The lake is once again open for boating, fishing and more
by Melissa Martin
In the same fashion that Hinckley’s beloved buzzards return to the Hinckley Reservation every spring, their human counterparts have undertaken a homecoming celebration of their own this summer.
Community members are flocking back to Hinckley Lake, following a two-year closure. The 87-acre lake and its surroundings officially reopened in June after a $12 million project that included dredging the lake and rehabilitating its aging dam and spillway.
Cleveland Metroparks officials say swimmers, kayakers, anglers and other park enthusiasts have picked up right where they left off before construction vehicles took over the reservation in early September 2023.
“This is a great place where you can do a little bit of everything,” said Brian Cancian, a Strongsville resident who visited the lake recently for the first time to paddleboard with his 6-year-old dog, Elly.
Cancian is a member of the Rocky River stand-up paddleboard group. He frequents the Cuyahoga River, Merwin’s Wharf and Edgewater Beach to paddleboard, but said that after hearing Hinckley Lake was reopened to the public, he decided to give it a try this summer.
“I really like all the natural areas the lake has to offer, especially all the greenery in the middle of the lake right now,” Cancian said. “It’s not something you see all the time, but it’s pretty neat to have a bog in the middle of the water.”
Judy Zeszotek of Brunswick, who kayaked with her granddaughters for the first time, said she enjoys having the lake so close to home.
“This is only the second time I’ve done this [kayaked], but I like knowing it’s right here and I can keep learning,” she said.
The Hinckley dam, which was constructed on the lake in 1927, not only provides recreational opportunities for residents and visitors but has helped mitigate flooding in Hinckley Township and surrounding areas for nearly a century. The recent rehab was designed to improve the lake’s health just in time for its 100th birthday in 2027 by removing excess silt that accumulated there over the years.
According to Cleveland Metroparks Chief Planning and Design Officer Sean McDermott, over the last century, Rocky River has deposited a significant amount of silt in the lake, which ranges in depth from 2-16 feet. As part of the dam rehabilitation project, the park district was able to remove 45,000 cubic yards of excess deposits. The move, he said, will allow for proper depths for recreational activities, such as boating and fishing, moving forward.
But that wasn’t the only improvement, McDermott said. Crews also raised the height of the existing earthen dam embankment that stretches across the northern portion of the lake and upgraded its adjoining 150-foot-wide concrete spillway to meet modern standards. Doing so provides the surrounding residential areas with heightened protection in the event of severe rainstorms and flooding. To modernize the dam, which has been reinforced to withstand hurricane-force winds, McDermott and the team also added new controls for valves and outlets in order to mitigate flooding.
McDermott said that once the lake was refilled in November, more vegetation is present in the water than was visible prior to construction. Much of lake’s plant life had the opportunity to establish itself while the lakebed was dry and was intentionally left in place by the park district.
This temporary vegetation provides beneficial cover and structure for the fish population as the Cleveland Metroparks and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources work to restore aquatic life to the lake. The plants, McDermott added, have already had a marked impact in returning waterfowl to Hinckley Lake.
Because the submerged conditions of the lake vegetation are not conducive to long-term survival, he said the plant life is expected to substantially die back within one to two years. The exact timeframe will depend on winter conditions and the amount of ice formation in the lake.
Watercraft rentals, including kayaks canoes, paddleboards and paddleboats, have also reopened in recent weeks at the boathouse store on the south side of the lake.
Lifeguards, too, have returned and are stationed daily on the newly refurbished beach areas from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. After Aug. 9, officials said hours for the lifeguards will be posted at clevelandmetroparks.com/swimming.
Boathouse pricing for the season has been set at $25 per hour for single-person kayaks and stand-up paddleboards; $35 per hour for tandem kayaks and canoes; $35 per hour for four-person paddleboats; and $45 per hour for five-person, animal-themed paddleboats. Rental hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the last launch at 5:30 p.m., through Aug. 9. After that, rental hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last launch at 3:30 p.m., through Sept. 26.
Visitors with their own kayaks or paddleboards can also access the lake from designated public access points.
To make the lake more enticing for local fishermen, the Metroparks’ aquatic biologist has been working with the Ohio Division of Wildlife to conduct a fish survey to determine what is naturally recolonizing in the lake. The plan is to stock the lake with juvenile largemouth bass and bluegill in October. While younger fish may not provide the best fishing opportunities immediately, officials say fishing will get progressively better in the next few years as the fish mature.
The Cleveland Metroparks requested D1, D2 and D3 liquor permits this past spring to allow on-premises and carry-out alcohol sales in the Buzzard’s Landing, the park’s concession, during the summer months. However, those plans have been placed on hold indefinitely as Hinckley Township trustees objected to the sale of beer, wine and spirits for safety purposes.For the time being, drinking alcohol continues to be prohibited in all public areas of the Hinckley Reservation, including Hinckley Lake.
Photo caption: Brian Cancian of Strongsville enjoys his paddleboard on Hinckley Lake with his dog, Elly, 6.