Fishing Report

Walleye fishing has been good all over the bay using crawler harnesses and Hot-n-Tot's. If you are interested in catfish, try the Quanicassee River or the Sebewaing River.

Fair to good salmon fishing straight out and north of the harbor in waters 80 to 100 feet deep. Try Dodgers with squids and magnum spoons. Lake trout were caught both north and south of the harbor or straight out in waters 90 to 120 feet of water. Dodgers with Action Flys or Dodgers with Spin-n-Glows fished just off the bottom have been working best. Steelhead fishing has been slow. Try color lines with bright colored spoons for best results. Yellow perch fishing was slow however good numbers of northern pike and bass have been caught when casting body baits around the weed beds just inside the harbor.

Walleye are being caught from Lake Huron down to and including the North, South and Middle Channels when drifting crawler harnesses, jigging or hand-lining with spoons during the day or using Rapalas and Pencil Plugs at night.

Walleye have been caught in the southern end of the lake near the mouth of the Detroit River and off Seven Mile and Eight Mile Roads in the early morning. Walleye have also been taken near the 400 Club, off Metro Beach, and the mouth of the Clinton River. Yellow perch have been caught off Metro Beach.

Good catches of walleye were reported when jigging. Bass are being taken while fishing for walleye. White bass are also being taken, along with an occasional musky.

Good walleye fishing continues in deeper waters. Anglers are catching fish in waters 22 feet or deeper off of the Fermi Power Plant and in 25 to 28 feet of water off Stony Point and east of Brest Bay. Fish were also caught near the Sputnik. Most anglers are doing best when trolling, although drifting is working well when the lake is choppy. While most lures seem to be producing fish, harnesses and spoons may be hotter than the rest. The Mayfly hatch has started, but catch rates should improve in the shallow waters once the hatch is done.

Walleye fishing in the central basin has been good. Fish have been caught three miles offshore from Vermilion to Lorain, five miles north of Cleveland in 52 to 58 feet of water, six miles north of the Wildwood State Park in 60 to 63 feet of water, two to three miles east of Fairport Harbor in 45 to 50 feet of water, and two to three miles west of Geneva in 45 to 50 feet of water. Fish have been caught on worm harnesses or spoons trolled with dipsy or jet divers. Fish are suspended and anglers are fishing down 20 to 40 feet. Yellow perch fishing has been good less than one mile out of Lorain, two miles north of Willowick in 38 feet of water, three miles northeast of Eastlake in 32-40 feet of water, one mile north of Ashtabula in 35 feet of water, and one mile north of Conneaut in 35 feet of water. Fish have ranged from seven to 11 inches in length. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish. Shore anglers are catching yellow perch at the west pier along the Black River in Lorain, the East 55th St. piers in Cleveland, Mentor Headlands and Fairport Harbor. Anglers are using spreaders with shiners. Smallmouth bass fishing has been excellent from Fairport Harbor to Perry in 10 to 24 feet of water. Fish have been caught on tube jigs, jigs tipped with minnows or leeches, or by trolling crankbaits. White bass fishing has been good one quarter mile north of the Eastlake CEI power plant. Anglers are using agitators with white jigs. Shore anglers are catching white bass at the Eastlake CEI pier using agitators with white/yellow twister tails and small spoons. Lake Erie surface temperatures range from 68 to 70 degrees.

Walleye fishing continues to be excellent with many limits being caught. Fishing has been best in Ohio waters near the Michigan border straight east of Monroe, Michigan, north of Niagara reef and “C†can of the Camp Perry firing range, and north of Kelleys Island to the Canadian border. Drifters are using mayfly rigs or worm harnesses with bottom bouncers, while trollers are using worm harnesses with in-line weights or bottom bouncers and jet or dipsy divers with spoons. The best yellow perch fishing in the western basin has been around Lucy’s Point of Middle Bass Island, east of Kelleys Island, and southwest of Gull Island Shoal. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Fair to good lake trout fishing in waters 60 to 90 feet deep in front of Magnus Park and the Big Rock. Most of the fish caught were over 8 pounds, but quite a few smaller ones have also been caught and released.

