Weekly Ohio fishing report

Weekly Ohio fishing report
COLUMBUS -- The weekly fishing report provided by the Division of Wildlife of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
NORTHEAST OHIO
Atwood Lake (Tuscarawas County) -- Anglers are catching channel catfish up to 20 inches long. Try "tight-lining", fishing on the bottom using chicken livers, night crawlers and "stink" baits. The channel cats are being found in water depths from 12 to 15 feet.
Spencer Lake (Medina County) -- The fishing for channel catfish has been very good to excellent. Most of the cats are measuring 18 to 24 inches with some reaching 28 inches and 6 to 8 pounds. Anglers are using chicken livers or shrimp to pick up the fish and they are being caught even during the daytime hours. This lake has also been producing some largemouth bass for boat anglers..
LAKE ERIE
Western Basin Walleye fishing in the western basin continues to be very good in the West Sister Island area. The most consistent action has been between Middle Sister Island and West Sister Island and also farther east towards North Bass Island in the Northwest Reef area. Best methods have included casting weight-forward lures, drifting bottom bouncers with crawler harnesses and trolling spoons. Fish have ranged from 14 to 22 in.
Yellow perch fishing has been improving in the western basin. Best areas have included the reef complex in 18 feet of water, south of Kelleys Island in 28 to 30 feet of water, north of Gull Island Shoal and north of the Marblehead lighthouse in 30 feet of water. Spreaders tipped with shiners have been most productive for 7 to 12-inch fish.
For smallmouth bass try fishing the east side of Kelleys Island in 13 to 16 feet of water and near-shore areas around the Bass Islands and Marblehead. Tube jigs have been used to catch fish between 15 and 20 inches. Largemouth bass fishing has been very good in East Harbor around thick beds of vegetation and in the harbor channel.
Central Basin Walleye fishing in the Central Basin has been best on the sandbar 7 miles northwest of Lorain in 30 to 50 feet of water, between Huron and Vermilion in 30 to 40 feet of water, 9 to 10 miles north of Eastlake in 68 to 72 feet of water, 7 to 8 miles north of Gordon Park ramp (Cleveland) in 65 to 70 feet of water and 7 to 8 miles north of Geneva and Ashtabula in 70 feet of water. Anglers have been trolling dipsy divers with spoons (most color schemes with copper, blue, watermelon, chartreuse or pink have been best) or crawler harnesses for fish from 15 to 28 in.
Yellow perch fishing has slowed recently but typically improves in August. Best areas to try include 2 to 3 miles north of Fairport and Geneva in 45 to 50 feet of water and 3 miles north of Gordon Park ramp (Cleveland) in 48 to 51 feet of water. Spreaders tipped with shiners are taking fish from 8 to 11 inches.
Smallmouth bass are being caught near Ruggles Reef in 15 to 25 feet of water and in near-shore break wall and harbor areas around Lorain, Conneaut, Ashtabula, Geneva, Fairport and Cleveland. Fourteen- to 18- inch fish have been caught on tube jigs, jigs tipped with shiners and crank baits.
Steelhead have been caught by trollers using dipsy divers with spoons 9 to 10 miles north of Eastlake in 68 to 72 feet of water and 7 to 8 miles north of Gordon Park ramp (Cleveland) in 65 to 70 feet of water. The steelheads have ranged in size from 23 to 29 inches.
OHIO RIVER
Washington County River conditions remain high and muddy, but the catfish action is still good. Tight-lining chicken liver or night crawlers on the bottom has produced 6 to 10-pound catfish. Hot spots right now are at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers fishing access near the Lafayette Hotel in downtown Marietta and anywhere in the stretch of river one mile above and below Newport.
Scioto County Water temperature in this area is around 78 degrees; however, the river is approximately 20 feet above normal pool. In the Greenup area, anglers have been using chicken liver fished on the bottom to catch catfish 18 to 22 inches in length. Best area is to fish on the large rocks and at the tailwater below the access. Hybrid striped bass up to 4 pounds in size are being caught in this area against the dam at the eddy. Anglers are using live bait and river shiners with a casting bobber. At the confluence of the Scioto River and the Ohio River, both catfish and small hybrid stripers are being caught on chicken liver fished on the bottom.