ODNR Fishing Report 07/24/2012:

Article Posted: July 24, 2012

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** The daily bag limit for walleye on Ohio waters of Lake Erie is 6 fish per angler with a minimum size limit of 15”.**

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

** The trout and salmon daily bag limit is 5 fish per angler from May 16 through August 31. The minimum size limit for trout and salmon is 12”.

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

Western Basin

Walleye fishing has been fair in the western basin. Recent winds have slowed the fishing down. Fish have been caught by trolling or drifting and casting around north of West Sister Island, and around the Toledo Channel marker “Sputnik”, north of “C” can in the Camp Perry firing range, and on the Canadian border W of Gull Island Shoal. Trollers have been using worm harnesses with inline weights or divers, and also divers with spoons.

Yellow perch fishing has been best around the Toledo water intake, one to five miles offshore between Metzger’s Marsh and Crane Creek, between Green and Rattlesnake Islands, and around Kelleys Island. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Central Basin

Walleye fishing has been good at the weather buoy near the Canadian line N of Vermilion and nearshore in 15 to 30’ from Old Woman Creek to Vermilion. Anglers are picking up a few fish in 73’ of water N of Chagrin River and in 58’ of water N of Wildwood State Park. There has been excellent fishing in 68-72’ of water NE and NW of Ashtabula. Trollers are using planer boards, dipsy divers, jet divers and wire line with purple, blue, green, pink and yellow spoons and stick baits.

Yellow perch fishing has been good. The best locations to fish include 35’ of water N of the Cuyahoga River and in 32’ of water N of Gordon Park Ramp. Further east, perch catches have been excellent in 40-45’ of water NW of Fairport Harbor and in 43-48’ of water N of Conneaut. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish. Shore anglers are catching fish off the Cleveland Piers and at Headlands Beach Pier in Mentor out at the lighthouse. Anglers are using spreaders with shiners and the mornings and evenings have been best. Shore anglers are also catching rock bass off the Cleveland piers.

Smallmouth bass fishing has been very good in 15 to 29’ depths and around harbor areas in Cleveland, Fairport Harbor, Geneva, Ashtabula and Conneaut. Fish are being caught using drop shot rigs with rubber worms, soft-craws, leeches, tube jigs, and crank baits. In the Grand River, anglers are catching smallmouth bass and some largemouth bass.

White bass anglers are catching white bass near shore in 12-25’ of water N of Cleveland Harbor, NE of Gordon Park (Bratenahl), and in 10-15’ of water N of Eastlake CEI. Look for gulls feeding on schools of shiners at the surface. The white bass will be below the shiners. Shore anglers are catching white bass off the Eastlake CEI breakwall. Anglers are using agitators with jigs tipped with twister tails or using small spoons.

Steelhead Trout anglers are catching fish while trolling for walleye off Ashtabula. A potential state-record brown trout and some large steelhead have been caught. See locations for walleye above.

The water temperature is 77 degrees off of Toledo and 77 degrees off of Cleveland according to the nearshore marine forecast.

Anglers are encouraged to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device while boating.



Source: ODNR






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