Fishing has been very good for both chinook and lake trout. Anglers are taking fish off the first bank and on the northern side of North Manitou Island. Spin Doctors or Hootchie Mamas with flies were productive. Smallmouth bass continue to spawn in the harbor, and anglers have done well using crawlers and jigs. Large numbers of carp can also be found in the harbor.

Anglers are catching chinook salmon off Pyramid Point, Sleeping Bear Point and on the west side of South Manitou Island. Spoons and cut bait rigs worked best.

Boat anglers on the East Bay have caught good numbers of lake trout in 70 feet of water along the South Bank. Spoons and cowbells were the ticket. A few chinook salmon were also taken in shallow waters 15 to 30 feet deep. Fair whitefish action off Deepwater Point. Wigglers and spawn fished in 60 to 70 feet of water produced the most fish. On the West Bay, a fair number of lake trout were caught along the Brush Grounds and the White Walls in 70 to 110 feet of water. Whitefish are hitting on wigglers and spawn in 70 feet of water.

Fishing has remained steady, with a few chinook salmon and lake trout taken in waters 100 to 125 feet deep along the Shelf and near the Herring Hole. Pier fishing has been slow as good numbers of alewife are still hanging around.

Boat anglers have been doing well straight out from the piers or up near the Saddle in waters 80 to 130 feet deep. Pier anglers have caught lots of rock bass off both the north and south piers.

Fishing was slow with most boats heading 12 to 19 miles out to catch steelhead. Boat anglers fishing inside the harbor have managed to catch some chinook, but patience was the key. Pier anglers have had no luck.

Has been slow, as northwest winds have moved all the warm water south of the port. Boat anglers did manage to take some steelhead and lake trout between the pier heads and the projects in waters 270 feet deep or more.

With water temperatures on the cold side, fishing has been slow. Those boats going out 10 miles or more have caught some chinook and lake trout 100 to 175 feet down in waters 300 to 350 feet deep.

Pier anglers are using cooked shrimp or alewife for chinook, steelhead, brown trout and lake trout, but catch rates were slow. Boat anglers have caught a few small chinook and steelhead in front of the pier heads. Lake trout were caught around the nets when fishing off the bottom. Bring a measuring tape, as many of the fish are under the legal size limit, which is 20 inches. Yellow perch are starting to move in closer to the piers.

Pier fishing has been slow with a few summer run rainbow trout caught in the early mornings. Perch are biting in 24 to 60 feet of water while fishing just off the bottom with minnows.

Steelhead have been caught near the mouth when still-fishing with alewife or shrimp. Those fishing near the Berrien Springs Dam are targeting steelhead and smallmouth bass when casting spinners.

Steelhead were caught by pier and boat anglers. Chinook salmon can be found out in deeper waters. Walleye fishing slowed with the cooler weather but should pick back up with warmer weather. Yellow perch were caught off the end of the north pier and from boats fishing in 25 to 40 feet of water.

Lake trout can be found about 5 feet off the bottom in waters 60 to 90 feet deep near Sea Gull Point and south towards Adams Point. The salmon are scattered all over the lake. Sea Gull Point has been a good spot with good structure and bait fish. Try fishing the upper half of the water column in waters 50 to 90 feet deep with spoons, flashers and flies. Green has been the best color followed by silver, chartreuse, blue, and purple.

Lakers are still the main target species when fishing the bottom 5 to 10 feet in waters 20 to 70 feet deep in the North Bay and off North Albany Point. Fishing south towards Stoneport has also been productive. Anglers can find some nice chinook salmon in the area, but not in big numbers. Fish averaging 5 to 10 pounds have been caught.

Boat anglers fishing the big water are struggling. Those going out for walleye are doing okay when trolling around the islands. Orange,gold, black, yellow, green and fire-tiger rapalas were hot. Those searching for salmon were trolling east off Scarecrow Island and straight out from North Point in 60 to 75 feet of water. Though fish were marked, catch rates were slow. Some are trolling out near the Nordmeer Wreck.

Lake trout were caught in 90 to 130 feet of water when trolling spoons. Fish have been caught either right on the bottom or suspended in the water column.