ODNR Fishing Report 07/17/2012:

** The daily bag limit for yellow perch is 30 fish per angler on all Ohio waters of Lake Erie.**

** The trout and salmon daily bag limit is 5 fish per angler from May 16 through August 31. The minimum size limit for trout and salmon is 12”.

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

Western Basin

Walleye fishing has been fair in the western basin. Fish have been caught by trolling or drifting and casting around West Sister Island, 4 to 6 miles off of Crane Creek, N of Niagara Reef, and on the Canadian border W of Gull Island Shoal. Trollers have been using worm harnesses with inline weights or divers, and also divers with spoons.

Yellow perch fishing has been best around the Toledo water intake, around “B” and “C” cans of the Camp Perry firing range, S of “G” can of the Camp Perry firing range, around Green Island, SE of Kelleys Island, and E of the Kelleys Island airport. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Central Basin

Walleye fishing has been good at the weather buoy near the Canadian line N of Vermilion and nearshore in 15 to 30’ from Old Woman Creek to Vermilion. Walleye fishing remains good off Cleveland in 58-65’ of water N of Edgewater Park and 10 miles N of Eastlake in 70-75’ of water. There has been excellent fishing in 68-74’ of water NE and NW of Ashtabula and N-NE of Geneva. Trollers are using planer boards, dipsy divers, jet divers and wire line with purple, pink, green and orange/copper spoons and stick baits. A potential state-record brown trout and some large steelhead have been caught in the mix while trolling.

Yellow perch fishing has been very good. The best locations to fish include 40-45’ of water N of Rocky River, Edgewater Park, and at the old Browns Stadium reef. Further east, perch catches have been good in 48-52’ of water NNW of Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula, and Conneaut. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish. Shore anglers are catching fish off the Cleveland Piers and at Headlands Beach Pier in Mentor out at the lighthouse. Anglers are using spreaders with shiners and the mornings and evenings have been best. Shore anglers are also catching rock bass off the Cleveland piers.

Smallmouth bass fishing has been very good in 15 to 29’ depths and around harbor areas in Cleveland, Fairport Harbor, Geneva, Ashtabula and Conneaut. Fish are being caught using drop shot rigs with rubber worms, soft-craws, leeches, tube jigs, and crank baits. In the Grand River, anglers are catching smallmouth bass and some largemouth bass.

White bass anglers are catching white bass near shore in 12-25’ of water N of Cleveland Harbor, NE of Gordon Park (Bratenahl), and in 10-15’ of water N of Eastlake CEI. Look for gulls feeding on schools of shiners at the surface. The white bass will be below the shiners. Shore anglers are catching white bass off the Eastlake CEI breakwall. Anglers are using agitators with jigs tipped with twister tails or using small spoons.

The water temperature is 77 degrees off of Toledo and 75 degrees off of Cleveland according to the nearshore marine forecast.

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

Source: ODNR