Fairport Harbor, Oh - The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has announced that it will begin stocking steelhead trout in the Vermilion River in the spring. The Vermilion River is located about 35 miles west of Cleveland.
Due to the success of the steelhead trout program in Conneaut Creek and the Rocky, Grand and Chagrin rivers, state wildlife biologists decided to add the Vermilion River to the popular program.
Angler satisfaction with Ohios steelhead fishery continues to grow, as does our commitment to the stocking program, said Gary Isbell, fisheries executive administrator for the ODNR Division of Wildlife.
As more and more anglers seek out this exciting steelhead fishery, we wanted to provide additional fishing opportunities. Given biological factors and access opportunities, the Vermilion River was our best option, he said.
According to Isbell, steelhead stocked into the Vermilion River next spring will migrate into Lake Erie and spend the summer in the cooler part of the lake's central basin. Adult steelhead return to stocked streams from fall through spring.
The first good run of stocked fish in the Vermilion should occur in the fall of 2003, said Isbell. By then, stream anglers can expect an average steelhead trout to be 25 inches long and weigh five to six pounds.
The Lorain County Metro Parks, Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders, North Coast Fly Fishers, and Pennsylvania Boat and Fish Commission were consulted in regards to the proposed changes for the steelhead program.
As part of both states increased focus on the steelhead fishery, an agreement has been secured with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to cooperatively stock steelhead in Conneaut Creek. Each agency will annually stock up to 75,000 yearling steelhead into Conneaut Creek.
Conneaut Creek offers good public access and water quality, said Kevin Kayle, supervisor of ODNR's Fairport Harbor Fisheries Research Station. We met with Pennsylvania fisheries biologists and decided that by working together, we could improve fishing opportunities for both Ohio and Pennsylvania anglers. And, Pennsylvania's contribution toward stocking the Conneaut will make it much easier for us to begin placing fish in the Vermilion River.
To provide opportunities for a quality Vermilion River steelhead fishery, stocking numbers in three other Ohio steelhead streams will be slightly adjusted. Next spring, the Grand, Chagrin and Rocky rivers will each receive 90,000 yearling steelhead from ODNR. The Vermilion River will receive 55,000 yearling steelhead.