WCO Report for Erie County 08/24/2011: Erie area, PA,
WCO Report Posted: August 23, 2011

Walleye fishing has been sporadic with no one location being best. Anglers are still catching a good number of short fish to get a few legal size walleye. (of course catching is half the fun). Steelhead have been hitting well in the deeper waters. As of this writing, there is still no major evidence of steelhead staging near the tributary mouths.

Perch fishing has been fair to good depending on who you talk to. When the lake is calm, anglers have been doing well in 52 feet of water due North of the Walnut Creek Access.

Current Lake Erie water temperatures is 79 degrees off Erie. Current tributary conditions as of this writing are very low and very clear.

No Luck With Perch or Walleye?
Higher than usual water temperatures typically do not have much effect on hungry panfish. With water temperatures seemingly having effect on the Lake Erie fishing, now may be a good time to target panfish in and around Presque Isle Bay. Presque Isle Bay is a great place to fill the cooler with slab gills and sunfish and often will will be a calm place to fish when the Lake is nasty. Good local "Gill spots" include areas along the south side of Presque Isle Bay, Edinboro Lake, and the State Line ponds just south of I-90 at the Ohio line. Bluegill will eat anything they can get into their mouths. Worms and crickets are anglers favorite baits, but bluegill will take small poppers, flies, small spinners and jigs. At times they will even hit cheese baits and corn. Bluegill are gregarious, so when you catch one, there are usually more in the same place. A bluegill on light tackle can provide as much fun as a Lake Erie Walleye on a stiff dipsey rod. A frying pan full of fresh filleted bluegills and sunfish are mouthwatering table fare and will rival the best Lake Erie Perch.

Use Caution With Changing Fronts and Rough Water:
With the often quick transition from Summer to Fall like weather, boaters are advised to carefully monitor wind and wave conditions. All too often we see boaters come a long way to fish our area, and risk going out in risky conditions. Most marine radios have at least 2 weather channels including NOAA. Monitoring channel 16 in the scan mode (rather than locking in on say, channel 68) will give you severe weather warnings as they develop. The simple rule of thumb is to keep an eye on the sky, especially towards the west for changing conditions. Should you get caught in rough water, put on your PFD, insist your passengers do the same, and consider the following:
1) Maneuver so the boat takes the initial and heaviest winds on the bow, not abeam. (The smaller the boat, the more
important it is to head into the wind.)
2) Waves should be approached at a 45-degree angle. This will help keep the propeller underwater and reduce pounding.

3) In moderate waves, slow your speed so you can ride atop and over a wave. Avoid driving the bow into a wave or riding
to the top of the wave and falling off the back, which could bury the bow.

4) Remember ... the heavier the seas, the slower your boat speed to minimize strain on the vessel and maximize
steering control.

5) Continue to keep the bilge free of water to prevent the rolling effects of sloshing water below.

Local Weather:

Wednesday Night...Mostly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms likely... Mainly after midnight. Breezy with lows in the upper 60s. South winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.

Thursday...Partly sunny. A chance of showers in the morning. Not as warm with highs in the mid 70s. West winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Thursday Night...Partly cloudy in the evening...then becoming mostly clear. Lows in the upper 50s. Northwest winds around 15 mph... Becoming north after midnight.

Friday...Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s.

Friday Night...Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 50s.

Saturday...Mostly sunny. Highs around 80.

Saturday Night...Mostly cloudy and breezy. Lows in the mid 60s.

Sunday...Partly sunny in the morning...then becoming mostly cloudy. Breezy with highs in the mid 70s.

Sunday Night...Mostly cloudy and breezy. Lows in the lower 60s.

Monday...Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s.

Monday Night...Partly cloudy in the evening...then becoming mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 50s. Chance of rain 40 percent.