ODNR Fishing Report for 08/20/2008:

Article Posted: August 21, 2008

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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.**

**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.**

**The steelhead trout daily bag limit is 5. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches.**

Western Basin

Walleye fishing remained slow over the past week. The best fishing was around the turnaround buoy of the Toledo shipping channel, around “A” can of the Camp Perry firing range, and N of Crane Creek. Drifting with bottom bouncers and worm harnesses or casting mayfly rigs has been productive. Trollers have been catching fish on spoons with divers, or worm harnesses fished with inline weights, snap weights, bottom bouncers, or divers. The best spoon colors have been pinks and purples.

Yellow perch fishing is improving around the islands with the best areas being W of Rattlesnake Island and Green Island, NW of Kelleys Island, S of Kelleys Island, and S of Starve Island. Perch spreaders or crappie rigs with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Central Basin

Walleye fishing has been good E of the southern half of the sandbar NW of Lorain 5 to 7 miles out. Fishing has slowed down in the Cleveland area with the best areas NW of Edgewater Park in 54 of water and NW of Chagrin River in 72 to 78’ of water. Very good fishing has been reported NW of Geneva in 65 to 74’ of water, and 7-13 miles NE of Ashtabula in 70 to 74’ of water. 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. The best action has been about 25-50 feet down, and the best colors have been chartreuse, purple, orange, green, pink, and black with copper or gold.

Yellow perch fishing is good offshore in the Cleveland area and also east to Conneaut. The best spots to fish are NW of Edgewater Park in 51 to 54 feet of water, NW of Chagrin River in 53 to 54 feet of water, NW of Fairport Harbor (the hump) in 50 to 60’ of water, and N of Conneaut in 55 to 65’ of water. Perch spreaders or crappie rigs with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish. Don’t forget to try several turns up from the bottom as some fish may be suspended. Fish have ranged from 8 to 13 inches.

White bass fishing has been very good off Eastlake CEI power plant in 15-30 feet of water. Anglers are using agitators with blue/silver spoons and jigs tipped with twister tails.

Smallmouth bass fishing has been very good in 16 to 26’ of water around Cleveland, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula and Conneaut harbors. Fish are being caught on watermelon, pumpkinseed and green tube jigs and drop-shot goby imitations.

Steelhead are being caught by anglers while walleye fishing 9 to 13 miles offshore from Geneva and Ashtabula in 65 to 74 feet of water. Anglers are catching steelhead on blue or green with silver spoons while trolling using downriggers, dipsy divers, or jet divers off planer boards.

Based on the nearshore forecast the water temperature is 72 off of Toledo and 74 off of Cleveland.

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



Source: ODNR






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