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**The daily bag limit for Lake Erie yellow perch dropped from 30 to 25 fish per angler effective July 1, 2008 in waters west of the Huron pier. The daily bag limit will remain at 30 fish per angler in Ohio waters from Huron eastward. Any boats landing west of Huron, Ohio will be subject to the 25 fish daily bag limit, while boats landing at Huron or points east will be subject to a 30 fish daily bag limit. Shore-based anglers west of the Huron pier will be subject to a 25 fish daily bag limit, while those on the pier and eastward will remain at 30 fish daily.** **From September 1 through May 15 the steelhead trout daily bag limit is 2 fish. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches.**
**The walleye bag limit is 6 fish per day. The minimum size limit for walleye is 15”.**
**The black bass (largemouth and smallmouth) daily bag limit is 5 fish with a 14” minimum size limit.**
Western Basin
Walleye fishing has remained slow over the past week. The best fishing was N of Kelleys Island, including Gull Island Shoal and Kelleys Island Shoal. Fish have been caught by both trolling and casting. Trollers have been catching fish on spoons with divers, or worm harnesses fished with inline weights, snap weights, bottom bouncers, or divers.
Yellow Perch fishing has been good in the western basin. The best spots have been the turnaround buoy of the Toledo shipping channel, N of West Sister Island near the Canadian border, around Green and Rattlesnake Islands, E of Kelleys Island, Kelleys Island Shoal, S of Kelleys Island, N of the Marblehead lighthouse, near the Cedar Point bell buoy, around the Catawba Island green buoy, and Gull Island shoal. Perch spreaders or crappie rigs with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.
Smallmouth Bass have been caught around Middle Bass Island and South Bass Island, and on the southern shoreline of Kelleys Island. Some of the fish have been up to 19”.
Central Basin
Walleye fishing is improving from Lorain to Huron. The best areas have been the 30 N line west of the sandbar and the Huron dumping grounds. Fishing remained slow again this past week from Cleveland to Conneaut. Trollers are using worm harnesses, spoons or stickbaits off jet divers, dipsy divers, planer boards and downriggers. Worm harnesses and spoons continue to be the top baits.
Yellow perch fishing has been excellent. The most consistent action has been on the sandbar between Vermilion and Lorain, N of Vermilion, and also off of Lorain near the lighthouse. Fishing has been very good all along ports from Cleveland east to Conneaut. The best spots include NW of Gordon Park in 51 to 55 feet of water, NE and NW of Chagrin River in 51 to 55 feet of water, NW of Fairport in 40 to 50’ of water (the hump), N of Geneva and Ashtabula in 38’ to 48’ of water, and N of Conneaut in 70’ of water. Perch spreaders or crappie rigs with shiners fished near the bottom usually produces the most fish. Fish have ranged from 7 to 12 inches.
Smallmouth bass fishing has been very good in 20’ of water around Cleveland, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula and Conneaut harbors. Fish are being caught on watermelon, pumpkinseed and green tube jigs, drop-shot goby imitations and crayfish.
Steelhead fishing is picking up as fish begin to move up into the rivers and anglers are catching fish at the mouth and downstream locations in the Chagrin River, Grand River, Geneva State Park, Euclid Creek (Wildwood State Park), Conneaut Creek and along the Conneaut west breakwall. Water conditions in the rivers and streams remain low and clear. Best times have been early in the morning. Shore anglers are using small spoons and jigs and maggots rigged with a split shot under a light bobber.
Based on the nearshore forecast the water temperature is 59 off of Toledo and 63 off of Cleveland.
Anglers are encouraged to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device while boating. Source: ODNR |