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**The black bass (largemouth and smallmouth) season is closed to possession (catch and release only) from May 1 through June 27. Beginning Saturday June 28 the daily bag limit is 5 fish with a 14” minimum size limit.** **The daily bag limit for Lake Erie yellow perch will drop from 30 to 25 fish per angler effective July 1, 2008 in waters west of the Huron pier. The daily bag limit will remain at 30 fish per angler in Ohio waters from Huron eastward. Any boats landing west of Huron, Ohio will be subject to the 25 fish daily bag limit, while boats landing at Huron or points east will be subject to a 30 fish daily bag limit. Shore-based anglers west of the Huron pier will be subject to a 25 fish daily bag limit, while those on the pier and eastward will remain at 30 fish daily.**
**The walleye bag limit is 6 fish per day. 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 in the western basin has been excellent at times over the past week. West of the islands the best fishing has been around “A” and “B” cans of the Camp Perry range, a few miles NW of West Sister Island, and near the outer cans of the Toledo shipping channel. Farther east the best areas have been NE of Niagara Reef, between Northwest Reef and West Reef, N of Rattlesnake Island, between Kelleys Island and South Bass Island, Kelleys Island Shoal, and east of Kelleys Island. Drifting with bottom bouncers and worm harnesses or casting mayfly rigs has been productive. Trollers have been catching fish on spoons with divers, or worm harnesses fished with inline weights, snap weights, bottom bouncers, or divers.
Yellow perch reports have been sparse. Try fishing some of the traditional spots around Marblehead, Cedar Point, Gull Island Shoal, and Kelleys Island.
Central Basin
Walleye fishing has been excellent on the dumping grounds N of Huron, N of Beaver Creek in 35 to 45’ of water, NW of the Chagrin River in 20 to 30’ of water, NE of Wildwood State Park in 20 to 30’ of water, 4 to 5 miles W of Geneva in 50 to 65’ of water, and 2 to 4 miles W of Fairport Harbor in 20 to 30’ of water. Trollers are using crankbaits or spoons and worm harnesses off jet divers, dipsy divers and downriggers. The best action has been 20’ down and the best spoon colors have been gold or silver with green and pink.
Yellow perch fishing west of Cleveland has been best off of the condos east of Vermilion, in 43’ of water north of Beaver Creek, and off of the Lorain lighthouse. Fishing has been excellent NE of the Chagrin River in 30 to 35’ of water, NE of Edgewater in 30 to 35’ of water, N of Fairport Harbor in 35 to 50’ of water, N of Conneaut in 35 to 50’ of water, and N of Geneva and Ashtabula in 45 to 55’ of water. Perch spreaders or crappie rigs with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish. Fish have ranged from 7.5 to 12.5 inches.
Smallmouth bass fishing has been good in 5 to 20’ of water around Ashtabula and Fairport Harbor. Fish are being caught on watermelon, pumpkinseed and green tube jigs.
Based on the nearshore forecast the water temperature is 70 off of Toledo and 63 off of Cleveland.
Anglers are encouraged to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device while boating.
Source: ODNR |