ODNR Fishing Report for 07/26/2011:

** The daily bag limit for yellow perch is 30 fish per angler on all Ohio waters of Lake Erie.**

** The steelhead daily bag limit is 5 fish per angler through August 31. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12”.

** The Lake Erie black bass (largemouth and smallmouth) daily bag limit is 5 fish with a minimum size limit of 14”.**

Western Basin

Walleye fishing was good over the past week (as of 7/26). Most reports came from the east side of the reef complex around Niagara Reef and Crib Reef, and along the Canadian border from Gull Island Shoal to North Bass Island. Fish have been caught by trolling with divers and spoons, and also on inline weights with worm harnesses. Fish can also be caught by casting mayfly rigs or drifting with bottom bouncers and worm harnesses.

Yellow perch fishing was good over the past week. The best areas have been around the Toledo water intake, E of Ballast Island, N of Lucy’s Point (Middle Bass Island), Lakeside, and the SE corner of the Kelleys Island. Anglers are using spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom.

Bass: There have been good catches of largemouth bass reported from the harbors and nearshore areas from Catawba to Marblehead. Smallmouth bass have been caught around South Bass Island and Middle Bass Island.

Central Basin

Walleye fishing has been good in 8’ to 18’ from Ruggles Reef to Vermilion, in 20 to 30’ between Beaver Creek and Lorain, in 70-74’ N-NE of Geneva and 70-74’ N-NW of Ashtabula. Anglers are using jet divers and dipsy divers with purple, blue, pink and black spoons. Anglers are also using wireline with stick baits.

Yellow perch fishing has been fair off of the Huron River mouth, off of the condos between Vermilion and Beaver Creek, 35-45’ of N Chagrin River, 40-45’ NW of Edgewater. Good fishing has been reported 38-42' NW of Fairport and 46-53' NE of Conneaut. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produces the most fish. Earlier in the week, anglers were catching perch suspended in the water column ten cranks up from the bottom. Shore anglers are having good luck off the Mentor Headlands breakwall. Fish the bottom and keep the bait moving. Mornings and evenings have been best.

Smallmouth bass fishing has been very good in 15 to 25’ around harbor areas in Cleveland, Fairport Harbor, Geneva, Ashtabula and Conneaut. Fish are being caught on crayfish and leeches, dark green and red tube jigs, blade baits and crank baits.

Steelhead Trout fishing has been good while trolling for walleye at the same locations listed above for walleye off Geneva and Ashtabula.

White Bass Anglers are catching white bass off the Eastlake CEI breakwall and Mentor Headlands breakwall. Anglers are using agitators with white jigs and twister tails. Mornings and evenings are the best times. For boat anglers, look for gulls feeding on schools of shiners at the surface. The white bass will be below the shiners.

The water temperature is 79 degrees off of Toledo, 80 degrees N of Vermilion at the weather buoy and 82 degrees at the Cleveland alternate site.

Anglers are encouraged to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device while boating.

Source: ODNR