Sat September 5-7 New York (Lake Ontario) & Ohio Storm
Sep 5-7 Alley front -- 0.0" delivered, Genesee River peaked +14hrs as expected.
Meteorological Analysis
A moderate storm system rolled through the Steelhead Alley region starting on Saturday, September 5, 2026 and lasting until Monday, September 7, 2026. The storm was active for approximately 49 hours, dumping a maximum of 0.00" of rain across affected zones. Geographically, the weather system impacted the New York (Lake Ontario), Ohio regions, causing rapid water-level rises on multiple tributaries.
Gauges recorded significant river responses, particularly along Eighteenmile Creek (Niagara) (peaking at 509 CFS), Sandy Creek (Hamlin) (peaking at 214 CFS), Johnson Creek (peaking at 1,060 CFS), Salmon River (peaking at 236 CFS), Sandy Creek (Adams) (peaking at 87 CFS), Irondequoit Creek (peaking at 256 CFS), Black River (Watertown) (peaking at 2,220 CFS), Chagrin River @ Willoughby (peaking at 735 CFS), Grand River near Painesville (peaking at 578 CFS), Conneaut Creek (peaking at 517 CFS), Rocky River near Berea (peaking at 237 CFS), Black River (peaking at 52 CFS), Cuyahoga River @ Independence (peaking at 936 CFS), Euclid Creek (peaking at 67 CFS), Brandy Run near Girard (peaking at 6 CFS), Huron River (peaking at 131 CFS), Ashtabula River (peaking at 408 CFS), Oak Orchard Creek (peaking at 1,530 CFS), Vermilion River @ Vermilion (peaking at 28 CFS), Genesee River (peaking at 6,210 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
Eighteenmile Creek (Niagara)
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 509 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 05:45
- Recovers By
- Sep 6, 04:00
Sandy Creek (Hamlin)
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 214 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 06:01
- Recovers By
- Sep 6, 01:00
Johnson Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 1,060 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 06:00
- Recovers By
- Sep 6, 00:02
Salmon River
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 236 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 06:00
Sandy Creek (Adams)
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 87 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 05:45
Irondequoit Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 256 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 05:45
- Recovers By
- Sep 5, 05:30
Black River (Watertown)
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 2,220 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 06:01
Chagrin River @ Willoughby
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 735 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 05:45
- Recovers By
- Sep 5, 20:45
Grand River near Painesville
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 578 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 15:00
- Recovers By
- Sep 5, 05:30
Conneaut Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 517 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 05:45
- Recovers By
- Sep 6, 05:30
Rocky River near Berea
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 237 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 05:45
- Recovers By
- Sep 5, 05:30
Black River
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 52 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 06:00
- Recovers By
- Sep 5, 05:30
Cuyahoga River @ Independence
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 936 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 05:45
- Recovers By
- Sep 5, 05:30
Euclid Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 67 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 05:45
- Recovers By
- Sep 5, 05:30
Brandy Run near Girard
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 6 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 06:00
Huron River
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 131 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 05:45
- Recovers By
- Sep 6, 05:30
Ashtabula River
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 408 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 05:45
Oak Orchard Creek
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 1,530 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 6, 23:15
- Recovers By
- Sep 5, 05:30
Vermilion River @ Vermilion
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 28 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 06:00
- Recovers By
- Sep 5, 08:45
Genesee River
- Pre-Storm Flow
- N/A
- Observed Peak
- 6,210 CFS
- Peak Time
- Sep 5, 08:00
- Recovers By
- Sep 6, 05:30
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:
