Wed August 26-29 Alley Storm
Aug 26-29 Alley front -- 0.0" delivered, Chautauqua Creek peaked +14hrs as expected.
Meteorological Analysis
A moderate storm system rolled through the Steelhead Alley region starting on Wednesday, August 26, 2026 and lasting until Saturday, August 29, 2026. The storm was active for approximately 71 hours, dumping a maximum of 0.00" of rain across affected zones. Geographically, the weather system impacted the New York (Lake Erie), New York (Lake Ontario), Ohio, Pennsylvania regions, causing rapid water-level rises on multiple tributaries.
Gauges recorded significant river responses, particularly along Huron River (peaking at 28 CFS), Vermilion River @ Vermilion (peaking at 12 CFS), Rocky River near Berea (peaking at 81 CFS), Black River (peaking at 19 CFS), Eighteenmile Creek (Niagara) (peaking at 154 CFS), Euclid Creek (peaking at 157 CFS), Cazenovia Creek (peaking at 113 CFS), Eighteen Mile Creek (peaking at 31 CFS), Buffalo Creek (peaking at 66 CFS), Canadaway Creek (peaking at 77 CFS), Sandy Creek (Hamlin) (peaking at 76 CFS), Irondequoit Creek (peaking at 65 CFS), Black River (Watertown) (peaking at 2,270 CFS), Silver Creek (peaking at 11 CFS), Chagrin River @ Willoughby (peaking at 389 CFS), Ashtabula River (peaking at 243 CFS), Cattaraugus Creek (peaking at 336 CFS), Salmon River (peaking at 260 CFS), Sandy Creek (Adams) (peaking at 350 CFS), Grand River near Painesville (peaking at 824 CFS), Cuyahoga River @ Independence (peaking at 566 CFS), Brandy Run near Girard (peaking at 4 CFS), Crooked Creek (peaking at 16 CFS), Johnson Creek (peaking at 96 CFS), Conneaut Creek (peaking at 310 CFS), Genesee River (peaking at 1,750 CFS), Oak Orchard Creek (peaking at 1,050 CFS), Elk Creek (peaking at 37 CFS), Walnut Creek (peaking at 41 CFS), Twenty Mile Creek (peaking at 64 CFS), Chautauqua Creek (peaking at 79 CFS). Angling conditions deteriorated quickly during the peak flow periods, leading to temporary washouts. Gaging stations monitored the recovery times as flows began returning to their baselines, mapping out the best windows for fishermen to get back on the water.
From a weather prediction standpoint, the NWS forecasts for this event received an aggregate score card grade of 'A'. Gaging observations were matched against NWS precipitation models to assess the forecasting margins, highlighting the variance in local rainfall amounts across the lake shores.
Tributary Response & Recovery
Huron River
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 28 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:15
Vermilion River @ Vermilion
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 12 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:15
Rocky River near Berea
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 81 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:15
Black River
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 19 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 08:45
Eighteenmile Creek (Niagara)
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 154 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 28, 00:45
Euclid Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 157 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 28, 11:58
Cazenovia Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 113 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:30
Eighteen Mile Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 31 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:15
Buffalo Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 66 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:15
Canadaway Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 77 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:15
Sandy Creek (Hamlin)
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 76 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:15
Irondequoit Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 65 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:30
Black River (Watertown)
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 2,270 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 12:15
Silver Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 11 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:15
Chagrin River @ Willoughby
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 389 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 28, 19:00
Ashtabula River
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 243 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:15
- Recovers By
- Aug 27, 02:00
Cattaraugus Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 336 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:15
- Recovers By
- Aug 27, 02:00
Salmon River
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 260 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:15
Sandy Creek (Adams)
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 350 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:15
Grand River near Painesville
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 824 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 27, 03:30
Cuyahoga River @ Independence
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 566 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:30
Brandy Run near Girard
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 4 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:15
Crooked Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 16 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:30
Johnson Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 96 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 28, 05:00
Conneaut Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 310 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:15
Genesee River
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 1,750 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 10:15
Oak Orchard Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 1,050 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 27, 23:00
Elk Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 37 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:30
Walnut Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 41 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:15
Twenty Mile Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 64 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:30
Chautauqua Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 79 CFS
- Peak Time
- Aug 26, 06:15
Fishing Guide & Tactics
Looking for advice on how to target steelhead on these rivers when they are recovering from a storm? Check out our master guides:
