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

Kiser Lake (Champaign County) The lake has a good population of largemouth bass; try plastics, top water baits and crank baits along the lily pads or cover on the north side of the lake. Crappie will become more active as the water cools this fall. Fish with minnows in the old creek channel or around woody cover. Bluegill are also being taken around aquatic vegetation and cover using wax worms and red worms.

Olentangy River (Delaware and Franklin counties) — Smallmouth bass and rock bass are two fish species that provide a lot of fishing action on this river that runs through Columbus. Good angling can be found from Highbanks Metro Park north to the Delaware Lake dam. Try spinners and crayfish crank baits around rocks and other cover in pools. Other fish found here include crappie, saugeye, carp and channel catfish.

NORTHEAST OHIO

Spencer Lake (Medina County) - This small 50-acre lake is the place to be for channel catfish. Anglers are catching these bottom feeders mostly at dawn or well after dusk. The best baits are the usual selections including shrimp, chicken liver, or stink baits. Fishing from the causeway brings good results.

Springfield Lake (Summit County) — This lake offers excellent fishing for largemouth bass and channel catfish. This lake is one the few natural lakes found in Ohio. Fed by an underground spring, it is known as a “Kettle” lake, the melted remnants of a glacier left over from the last ice age. A gravel launch located on the west end of the lake on Canfield Road is available to the public and there is no fee for use. Spring, nighttime electrofishing results show a large percentage of largemouth bass measuring 15 inches or more. Yearling catfish have been consistently stocked in even-numbered years. Please observe the 250 horsepower limit from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and the 10 horsepower limit during other hours.

LAKE ERIE

Western Basin — Walleye fishing has been good in the western basin recently. The best walleye fishing has been from North Bass Island and Niagara Reef to “F” can on the Canadian border. Fish have been caught by casting worm harnesses or weight forward spinners, and trollers have had success with spoons on jet divers or dipsys.

The best yellow perch fishing has been around “B” and “C” cans of the Camp Perry range, around the turnaround buoy of the Toledo shipping channel, between Green Island and Rattlesnake Island, and off of Kelleys Island shoal and Kelleys Island airport reef in 41feet of water. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish that have averaged around eight inches with a few up to 10 and 11 inches.

OHIO RIVER

Scioto County — Many anglers are reporting success fishing the Ohio River at the confluence of the Scioto River and below the floodwall at Portsmouth. Try fishing tight-line with chicken livers for catfish and the occasional striped bass. Several anglers reported taking limits of sauger below the Greenup Dam using white spoons.