stream that runs hard after rain and fishes beautifully on the drop, with…
Why this works
Very poor — water clarity is working for you, but water temperature is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6pm

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 6 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

See the full sub-surface read with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

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

Through the year
0–3 scale · September 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
Steelhead fly box
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 · 4
Gallery · 2
  1. The Chagrin River rushing over boulders through a wooded gorge in early autumn color, Ohio.
    The Chagrin River pushing through rocks
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

One of the cornerstone Steelhead Alley rivers east of Cleveland — a shale-bottom stream that runs hard after rain and fishes beautifully on the drop, with reliable stocked steelhead all through the cold months.

  • Shale
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic lifeImpaired
  • Fish consumptionImpaired
  • RecreationImpaired
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 'Griswold Creek-Chagrin River' (OH041100030402), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Temperature, Sediment, Habitat Alterations, Pathogens, Polychlorinated Biphenyls PCBs, Pesticides. 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) · OH041100030402

Why this score · for Steelhead
  • Temperature028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time7013% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity6512% weight
Related guides
Booking & contacts