**The black bass (largemouth and smallmouth) season is closed to possession (catch and release only) from May 1 through June 27. Beginning June 28 the daily bag limit is 5 fish with a 14” minimum size limit.** **The daily bag limit for Lake Erie yellow perch will drop 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 steelhead trout daily bag limit is 5. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches.**
Western Basin
Walleye fishing in the western basin has been excellent at times over the past week. West of the islands the best fishing has been around “A” can of the Camp Perry range, a few miles NW of West Sister Island, and near the outer cans of the Toledo shipping channel. Farther east the best areas have been North Bass Island and West Reef, between Green Island and Rattlesnake Island, Gull Island Shoal, Kelleys Island Shoal, and airport reef on the east side of Kelleys Island. 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.
Yellow perch reports have been sparse. Try fishing some of the traditional spots around Marblehead, Cedar Point, Gull Island Shoal, and Kelleys Island.
Central Basin
Walleye have been caught trolling nearshore from Huron to Lorain in 32 to 45’ of water with Beaver Creek producing some of the largest fish, off Eastlake in 35 to 40’, off Cleveland in 40 to 55’, off Geneva 40 to 55’, and off Ashtabula in 35 to 50’. Trollers are using stick baits, spoons and worm harnesses off planer boards, jet divers and also flatline trolling.
Yellow perch fishing west of Cleveland has been best off of the condos east of Vermilion, in 43’ of water north of Beaver Creek, and off of the Lorain lighthouse. Fishing has been very good off Wildwood State Park and Eastlake in 30 to 35 feet of water, off Fairport in 35 to 45’, and off Geneva, Ashtabula and Conneaut in 35 to 50’. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish. Fish have ranged from 8 to 12 inches. Shore anglers are catching fish off the long pier in Grand River and also the short pier in Fairport Harbor.
Smallmouth bass fishing has been good in 15 to 25 feet of water around harbor areas in Conneaut, Ashtabula, Geneva and Fairport Harbor. Fish are being caught on jigs tipped with minnows, leeches, tube jigs, and by trolling crankbaits.
Based on the nearshore forecast the water temperature is 67 off of Toledo and 60 off of Cleveland.
Source: ODNR |