Fishing Hayes Lake in Cuyahoga County, Ohio

• Overview

  The Cuyahoga County end of Ohio holds Hayes Lake. It sits at 951 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 5 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. You are 2.5 miles from North Royalton. Broadview Heights lies 3.5 miles off, Richfield another 5.7 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Hayes Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Survey and observation records for Cuyahoga County include common carp, white perch, bluegill and rainbow darter. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Hayes Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 71°F on average, January about 24°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late March. Break-up near late March, freeze-up near late December: that is the shape of an average year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Hayes Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. A car park lies half a mile away, so the walk in is short. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Pine Hills Golf Course Club Lake, 2.2 miles out. None of that is settled for Hayes Lake in what we hold.