Steelhead Alley Trips

Fish With Jim Outfitters provides guided fishing trips on the most productive steelhead rivers in Northeast Ohio's "Famed" Steelhead Alley. Ohio stocks the Manistee Strain of Steelhead that begin to migrate to the Ohio Lake Erie Tributary streams at the beginning of October and can be caught thru the peak run in April. They average 24 inches in length and weigh 6 – 10 lbs. Fishing these rivers for steelhead is an exciting game for any fisherman. Enjoy breath taking scenery and extremely energetic fish capable of long, drag screaming runs and multiple acrobatic jumps! Fish With Jim Outfitters knowledge of the Ohio Streams will guarantee that you will be in the best possible water on the day of your trip. We specialize in finding out of the way places that are not crowded. We are available seven days a week thru our season. Start planning your trip today, these fish are waiting for you and are like silver rockets waiting to go off.
	Float Trips Enjoy fishing the Vermilion River, Chagrin River, Grand River, Ashtabula River and Conneaut Creek in our 13-foot inflatable rafts that are roomy, stable and rigged to fish! Our guides are proficient with many techniques including; center pin, spinning, fly and plug. Our streams are the perfect backdrop for an action packed steelhead trip! They have incredible scenery with 100-foot cliffs of shale and sandstone, waterfalls and all types of wildlife for all to enjoy. This trip can be enjoyed by fisher-people of all ages.
	Walk and Wade Trips Walk and wade some of the most productive steelhead water that Northeast Ohio has to offer. Our guides are proficient using Spinning (float fishing or bottom bouncing), Fly Fishing (indicator or swing) and we are the only guide service in Steelhead Alley to offer Center Pin trips. This is your chance to step out of your comfort zone and learn a new technique.

Trip Details

License: You will be able to purchase an Ohio Fishing License for $11 daily, three-day for $18, Resident Annual for $24 or Non-Resident Annual for $40.
Directions: Drive 20 min from Cleveland Airport, 2.5 hrs from Detroit, 4 hrs from Cincinnati, 5 hrs from Chicago; please contact Jim for the meeting place 248-252-1277.
Tackle: All tackle is provided at no extra cost. Spinning, Center Pin and Fly Rods are available. Bait including Jigs, Fresh Spawn, Flies and other live bait is provided. This is a great opportunity for you to learn how to fly fish, center pin or use conventional spinning gear.
October - April.
Waders: For your comfort, we recommend a breathable stocking foot wader. We have waders available in select sizes, please call.
Sections: We will access streams on public land on the Vermilion River, Black River, Rocky River, Chagrin River, Grand River, Ashtabula River and Conneaut Creek. In high water conditions we will fish small tributaries.
Keeping Fish: You are able to keep two Steelhead or Trout over 12 inches per person.
Other: We recommend you bring the following items to make your trip as enjoyable as possible; bottled water or soft drinks (no alcoholic beverages are allowed in the metro parks), a rain jacket, polarized sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, camera and a cooler for your catch. We fish a variety of conditions so please dress in layers.

More About The Rivers

The Vermilion River is located in northern Ohio. It is a tributary of Lake Erie. The river was named due to the reddish clay that is the major local soil along its route. The river is commonly muddy after rains. At the rivers headwaters, many local farms feed it and it commonly stays muddy days longer than other rivers that are larger than it. It is more of a rural river by nature and a good set of legs are required since hiking is required to reach the good fishing. More about the Vermilion River.

The Rocky River is a relatively short river that borders Cleveland Ohio. It is a tributary of Lake Erie and an urban river with a forest on both sides running through one of the most underrated of the Cleveland Metro Parks system, The Rocky River Reservation. More about the Rocky River.

The Chagrin River runs through suburban areas of Greater Cleveland in Cuyahoga, Geauga, and Portage counties, transects two Cleveland Metroparks reservations, and then meanders into nearby Lake County before emptying into Lake Erie. The river has two branches, the Aurora Branch and East Branch. The Chagrin River was designated as a State Scenic River in 1979. It tends to clear up fairly fast due to its headwaters being on a protected suburban real estate and lush forests. It offers all types of scenery and wildlife and is the most diverse river of the five. More about the Chagrin River.

The Grand River is located in northern Ohio and is a tributary of Lake Erie. Today, the river follows an odd course that was influenced by the glaciers. The headwaters of the river can be found in Portage and Geauga counties. From there, the river flows north through Trumbull County and into Ashtabula County. In the northern part of the county, the river begins flowing westward into Lake County before dumping into Lake Erie. More about the Grand River.

The Ashtabula River is a fine steelhead river this is approximately 40 miles long and empties into Lake Erie at the city of Ashtabula. The name Ashtabula is derived from an Iroquois Indian name meaning “river of many fish.” More about the Ashtabula River.

Fish With Jim Outfitters also offers guided trips on the many secret creeks that surround the major rivers. These areas are primarily fished in high water conditions. The choice is yours! However, for your best chance at that trophy steelhead allow Fish With Jim Outfitters to select your destination.

Fall steelhead trips are primarily targeted with spinning or center pin rods and spring trips are primarily targeted with spinning, center pin and fly rods. Rods, bait and tackle are provided at no extra cost.