Western Basin Walleye Walleye fishing has been good on Kelleys Island Shoal. Most of the fish caught have been from 15 to 18” from the 2003 year class, but a few bigger fish are also present. Drifting with crawler harnesses or casting weight forward spinners have been the most productive techniques. As water temperatures drop larger adult walleye will migrate back towards Kelleys Island, the Bass Islands, and the area around Marblehead and Lakeside. Yellow Perch The best western basin perch areas have included Niagara reef, between Rattlesnake and Green Islands, and E of the Kelleys Island airport. Most fish are still running on the small side, but larger fish (10-12”) are starting to appear in the catch. A perch spreader tipped with shiners is the most popular set-up. Central Basin Walleye The best walleye fishing recently has been offshore from Lorain to Huron in water over 40’ deep. The sandbar and the deep water to the west of the sandbar have been productive, along with 42 to 44’ of water from Vermilion to Huron. Many of the fish being caught have ranged from 15 to 18” from the 2003 year class, but a few larger fish up to 11 pounds have been reported. Spoons or crawler harnesses trolled deep with dipsy divers, jet divers or downriggers have produced the most consistent catches. Yellow Perch The best yellow perch fishing has been 2 to 3 miles N of Geneva, 2 to 3 miles N from Ashtabula to Conneaut in 52’ of water, 3 mile NW of Euclid Creek in 42’ of water, and 5 miles N of the Chagrin River in 53’ of water. A perch spreader tipped with shiners is the most popular set-up. Fish have ranged from 8-12 inches. For up-to-date steelhead fishing information visit:http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/Fishing/fairport/steelhead.htm Lake Erie surface temperatures range from 55 to 60 degrees.
Source: ODNR
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