The newly restored Alder Pond at Goodyear Heights Metro Park was stocked with fish this month after more than a decade. It’s now one more place within Summit Metro Parks where kids and adults with valid fishing licenses can cast a line.
A short hike on Alder Trail will get you to the pond. The trailhead is located at 550 Frazier Ave. in Akron. Hike a little farther to get a view of the restorations from the observation deck.
In 2015, several hundred yards of sediment were excavated from the pond’s edge along Alder Trail. New boulders around the pond’s perimeter give it the look it had half a century ago.
Frank Prater, Goodyear Heights park manager, said he’s very pleased with the outcome. “We removed a retaining wall and made the pond more similar to its natural form.”
Along the edge of Alder Pond, a cattail marsh provides good wildlife habitat. The pond supports sphagnum moss and yellow birch trees, muskrats, nesting Canada geese and mallards. Late spring is a great time to view snapping turtles — some up to 20 pounds — basking in the sun.
Alder Pond was stocked with about 1,000 fish, including 150 channel catfish and 400 bluegills, as well as 200 lbs. of redear sunfish and 200 lbs. of largemouth bass. Summit Metro Parks encourages fishers to catch and release.
Prater said, “The neighborhood residents will have something to look forward to now that the pond has been restored to a suitable fish habitat. Before, the pond wasn’t very deep and not conducive to fishing.”
Goodyear Heights is just one of the many Metro Parks that offers fishing. Parks with ponds, lakes or rivers to fish in include: Cascade Valley, Deep Lock Quarry, Firestone, Furnace Run, Gorge, Liberty Park, Munroe Falls, Nimisila Reservoir, Silver Creek, and Wood Hollow.
Each park offers a different variety of fish including trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, carp, pike, bluegill, catfish and perch. State of Ohio fishing regulations apply. Only children 15 and younger are permitted to fish at Little Turtle Pond in Firestone Metro Park. For more information, visit our fishing page.
Goodyear Heights Metro Park opened in 1930. It is one of four Metro Parks that have been open more than 85 years. While you are at Goodyear Heights, enjoy history and nature by hiking the trails.
- Alder Trail (1.4 miles) leads through the woods to Alder Pond. At the start of the trail, a short (half-mile, round trip) section is good for users with wheelchairs, walkers, canes and strollers.
- Parcours Trail (1.8 miles) has numbered exercise stations for a challenging hike.
- Piney Woods Trail (2.0 miles) was named for the many pines once planted in the park. However, those trees are now giving way to a variety of other species through natural succession, including black cherries, oaks and tulip trees.
The 410-acre park has three entrances and features Pioneer Shelter, Goodyear Pavilion, picnic tables and ball fields, as well as sledding and cross-country skiing in the winter.
