ODNR Fishing Report for 07/12/2011:

** The daily bag limit for yellow perch is 30 fish per angler on all Ohio waters of Lake Erie.**

** The steelhead daily bag limit is 5 fish per angler through August 31. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12”.

** The Lake Erie black bass (largemouth and smallmouth) daily bag limit is 5 fish with a minimum size limit of 14”.**

Western Basin

Walleye fishing remained slow over the past week (as of 7/12). The best reports came from the Camp Perry reef complex including the eastern buoys of the range, and NW of Gull Island Shoal near the Canadian border. Fish have been caught by trolling with divers and spoons, and also on inline weights with worm harnesses. Fish can also be caught by casting mayfly rigs or drifting with bottom bouncers and worm harnesses.

Yellow perch fishing was good over the past week. The best areas have been around the Toledo water intake, Lakeside, and the SE corner of the Kelleys Island. Anglers are using spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom.

Bass: There have been good catches of largemouth bass reported from the harbors and nearshore areas from Catawba to Marblehead. Smallmouth bass have been caught around South Bass Island and Middle Bass Island.

Central Basin

Walleye fishing has been good near the weather buoy at the N end of the Sandbar, 71-75' N of Wildwood, 71-75’ NW of Chagrin, 70-74’ NE of Geneva and 70-74’ NW of Ashtabula. Anglers are using jet divers and dipsy divers with purple, blue, and silver spoons. Anglers are also using worm harnesses.

Yellow perch fishing has been good off of the Huron River mouth, off of the condos between Vermilion and Beaver Creek, 40-45’ N of Edgewater, 38-50’ N of Gordon Park, 54-58' NE of Ashtabula, 52-56' NE of Conneaut. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish. Shore anglers are catching fish off East 55 St Pier in Cleveland and Headlands Beach Pier out at the lighthouse and Fairport Harbor Pier. Anglers are using spreaders with shiners and the mornings have been best.

Smallmouth bass fishing has been very good in 15 to 25’ around harbor areas in Cleveland, Fairport Harbor, Geneva, Ashtabula and Conneaut. Fish are being caught on soft-craws, leeches, dark green and red tube jigs, blade baits and crank baits.

Steelhead Trout is beginning to pick up while trolling for walleye off Cleveland. Try fishing down 62-72’.

Catfish and White Perch Anglers are catching catfish and white perch in the Grand River.

White Bass Anglers are catching white bass off the Eastlake CEI breakwall. Look for gulls feeding on schools of shiners at the surface. The white bass will be below the shiners.

According to the nearshore marine forecast the water temperature is 75 degrees off of Toledo and 68 degrees off of Cleveland.

Source: ODNR