Weekly Ohio fishing report

Weekly Ohio fishing report

NORTHEAST OHIO

Aquilla Lake (Geauga County) This small 29-acre lake located north of Aquilla Rd., two miles north of Claridon off of state Route 322 offers excellent catfishing. Catfish that were stocked in 2003 should average more than 21 inches this year. Fishing during the night brings the best results but catfish can be caught during the day also. Throughout the night though and at dusk and dawn, anglers should concentrate on more shallow areas of the lake where catfish visit to feed. Dough balls, shrimp, chicken liver, or Velveeta cheese balls are all good choices for bait. Anglers seeking the largest catfish should be generous with the bait as well.

Leesville Lake (Carroll County) — Bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, muskellunge, and saugeye provide good to excellent fishing. Muskie and channel cat fishing are also good.

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 and near Starve Island. 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 “C” can of the Camp Perry range, north of the Toledo water intake, near Northwest Reef, off Gull Island Shoal, off of Kelleys Island shoal and Kelleys Island airport reef in 40 to 50 feet of water. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish that have averaged around eight inches with several catches averaging in the nine to 10 inch range.

Central Basin — Walleye fishing has been spotty on the sandbar between Vermilion and Lorain, northwest and northeast of Ashtabula in 63 to 72 feet, and northwest and northeast of Fairport in 65 to 72 feet. Anglers are trolling dipsy divers with spoons, stick baits and worm harnesses ranging in copper, black/purple, tangerine, watermelon, wonder bread, antifreeze and gold/orange.

A few steelhead are being caught off Fairport and Ashtabula in 63 to 72 feet. Anglers are catching steelhead on red/white, black/purple, chartreuse, and silver/blue spoons while trolling for walleye.

Yellow perch fishing has been very good west of the Sandbar, off Lorain in 45 feet of water, north-northeast of Euclid in 55 to 62 feet, northwest and northeast of Chagrin River in 55 to 61 feet, northwest of Fairport Harbor in 47 to 57 feet, and north of Conneaut in 57 to 70 feet. Perch spreaders with shiners or crappie rigs fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Smallmouth bass fishing has been good near Ruggles Reef in the Huron area, in harbor areas, and in 15 to 25 feet along the shoreline in Conneaut, Ashtabula, Geneva and Fairport Harbor. Fish were caught on goby-colored tube jigs, crank baits, and jigs tipped with minnows, night crawlers, or leeches.

White bass are being caught by anglers trolling for walleye and inshore near the mouth of the Chagrin River and next to the Eastlake Power Plant.

The Lake Erie surface temperature is 67 degrees off of Toledo and 69 degrees off of Cleveland.

OHIO RIVER

Lawrence, Monroe and Washington counties — Catfish success is best through the night and in the early morning hours before daybreak. Bass fishing continues to be challenging, due to the large amounts of forage fish available. However, a few largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass are being caught. Stay along the shoreline, along old concrete lock walls, concrete blocked banks, and various pier structures. Top rated bass lures included plastic worms/tubes that are black, pumpkinseed, and watermelon colored, white and chartreuse spinner baits that are 1/8 to 1/4 ounce.