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
Charles Mill (Ashland County) Anglers are still catching channel catfish at various points around this lake, using night crawlers, shrimp and chicken livers.
Pleasant Hill (Ashland County) Crappies are being caught in deep water. Try fishing in 15 to 25 feet of water around structure, using 8-ounce jigs with white or chartreuse twister tails preferred.
CENTRAL OHIO
Buckeye Lake (Fairfield County) Channel catfish may weigh up to 20 pounds in this 2,847-acre lake in Licking County. Anglers fishing at night may also catch flathead catfish when using small sunfish and large chubs as bait. Use doughballs in shallow water near the shoreline when seeking carp. Look for hybrid striped bass chasing bait fish along the surface. The Cranberry Marsh and Clouse Cove areas are good locations to fish for largemouth bass using top water baits, small spinners, soft plastic baits and live bait.
Scioto River The Greenlawn Dam near downtown Columbus remains among the most popular fishing spots along this river, which flows southward to Portsmouth where it enters the Ohio River. Anglers can take channel catfish at night when using traditional baits such as chicken livers and nightcrawlers. Largemouth bass can be caught on 6-inch plastic worms and small spinners. The river also offers anglers an opportunity to take carp, suckers, rock bass and smallmouth bass.
NORTHWEST OHIO
Maumee River (Henry County) At the Providence Dam area, smallmouth bass are being taken during the daytime by casting a jig. At Mary Jane Thurston State Park, white bass are being taken during the daytime using a jig or fishing with shiners. The best spots are in holes below the dam. Channel catfish are being taken along the length of the river anytime of the day or night. Worms fished on the bottom are the way to latch on to these fish.
Upper Sandusky Reservoir (Wyandot County) Channel catfish are being taken in the mornings and evenings using cut baits fished on the bottom. The best spot is in the basin area along the dike. Bluegill are hitting in the mornings on wax worms fished 2 to 5 feet on a slip bobber. The brushy areas along the south bank are the best bet.
Killdeer Reservoir (Wyandot County) Walleye are being taken at dusk using small minnows as bait with a slip bobber. Jigs tipped with leeches are working well also. Try the east shore. Smallmouth bass are being taken at dusk using soft-craws or crayfish crankbaits. The south and east shores are the best spots to fish.
SOUTHWEST OHIO
Anderson Fork/Caesar Creek Wildlife Area (Greene County) South of Xenia with access from state Rt. 380, shoreline anglers are catching bluegill and sunfish using earthworms and wax worms under a bobber.
Great Miami River (Montgomery County) Catfish are being caught on shrimp or chicken livers fishing the bottom. Lean your pole against something and watch the line for movement. Best location is the Needmore Road Bridge at Old Needmore Road to the north and east side of the bridge where you can park and even launch a boat that you can carry.
SOUTHEAST OHIO
Seneca Lake (Noble County) Fishing for catfish at this lake is best along the south end of the lake near state Rt. 147. Fish off shore with chicken liver, night crawlers or shrimp to catch catfish in the 1- to 3-pound range. Boat fishermen should fish in a channel area of either Wills Creek or Beaver Creek.
AEP Recreation Lands (Morgan County) Water conditions in most ponds are clear and normal with water temperature around 82 degrees. Best fishing at this area has been during the heat of the day between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Anglers are catching channel catfish on liver when fishing in 6 to 8 feet of water around the weed beds. Bass are hitting shallow running crank baits, while bluegills continue to hit night crawlers.
Jackson Lake (Jackson County) Water conditions at this lake are clear and the level is near normal capacity. Catfish 12 to 14 inches in size can be caught on chicken liver with most fishermen having the best luck after 1 a.m. Bluegill fishing is fair to good with hand-sized bluegill being caught on wax worms under a bobber.
LAKE ERIE
Western Basin Limits of walleye continue to be caught in the West Sister Island area. The best fishing has been northeast of West Sister to the Canadian border towards Northwest Reef (west of North Bass Island). Walleye are also still being caught just north of the Camp Perry firing range. Trollers using spoons with Jet or Dipsy Divers have been most successful, with casters also catching fish on weight forward worm harnesses. Fish have ranged from 14 to 22 inches.
Yellow perch fishing in the Western basin has been excellent. Best areas have included the area near the Camp Perry firing range, between Kelleys Island and Lakeside and in the area north of the Toledo water intake. Spreaders tipped with shiners have been most productive for 7- to 11-inch fish.
For smallmouth bass try fishing the east side of Kelleys Island and nearshore areas around the Bass Islands and Marblehead. Tube jigs have been used to catch fish between 15 and 20 inches. Largemouth Bass fishing continues to be 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 6 to 8 miles northwest of Lorain in 40 to 50 feet of water, between Cranberry Creek and Vermilion in 30 to 40 feet of water, 7 to 15 miles north of Geneva-Ashtabula in 68 to 72 feet of water, 13 to 15 miles northwest of Eastlake in 72 to 76 feet of water. Anglers have been trolling dipsy divers with medium spoons (most color schemes with copper, green, watermelon, chartreuse or pink have been best) or crawler harnesses for fish from 15 to 28 inches.
Yellow perch fishing is improving in the Central Basin. Best areas have been off of the "Castle" near Vermilion in 28 to 35 feet of water, off of Sawmill Creek near Huron in 30 to 35 feet of water, 4 miles north of Conneaut in 50 to 60 feet of water, 4 miles north of Geneva in 50 to 60 feet of water, 3 to 4 miles north of Edgewater State Park in 43 to 46 feet of water. Spreaders tipped with shiners are taking fish from 7 to 11 inches.
Smallmouth bass have been caught near Ruggles Reef and in nearshore breakwall and harbor areas around Lorain. Fish 14 to 18 inches have been caught on tube jigs, jigs tipped with shiners and crankbaits.
Steelhead have been caught by trollers using dipsy divers with large spoons 10 to 12 miles northwest of Eastlake in 70 to 72 feet of water, 15 to 20 miles north of Wildwood St Park in 74 to 78 feet of water. The steelhead have ranged in size from 20 to 29 inches.
OHIO RIVER
Washington County A League of Ohio Sportsmen sponsored catfish tournament this weekend resulted in catches of several large flathead catfish in the 20- to 30-pound range. One 40-pound catfish was caught. Several channel catfish well over 8 pounds were also taken. Best areas for catching the catfish are around Willow Island, at Newport, around the Belpre boat ramp, and around any of the islands in the river. Baits include shrimp, bluegill, goldfish, liver, catalpa worms and night crawlers. Fishing from the bank or from a boat is good when tight-lining with a bobber.
Scioto County Water conditions are high, turbid and muddy at Greenup. Best fishing is along the bank of the Ohio River at the confluence with the Ohio River. Anglers are catching catfish, a few sheephead and some hybrid striped bass on night crawlers and chicken liver.