Western Basin- Consistent warm weather has heated up walleye fishing in the Western Basin. Expect to catch fish in typical summer locations between the Bass Islands and the Toledo shipping channel. Over the past week limits of 18 to 22" fish have been caught in the area around the Toledo Shipping Channel Turnaround Buoy, West Sister Island, and the Northwest Reef area west of North Bass Island near the Canadian border. Best methods have included casting gold weapons or drifting bottom bouncers with crawler harnesses, and trolling purple, orange or gold spoons. Although fishing has slowed around Kelley’s Island a few trophies continue to be caught by trollers around Gull Island Shoal north of Kelley’s Island.

Yellow perch fishing improved over the past week for anglers in the Catawba and Marblehead areas. Spreaders tipped with shiners have been most productive for 7 to 14" fish west of Catawba Island on Clinton Reef and in 25 to 40 feet of water northeast of the Marblehead Lighthouse.

Kelley's Island and the Bass Islands have produced the best smallmouth bass catches. Tube jigs have been used to catch fish between 15 and 20". June is the peak spawning period for smallmouth bass in Lake Erie. When practicing catch-and-release please return fish to the water as quickly as possible so that the bass may return to its nest to protect its eggs from goby predation. With warming water temperatures largemouth bass fishing should improve in Sandusky Bay, the Portage River, East Harbor and West Harbor.

Central Basin- Smallmouth bass are being caught in nearshore breakwall and harbor areas from 15 to 30 feet of water around Vermilion, Lorain, Conneaut, Ashtabula, Geneva, Fairport and Cleveland. 14 to 18 inch fish have been caught on tube jigs, jigs tipped with shiners and crankbaits. June is the peak spawning period for smallmouth bass in Lake Erie. When practicing catch-and-release please return fish to the water as quickly as possible so that the bass may return to its nest to protect its eggs from goby predation.

Yellow perch are being caught 2 miles N of Lorain in 35 to 45 feet of water, in 32 feet of water off of the “castle” between Ruggles Reef and Vermilion, 1 to 3 miles NW of Ashtabula in 40 to 47 feet of water, 1 to 3 miles NW of Fairport in 40 to 47 feet of water, in 40 to 44 feet of water at the Cleveland Crib and 1 mile NW of Wildwood State Park in 35 to 42 feet of water. Spreaders tipped with shiners are taking fish from 7 to 12".

Walleye fishing in the Central Basin has been best from Beaver Creek to Lorain 3 to 4 miles out in 35 to 48 feet of water, in 34 to 38 feet of water N of Vermilion, 2 to 4 miles N of Lakewood in 40 to 51 feet of water, 3 to 4 miles N of Euclid and East Lake in 39 to 52 feet of water, and 4 to 7 miles N of Geneva and Ashtabula in 40 to 70 feet of water. Anglers have been trolling dipsy divers with spoons (most color schemes with a copper back have been best) or crawler harnesses for fish from 15 to 30".

Steelhead have been caught by trollers using dipsy divers with spoons 5 to 7 miles N of Fairport, North Perry and Geneva in 62 to 70 feet of water. The steelhead have ranged in size from 23 to 29".

Reprinted with the permission of the ODNR.