Weekly Ohio fishing report

Weekly Ohio fishing report
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The weekly fishing report provided by the Division of Wildlife of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
NORTHEAST OHIO
Leesville Reservoir (Carroll County) -- For anglers at Leesville Reservoir, muskie fishing is hot right now. Anglers casting spinners and crank baits for bass found that 18-to 30-inch muskies are actually the fish to catch at this time. Anglers who do not plan to keep muskellunge should wet their hands and gently release the fish immediately.
Lake Erie shoreline (Lake and Ashtabula counties) -- Perch fishing is still at its best in Lake Erie especially from the west side of Lake County, Fairport, and the Conneaut area of Ashtabula County. Near Wildwood (Lake/Cuyahoga county line), perch are biting in 42 to 48 feet of water while closer to Ashtabula, perch seem to be in the 70-foot range.
LAKE ERIE
Central Basin -- Poor weather and rough lake conditions during the past week limited fishing activity. Walleye fishing in the central basin has been very good. Fish have been caught five to six miles north of Cleveland Crib in 58 to 62 feet of water, ten miles north of Wildwood State Park (Euclid) to Eastlake in 68 to 70 feet of water, 10 to 12 miles northeast of Ashtabula and 10 to 12 miles northwest of Conneaut in 68 to 74 feet of water. Fish have been caught on worm harnesses or spoons colored in scarlet and gray, purple and black, or white and red with copper backs, trolled with dipsy divers or jet divers off planer boards. Some anglers are also drifting worm harnesses. Fish are suspended and anglers are fishing down 35 to 50 feet.
Yellow perch fishing is very good in the central basin five miles north of Bratenahl in 42 to 50 feet of water, four to six miles north of Wildwood State Park (Euclid) in 42 to 51 feet of water, two to four miles north of Fairport in 39 to 52 feet of water, and two miles or less north of Ashtabula and Conneaut in 45 to 55 feet of water. Fish have ranged from seven to 11 inches. Perch rigs with shiners fished near the bottom have produced the most fish.
Smallmouth bass fishing has been excellent along the shoreline from Fairport Harbor to Conneaut in 15 to 29 feet of water. Fish have been caught on goby color tube jigs, goby color drop-shot rigs, jigs tipped with minnows or leeches, or by trolling crank baits.
The best white bass fishing has been 1/2 mile north of Eastlake CEI power plant. Anglers are using agitators with white, yellow and green twister tails. Shore anglers are catching white bass at the Eastlake CEI, Mentor Headlands lighthouse, Wildwood State Park, Rocky River, Avon Lake and Lorain piers using agitators with white, yellow and green twister tails or small spoons.
Lake Erie surface temperatures range from 67 to 71 degrees.
OHIO RIVER
Ohio River (Scioto County) -- Water conditions are muddy and the water is slowly rising from recent rains. Water is currently up on the walkway at the Greenup Tailwater. Good catches of hybrid striped bass, white bass, and catfish are occurring in the Ohio River at Greenup Tailwater and at the Scioto River confluence in Portsmouth. Hybrid striped bass are in the tailwater during the early morning and are being caught using cut bait, night crawlers and chicken livers. Flatheads and channel catfish are being caught after dark on cut shad, skipjack, and night crawlers. Most catfish are being caught in the tailwater off the bottom of the river and along the riprap adjacent to the walkway.
On the Net:
To view the predicted weather forecast for Lake Erie visit: http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/fmtbltn.pl?fileforecasts/marine/great--lakes.