The windy weather had chased away the majority of the Lake Erie fishermen this week, but the big lake is expected to calm down heading into the weekend. Inland lake anglers are catching lots of panfish and stable weather should boost the bass fishing.
Trish Strauss of North Coast Charters shows off a pair of walleye caught while casting on a recent western Lake Erie fishing trip.john Strauss / Special to The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio – A rough and tumble Lake Erie had chased away the majority of fishermen this week, but a forecast of southerly winds and stable weather should bring back the yellow perch and walleye anglers heading into the weekend. Inland lake fishermen are catching lots of bluegill and catfish, crappies are starting to bite again and the bass fishing should improve as the fall season arrives.
Steelhead trout are starting to stage around the Northeast Ohio tributaries of Lake Erie and a very few silver trout have already moved into the rivers. The trout and salmon daily bag limit on Lake Erie and its tributaries was cut from five to two fish on Sept. 1 heading into the cold-weather fishing season.
Lake Erie water temperatures are 73 degrees off of Cleveland and 74 degrees off of Toledo. NOAA has predicted the most intense algal blooms will be in the Maumee Bay region of Western Lake Erie, and will move slightly eastward heading into the weekend.
CLEVELAND AREA
Few anglers were chasing yellow perch this weekend around Cleveland Harbor because of choppy waves and windy weather. The best yellow perch areas had been in 45 feet of water off East 72nd St., and off FirstEnergy Stadium in 40 feet of water. Fair catches were reported midway between the mouth of the Rocky River and the Cleveland Crib in 41 to 42 feet of water.
Yellow perch were also biting earlier in the week in 44 feet of water off Euclid Hospital. The inner harbor fishing has been poor for largemouth and smallmouth bass and rock bass, with a few white bass biting around the fishing piers and breakwalls.
CENTRAL LAKE ERIE
The Geneva and Ashtabula areas had the corner on the best walleye fishing around Central Lake Erie, and the fish have been slowly moving closer to shore. Anglers had been running 14 to 16 miles offshore, but recent catches have been only about 6 to 7 miles offshore in 66 to 68 feet of water on spoons, tandem spinner rigs with nightcrawlers and minnow-style diving plugs.
Steelhead trout are being caught around the breakwalls at the mouth of the Grand River and Conneaut Creek while casting spinners and spoons, or suspending jig-maggot rigs under a float when the waters are calmer.
The yellow perch fishing was improving in about 52 feet of water around the hump about a mile and a half northwest of the mouth of the Grand River, and north of Fairport Harbor. Perch were also biting off Ashtabula in 45 to 47 feet of water, and in 58 to 68 feet of water off Conneaut.
West of Cleveland, the walleye should still be hanging around the inside and the outside of the Lorain Sand Bar, and off Avon Point. Yellow perch had been biting off St. Anthony’s on the east side of Lorain in 36 feet of water and between Vermilion and Huron in 36 feet of water.
WESTERN LAKE ERIE
Walleye fishermen have been casting and trolling around Northwest Reef near the Ohio-Ontario border west of the Bass Islands and southeast of Pelee Island in Ontario waters. A few walleye have been caught in 10 to 15 feet of water around Gull Shoal and Kelleys Island Shoal.
The yellow perch fishing has been fair west of Rattlesnake and Green islands, although most have been smaller perch. Some good perch catches were reported east of the Cedar Point dumping grounds and north of the Huron River.
INLAND LAKES AND RESERVOIRS
Berlin Reservoir water levels are down more than four feet and the fishing has been difficult. A few walleye have been caught trolling small diving plugs in deeper waters between Rt. 224 and the railroad bridge.
The bass fishing has been good around the Portage Lakes, with East and Turkeyfoot lakes rated best. Anglers are targeting shoreline structure with shallow-running diving plugs and plastic worms, lizards and creature baits. The crappie are starting bite around the docks in East Reservoir on minnows suspended under a float, and bluegill and catfish are still biting. Redear sunfish are being caught around the south end of Turkeyfoot Lake.
Mogadore and Mosquito reservoirs have been good for bass and crappie. The Cleveland Metroparks lakes have been good for bluegill and catfish, and bass are being caught at Wallace Lake. The saugeye bite is beginning on Clendening and Piedmont lakes. Muskies had been caught in fair numbers around West Branch Reservoir.
RIVERS AND STREAMS
Steelhead trout are starting to stage around the mouths of the Rocky, Chagrin and Grand rivers and Conneaut Creek, but only a few have moved up the Ohio rivers and streams. Some catfish and smallmouth bass are being caught in the lower stretches of the rivers.
FISHING TOURNAMENTS
Nite Bite Muskie Tournament
Leesville Lake
How they finished: 1. Paul Anderson, 42.25 inches; 2. Ray Elkins, 40 inches; Neil Butara, 38.5 inches.
DOG TRIAL RESULTS
All-Breed Hunter’s Trial
Pinecrest Shooting Preserve, New London
All-Age – Flushing: Justin Reznik, Labrador retriever (Lab), Amber. Pointing: Jon Harbert, German shorthaired pointer (GSP), Meadow; Jim Szajna, English pointer (EP), Sam; Jason Bowers, GSP, Cooper.
Gun Dog – Flushing: Dave White, Lab, Thunder; Justin Reznik, Lab, Lily; Bob Shoemaker, Lab, Raven. Pointing: Joe Pitts, EP, Gilbert; Deb Hronek, EP, Jules; Bert Scali, EP, Kate.
Derby – Flushing: Chuck Fashing, Lab, Choc; Jacob Steingraver, Lab, Drake. Pointing: Chuck Fashing, English setter, Chic; Mason Church, GSP, Sarge; Larry Kontokanis, EP, Big Boy.
Puppy – Flushing: Jason Steingraber, Lab, Drake; David Miller, Lab, Taz. Pointing: No awards.