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.
CENTRAL OHIO
Alum Creek Lake (Delaware County) -- Because of cooling water, there is a net movement of fish to shallower water at this time of year. Fish any remaining weed beds and rocky shoreline bars. Try jerk baits for muskellunge and top water baits and spinner baits for smallmouth and largemouth bass. Trolling live bait rigs and crank baits are popular for saugeye. Saugeye can move to very shallow water in the evening along the dam and causeways.
Indian Lake (Logan County) -- The shoreline riprap areas are good locations to fish for largemouth bass when using plastic worms, small spinners, and top water baits. Most bass measure 12 to 18 inches. Night fishing in areas with moving current can produce good catches of channel catfish when using chicken livers and night crawlers. Night fishing with minnows near the bridges is the best method for taking white bass. Saugeye fishing should begin to improve throughout October between the Old Indian Lake area and the Moundwood Canal feeder.
NORTHEAST OHIO
Berlin Reservoir (Portage County) -- A few walleye are being caught but reports are still slow. Crappies are still being caught in good numbers in the lake and from the surrounding bridges, the railroad bridge, the Rte. 14 bridge and off of the Rte. 224 bridge. Anglers continue to catch crappies using jigs and minnows.
Tuscarawas River (Tuscarawas County) -- Reports being taken from New Philadelphia and Dover areas of channel catfish in sizes ranging from 10 to 18 inches being caught with a tightline using night crawlers, chicken livers and stink bait.
Lake Erie (Lake County and Cuyahoga County) -- Anglers are still catching perch out of the Fairport Harbor area and also north of Cleveland in 40 to 50 feet of water. A few steelhead have been caught in the mouth of the Rocky River but the water in the lake is still a bit warm for activity. The promise of colder weather and rain moving into the area this weekend could change that.
LAKE ERIE
Western Basin -- Walleye fishing pressure has been very low recently. Sporadic catches have been reported in the area northwest of West Sister and between Kelleys Island and the Huron River. As temperatures drop expect fishing to pick up east of Kelleys Island.
Perch fishing in the western basin has been excellent with anglers targeting perch averaging more than 20 fish per trip. Best areas have included west of Green and Rattlesnake Islands, northeast and east of Kelleys Island in 35 to 41 feet of water, within 2 miles of shore in the Lakeside/Marblehead area, and just north of the Toledo water intake. Spreaders tipped with shiners have been most productive for 7 to 12 inch fish.
For smallmouth bass try fishing Kelleys Island and nearshore areas around the Bass Islands and Marblehead. Tube jigs have been used to catch fish between 15 and 20 inches. For largemouth bass try East Harbor around thick beds of vegetation and in the harbor channel.
Central Basin -- Walleye fishing in the central basin has been best near the sandbar 6 to 10 miles northwest of Lorain, 6 to 8 miles north of Beaver Creek in 40 to 50 feet of water, 6 miles northwest of the Chagrin River in 60 feet of water, 8 to 26 miles north of Geneva and Ashtabula in 62 to 72 feet of water, and 8 miles north of the Rocky River in 61 to 63 feet of water. Anglers have been trolling dipsy divers with spoons (most color schemes with copper, blue, fire tiger or gold have been best) for fish from 15 to 30 inches.
Yellow perch fishing continues to be excellent in the central basin. Best areas have been within 3 miles of Huron, Vermilion and Lorain in 27 to 35 feet of water, 4 to 5 miles north of Edgewater St. Park in 49 to 53 feet of water, 2 to 6 miles north of Conneaut and Fairport in 47 to 62 feet of water, and 3 to 4 miles northwest of Wildwood St. Park in 45 to 52 feet of water. Spreaders tipped with shiners are taking fish from 7 to 12 inches.
Smallmouth bass have been caught in harbor areas and along the shoreline in 19 to 30 feet of water near Conneaut, Ashtabula, Geneva, Fairport and Cleveland. Fourteen to 18 inch fish have been caught on tube jigs, crank baits, jigs tipped with shiners, and crayfish. Steelhead have been caught by trollers using dipsy divers with spoons 6 to 8 miles north of Eastlake, Geneva and the Rocky River in 62 to 70 feet of water. The steelhead have ranged in size from 23 to 29inches.
OHIO RIVER
Washington County -- Catfish are still the hottest species of fish along the Ohio River. Best areas are anywhere above and below Newport and near the Lafayette Hotel in downtown Marietta. Tight-line for catfish with chicken liver or bluegill.
Scioto County -- The river has returned to normal pool in this area, but is still slightly muddy. Water temperature is 74 degrees. At Greenup Dam, hybrid striped bass up to 10 pounds in size are being caught on shad. Anglers are casting out along the dam wall in holding shad on bottom with one-ounce sinkers while using a 15-to 20-inch line leader. Even though the stripers are being caught, fishermen in the area advise that fishing will be even better when the water conditions stabilize.