Lake Erie Fishing Report: July 11, 2002:

Western Basin - Lake Erie water temperature off Toledo is 74* F. Good
walleye action continued through the past week until very strong winds kept
anglers off the lake Wednesday. Fishing should now pick up again as wind
and waves stabilize. The Toledo Shipping Channel near the Michigan line and
from Middle Sister Island to West Sister Island continue to provide the best
action in the Western Basin. Anglers are trolling with deep diving crank
baits, spoons and drifting with weight-forward spinners, mayfly rigs, and
bottom bouncers with worm harnesses tipped with nightcrawlers. Trollers are
doing best. Most fish are 18 to 22 inches with some larger fish. The legal
bag limit for walleyes on Lake Erie and its tributaries is six fish from May
through February.
Yellow perch fishing continues to be good at many locations with some limit
catches. Some good perch fishing locations include C-can, Kelleys Island
Shoal, Gull Island Shoal, Rattlesnake Island, Ballast Island, and Starve
Island. Perch catches are in the 8- to 11-inch range. Anglers are using
perch spreaders tipped with minnows. The yellow perch bag limit is 30 perch
per angler per day.

Central Basin - Water temperature is 71* off Cleveland. Walleye fishing is
still good north of Ruggles Reef, Vermilion and at the sandbar 8 miles
northwest of Lorain. Anglers are using dipsy divers and jet divers with
spoons in silver/chartreuse, watermelon and purple, and worm harnesses five
to seven miles north of Eastlake in 52 to 60 feet of water, and north of
Geneva (2 to 3 miles out) in 45 to 50 feet of water. Trollers are also
picking up some steelhead trout in 8 to 9 miles out of Eastlake in 45 to 55
feet of water and 10 to 12 miles off of Geneva in 65 to 72 feet of water.
Walleyes are measuring 23 to 28 inches and steelhead 20 to 29 inches. Perch
fishing has been good off Vermilion, Lorain, Cleveland, Wildwood, Fairport
Harbor (1-3 miles out), Geneva to Conneaut (1-2 miles out) and off
Cleveland in 35 to 40 feet of water. The bite has been best in the early
morning and evening.

Source: ODNR