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
West Branch Reservoir (Portage County) -- This body of water has been producing a lot of good sized crappies. One angler, using a tube jig about 4 feet under a bobber and casting from shore, reported catching several dozen crappies, the smallest of which measured 11 inches.
Lake Erie (Lorain County) -- Anglers using minnows are picking up limits of perch in 30 to 40 feet of water off of Avon Lake just east of the power plant. Shore fishermen are also having a lot of success. Fishing near the Jackalope Restaurant by the mile-long pier using minnows, anglers are picking up slab crappies in quantities. Nice sized largemouth bass are also being caught in this area. Fishermen are still enjoying the "night bite" of walleye, picking them up at the end of the pier and along the rock walls using husky jerks and long A-bombers in silver-black or silver-blue colors or in the clown color pattern.
Lake Erie (Geauga County) -- Anglers have been catching smallmouth bass all along the eastern lakeshore from Cuyahoga County out to Ashtabula County. Most of the bass are being caught on tube jigs.
LaDue Reservoir (Geauga County) -- Fishing has been good and poor here but patient anglers can pick up crappies, largemouth bass and bluegills.
Punderson Lake (Geauga County) -- Bluegills are spawning so try fishing the shallows in this lake with flies recommended for best success.
Oberlin Reservoir (Lorain County) -- This water has been very productive for crappies with anglers using small white jigs with twister tails. Walleye can be caught here on night crawlers.
Spencer Lake (Medina County) -- A good lake for young anglers to cut their teeth. The bluegills aren't trophy size but they are plentiful and willing to bite. Some largemouth bass and channel catfish can be caught during the evening hours.
Nimisila Reservoir (Summit County) -- Crappies are being caught with more frequency with a 13-inch crappie being caught near the dam area. Minnows and wax worms are working for the crappies. More largemouth bass are being landed also.
Charles Mill (Ashland County) -- Anglers are catching all sizes of channel catfish. Liver is working for picking up the cats. This lake continues to be a good spot for "wipers," the hybrid white and striped bass. Minnows and liver work for catching the wipers. At the spillway anglers are catching saugeye on minnows, twister tails and picking up a few crappie and bluegill as well.
Pleasant Hill (Ashland County) -- Bluegill are coming in to the shallower water to spawn and anglers are picking up fish in the 7-to 8-inch range using wax worms and night crawlers. Good numbers of white bass are being caught on white and chartreuse twister tails. Some anglers who are trolling for saugeye are picking up "slab" crappies that are hitting on crank baits.
LAKE ERIE
Western Basin -- Northeast winds over the past week have led to stained waters around most of the western basin. Walleye fishing has been best on the reef complex near Port Clinton, Clinton Reef west of Catawba, and Gull Island Shoal north of Kelleys Island. Purple jigs are still producing some limit catches on the reef complex. In open water areas weight forward spinners or bottom bouncers with a worm harness and gold blade have been productive. The majority of walleye caught have ranged from 17 to 25 inches, with a few fish around 30 inches. Yellow perch have been caught northwest of Kelleys Island and around Clinton Reef west of Catawba. Spreaders tipped with shiners have been most productive for 8 to 11-inch fish. Kelleys Island and the Bass Islands have continued to be the best areas to catch smallmouth bass. Brown salted tube jigs and soft craws have been used to catch fish between 15 and 20 inches.
Central Basin -- Smallmouth bass fishing has been best on Ruggles Reef near Vermilion and in nearshore break wall and harbor areas near Lorain, Ashtabula and Conneaut. Fish measuring over 14 inches have been caught on tube jigs and jigs tipped with minnows. Yellow perch are being caught within 2 to 3 miles of both Lorain and Ashtabula. Spreaders tipped with shiners are taking fish up to 13 inches. Walleye have been caught around Ruggles Reef near Vermilion by trollers using jet divers and spoons. Fish have ranged from 18 to 30 inches.
OHIO RIVER
Washington County -- Conditions are high and muddy with temperature at 69 degrees. The area of the river near the Lafayette Hotel in downtown Marietta is producing 6 to 7 pound catches of catfish on night crawlers, chicken livers, and gold fish.
Scioto County -- Conditions are high and muddy with temperature at 64 degrees. Anglers in the Greenup Tailwater area fishing the cove from the Ohio shoreline below the dam at the eddy are catching channel catfish on shad and chicken liver. Chicken liver is the best bait for catching 18 to 20-inch catfish. Anglers fishing from the landing at the Portsmouth Boat Ramp just below the mural wall are catching hybrid striped bass ranging 11 to 13 inches. Best bait is red worms fished on the bottom and using a heavy sinker one ounce or larger. At the Holiday Point boat ramp, small sauger, 10 to 12 inches, are being caught on white or chartreuse grubs and small inline spinners.