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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.** **From May 1 through June 29 black bass (largemouth and smallmouth bass) are illegal to possess on Ohio waters of Lake Erie. It is legal to fish for black bass during the closed season, but any that are caught must me immediately released. The black bass season on Lake Erie opens on Saturday June 30. The daily bag limit will be 5 fish.** **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 has been excellent 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. The islands area has also been excellent. Fish have been caught west of Rattlesnake Island, west of North Bass Island around West Reef and Northwest Reef, and on 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 jets 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 the Vermilion condos east of the Vermilion River. Recently the best fishing has been in 38 to 40’ of water off of Cranberry Creek. Trolling crankbaits and dipsys or jets with spoons or worm harnesses has been productive. Also excellent fishing off Euclid and west and east of Eastlake in 40 to 60 feet of water, north-northwest of Fairport in 35 to 45 feet of water and 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, red/green, chartreuse, blueberry muffin, or watermelon color combos. Trolling worm harnesses (same colors) and long crankbaits have also been successful. Steelhead are starting to show up with the walleye catches off Lorain, Vermilion, Ashtabula and Geneva. Anglers are catching steelhead on 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 25 to 40 of water, off Ashtabula and Conneaut in 48 to 55 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. Surface temperatures range from 71 degrees off of Toledo to 68 degrees off of Cleveland.
Source: ODNR |