Lake Erie Fishing Report: Aug. 8, 2002:

Western Basin - Lake Erie water temperature off Toledo is 77* F. Some good
catches of walleye were being taken in the triangle area from A & B & C cans
NW to West Sister Island east to Green and Rattlesnake Islands. However,
strong easterly winds have interrupted most fishing activities through the
week. Winds are expected to moderate by Friday and turn SW through the
weekend. Other areas that had been producing fish include Gull Island shoal
and Kelly's Island shoal. Anglers are trolling with deep diving crank
baits, spoons and drifting with weight-forward spinners, mayfly rigs, and
bottom bouncers with worm harnesses tipped with nightcrawlers. Trollers are
doing best. Most fish are 18 to 22 inches with some larger fish. The legal
bag limit for walleyes on Lake Erie and its tributaries is six fish from May
through February.
Yellow perch fishing had been good at many locations in waters over 25 ft.
in depth with some limit catches. Some good perch fishing locations include
reef complex, Kelleys Island Shoal, Gull Island Shoal, Rattlesnake Island,
Ballast Island, and Starve Island, SE of Perry's monument and east of
Marblehead Lighthouse. Perch catches are in the 7- to 11-inch range.
Smaller perch are showing up in the catch. Anglers are using perch
spreaders tipped with minnows. The yellow perch bag limit is 30 perch per
angler per day.

Central Basin - Water temperature off Cleveland is 74*. Walleye fishing has
been fair, 1 mile off of Sawmill Creek to 5 miles north of Ruggles Reef and
Vermilion, and at the sandbar, 8 miles northwest of Lorain. Anglers are
using dipsy divers and jet divers with stinger spoons in chartreuse,
watermelon, purple, and blue and worm harnesses 6 to 11 miles north of
Euclid in 65 to 72 feet of water, and north east of Ashtabula (12 to 15
miles out) in 70 to 72 feet of water. Trollers are also picking up good
numbers of steelhead trout at the Cleveland to Ashtabula locations.
Walleyes are measuring 18 to 28 inches and steelhead 20 to 29 inches. Perch
fishing has been good off Vermilion, Lorain, Cleveland, Eastlake, Fairport
Harbor, and Ashtabula to Conneaut, 2 to 5 miles offshore in 38 to 50 feet of
water.

Source: ODNR