ODNR Lake Erie Fishing Report 6/11/03: Western Basin, OH,
Fishing Report Posted: June 11, 2003

Walleye fishing has been excellent during the past week in the Western Basin. Limit catches of 18 to 22" fish, including a few up to 30", have been caught in the area between West Sister Island, the Gravel Pit and the Toledo Shipping Channel Turnaround Buoy. Best lures included gold weapons and bottom bouncers with crawler harnesses. In the Bass Islands area trophy fish and some limits continue to be caught around Kelley's Island. Fish from 17 to 29" are being caught in 25 to 40 feet of water by trollers using dipsy divers with spoons or crawler harnesses and by drifters using bottom bouncers and crawler harnesses.

Yellow perch fishing has been best around the dumping grounds 4 miles NE of Cedar Point in 25 to 35 feet of water. Spreaders tipped with shiners have been most productive for 7 to 12" fish.

Kelley's Island and the Bass Islands have produced the best smallmouth bass catches. Tube jigs and soft craws have been used to catch fish between 15 and 20". June is the peak spawning period for smallmouth bass in Lake Erie. When practicing catch-and-release please return fish to the water as quickly as possible so that the bass may return to its nest to protect its eggs from goby predation.