ODNR Fishing Report for 09/08/2009:

Article Posted: September 09, 2009

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** The daily bag limit for Lake Erie walleye is 6 fish per angler. The minimum size limit for walleye is 15”. **

** The daily bag limit for Lake Erie yellow perch is 25 fish per angler in waters west of the Huron pier. The 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 steelhead daily bag limit is 2 fish September 1 through May 15. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches. **

** The daily bag limit for Lake Erie black bass (largemouth and smallmouth) is 5 fish per angler. The minimum size limit is 14”. **

Western Basin

Walleye: Fishing remains slow in western Lake Erie with fewer anglers targeting walleye. The most likely locations remain from West Sister Island to the turnaround buoy of the Toledo shipping channel, NW of North Bass Island, and 8 to 10 miles E of Kelley’s Island. Drifters should use bottom bouncers with worm harnesses or cast mayfly rigs. Trollers should use worm harnesses fished with inline weights or bottom bouncers or spoons fished with dipsy divers or jet divers.

Yellow perch fishing remains good with the size of fish remaining mostly from 6 to 8” with a few up to 12”. The best areas have been the gravel pit W of West Sister Island, Green Island, Kelleys Island, around Catawba, and off of Cedar Point. Perch spreaders or crappie rigs with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Smallmouth Bass were reported from the Western Basin Reefs and Kelleys Island Shoal. Use tubes and goby imitators on drop shots for best results.

Central Basin

Walleye fishing has been good in open water around the weather buoy at the N end of the sandbar between Vermilion and Lorain. Excellent fishing continues with many boat limits 14-20 miles north of Ashtabula in 71-75 feet and 14-22 miles north-northwest of Conneaut in 72-74 feet. Trollers are using watermelon, monkey puke, yellow jacket, perch, blackjack stick baits, spoons and worm harnesses, off of dipsy divers. Anglers are fishing down 50-55 feet.

Yellow perch fishing has been excellent in 42-46 feet northwest of Edgewater State Park, 42-45 feet northwest of Wildwood State Park, 65-70 feet northwest of Fairport, and 70 feet north of Conneaut. Perch spreaders or perch and crappie rigs with shiners fished as far up as 6 feet off the bottom have been producing the most fish.

Steelhead fishing has slowed down along with the walleye fishing off Cleveland. The best spot to try is 14-18 miles northwest off Fairport in 75-78 feet (the Cleveland Hole). Anglers are trolling dipsy divers with black and purple or silver and blue spoons. Anglers are fishing down 55-60 feet just above or in the thermocline.

White Bass fishing has been good from the shore at the Eastlake CEI pier. Anglers are using agitators with blue and silver spoons and jigs tipped with twister tails. Fish range from 7-11 inches. Boat anglers watch for the gulls feeding on the surface - these are usually good spots to try for white bass which are also feeding on the same schools of emerald shiners.

Based on NOAA buoy data, surface water temperature is 71 in the Western Basin and 70 at the Vermillion Weather Buoy.

Anglers are encouraged to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device while boating.



Source: ODNR






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