|
**The walleye daily bag limit is 6 fish. A 15" minimum size limit for walleye remains in effect for the entire season. The Lake Erie daily bag limit for yellow perch is 40 fish. The daily bag limit for black bass on Lake Erie is 5. The minimum size limit for black bass on Lake Erie is 14". The steelhead trout bag limit 2. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches.** Fishing information based on reports from the week of 10/16/2006. Over the past week conditions have been poor and fishing information is limited.
With decreasing water temperatures be sure to take extra precaution when fishing on Lake Erie.
Western Basin
Fishing effort directed towards walleye has greatly decreased as western basin anglers have switched to perch fishing. Some success has been reported on Kelleys Island Shoal. Drifters are using mayfly rigs or weight forward spinners, while most trollers are using worm harnesses or spoons with jet or dipsy divers, and crankbaits.
Yellow perch fishing has been slow in the Western Basin. From two weeks ago the best areas were “D” can of the Camp Perry range, Green Island, Rattlesnake Island, Lucy’s Point of Middle Bass Island, N of North Bass Island, and the Marblehead lighthouse. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.
Smallmouth bass should start moving shallower as water temperatures drop heading into fall. Fish rocky drop-offs and reefs around the Bass Islands and Kelleys Island along with nearshore areas from Catawba Island to Sandusky Bay to find active fish. Tube jigs and drop shot rigs with goby imitations are the most popular set-ups for smallmouth. Central Basin Walleye fishing from Sandusky to Vermilion has been good as the number of fish present continues to increase. Walleye have been taken from the Huron dumping grounds to Vermilion around the 27 to 30 north latitude lines. Fish have been caught on spoons trolled with dipsy divers or jet divers and also on deep diving crankbaits. Yellow perch fishing is excellent in the central basin 3 miles N of Lakewood (Gold Coast) in 42’ of water, 4 miles NE of the Cleveland water intake crib in 48’ of water, 3-4 miles N of Fairport in 55’ of water, and 3-4 miles N of Ashtabula 50 to 55’ of water. Fish have ranged from 7 to 12 inches. Perch rigs with shiners fished near the bottom have produced the most fish. Smallmouth bass fishing has been good along the shoreline from Fairport Harbor to Conneaut in 15 to 25’ of water. Fish have been caught on goby color tube jigs, goby color drop-shot rigs, jigs tipped with minnows or leeches, or by trolling crankbaits. Steelhead fishing has been fair to good in the Vermilion River, Rocky River, Chagrin River, Grand River, Arcola Creek, Cowles Creek, Geneva State Park, Conneaut Creek and along the Conneaut west breakwall. Shore anglers are using small spinners and spoons, and jigs and maggots rigged with a split shot under a light bobber. Lake Erie surface temperatures range from 48 to 56 degrees.
Source: ODNR |