Lake Erie Fishing Report: Aug. 1, 2002:

Western Basin - Lake Erie water temperature off Toledo is 75* F. Some good
catches of walleye are being taken in the triangle area from A & B & C cans
NW to West Sister Island east to Green and Rattlesnake Islands has been the
most productive with some good catches of walleye. Other areas producing
fish include Gull Island shoal and Kelly's Island shoal. 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 in waters over
25 ft. in depth with some limit catches. Some good perch fishing locations
include reef complex, Kelleys Island Shoal, Gull Island Shoal, Rattlesnake
Island, Ballast Island, and Starve Island, SE of Perry's monument and east
of Marblehead Lighthouse. Perch catches are in the 7- to 11-inch range.
Smaller perch are showing up in the catch. Anglers are using perch
spreaders tipped with minnows. The yellow perch bag limit is 30 perch per
angler per day.

Central Basin - Water temperature off Cleveland is 75*. Walleye fishing has
been fair, 1 mile off of Sawmill Creek to 5 miles north of Ruggles Reef and
Vermilion, and at the sandbar, 8 miles northwest of Lorain. Anglers are
using dipsy divers and jet divers with stinger spoons in chartreuse,
watermelon, purple, and blue and worm harnesses 8 to 12 miles north of
Cleveland to Eastlake in 65 to 70 feet of water, and north of Ashtabula (10
to 12 miles out) in 70 to 72 feet of water. Trollers are also picking up
good numbers of steelhead trout at the Cleveland to Ashtabula locations.
Walleyes are measuring 18 to 28 inches and steelhead 20 to 29 inches. Perch
fishing has been good off Vermilion, Lorain, Cleveland, Eastlake, Fairport
Harbor, and Ashtabula to Conneaut, 1 to 5 miles offshore in 35 to 50 feet of
water.

Source: ODNR