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**The yellow perch daily bag limit on Lake Erie has been reduced to 30 fish per day. The change in yellow perch bag limit occurred after the printing of fishing regulations brochure. The 2007-2008 fishing regulations brochure incorrectly lists the Lake Erie yellow perch bag limit as 40 fish per day, which has now been changed to 30.** **The black bass (largemouth and smallmouth) season on Lake Erie opened on Saturday June 30. The daily bag limit is 5 fish with a 14” minimum size limit.** **The walleye daily bag limit is 6 fish. The minimum size limit for walleye is 15”.** **The steelhead trout daily bag limit is 5. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches.** Western Basin Walleye fishing continues to be good in many areas of the western basin. In the far west the best fishing has been north of the turnaround buoy of the Toledo shipping channel and along the Canadian border from Middle Sister Island to North Bass Island. Walleye have also been caught around Gull Island Shoal. Worm harnesses have been very effective drifted behind bottom bouncers or trolled with inline weights or jet divers. Trollers have also had success with spoons on jet divers or dipsys. Although most of the angling effort has been directed towards walleye plenty of opportunities exist to catch yellow perch and smallmouth bass. Perch limits have been caught off of Lakeside west of Marblehead and also just off of the Cedar Point breakwall. Central Basin Walleye fishing has been excellent from Cedar Point to Sawmill Creek, off of Cranberry Creek, off of the Vermilion condos east of the river, on the sandbar between Vermilion and Lorain, and at Avon point. Trolling dipsys or jet divers with spoons or worm harnesses has been productive. Fishing has also been excellent off Euclid and west and east of Eastlake in 40 to 60 feet of water, north-northwest of Fairport in 45 to 60 feet of water, and northwest of Geneva in 45 to 60 feet of water. Anglers are trolling jet divers or dipsy divers with spoons ranging in purple/black, copper back, chartreuse, blueberry muffin, or watermelon color combos. Trolling worm harnesses (same colors) and long crankbaits have also been successful. Steelhead are being caught off Lorain, Vermilion, Fairport in 50 to 60 feet of water, Geneva and Ashtabula in 55 to 70 feet of water . Anglers are catching steelhead on gold, red/white, chartreuse and copper back spoons while trolling for walleye. Yellow perch fishing has been best off of the Lorain lighthouse, off of the Vermilion condos, and off Edgewater State Park (in Cleveland) and Euclid in 30 to 40 of water, off Fairport Harbor in 35 to 50 of water, off Conneaut in 40 to 50 feet of water. Shore anglers are catching yellow perch off the piers in Lorain, Fairport, Mentor Headlands and Conneaut. Perch spreaders with shiners or worm harnesses fished near the bottom produce the most fish. Smallmouth bass fishing has been excellent in harbor areas, and in 15 to 25 feet of water along the shoreline in Conneaut, Ashtabula, Geneva and Fairport Harbor. Fish were caught on tube jigs, crankbaits, and jigs tipped with minnows, nightcrawlers, or leeches. White bass are being caught by anglers trolling for walleye. Shore anglers are having good success at the Lorain Ore Dock, Avon Lake pier, Eastlake CEI pier and Fairport Harbor piers. Anglers are using agitators and small yellow or white jigs along with small spinners. Surface temperatures range from 71 degrees off of Toledo to 68 degrees off of Cleveland. Source: ODNR |