Berlin produces some good walleye fishing

Mention inland walleyes around Youngstown and Warren and anglers immediately think of Mosquito Creek Reservoir.

But Berlin Reservoir has been producing good catches of walleyes in recent weeks, as anglers take advantage of the good weather to troll and drift for the region’s most popular game fish.

Berlin’s launch ramps were busy each morning this week, as the walleye armada branched out from the traditional spring hotspots at Mosquito to sample the waters of the lake that straddles the Mahoning-Portage county line.

At 3,300 acres, Berlin is less than half the size of Mosquito, and fishes a bit differently than its Trumbull County neighbor lake.

Virtually devoid of aquatic vegetation, Berlin does not produce the same kind of weed action for which Mosquito has become famous. But the jigs that pull ’eyes from Mosquito’s grass also pluck fish from Berlin’s flats and points.

Walleye are being caught from a variety of Berlin locations by anglers fishing minnows under bobbers or jigs tipped with twister tails.

Many walleye anglers also are finding success by bouncing jigs with minnows or nightcrawlers off the bottom. Drifting and trolling the main lake from Ohio 14 up to U.S. 224 and north to the dam has produced a number of limits over the past week or two.

Berlin’s walleye population is reliant on natural reproduction. While Ohio stocks millions of walleye annually at Mosquito, the majority of Berlin’s fish live in the same lake where their parents swim.

Action is expected to be good on into June at Berlin. Many of the lake’s walleyes are up in the shallow water now, and serve up surprises to crappie anglers dabbling around the cover.

The fish will continue moving up and down on the numerous tapering points for several more weeks, then are likely to drop back into deeper water once summer settles in.

The Division of Wildlife counsels anglers to heed the six walleye daily bag limit and 15-inch minimum length limit.

Another bonus at Berlin is the great spring white-bass fishing. Reports indicate the white bass action is just starting to get hot upstream from the Price Street bridge near Alliance.

The Mahoning River, which flows into Berlin just south of Price Street, attracts a strong run of white bass, as they migrate to spawning sites in the river’s moving water. Jigs and small flashy spoons or spinners are effective.

While walleyes always are the headliners on Lake Erie, the smallmouth bass fishing is heating up as we head toward May.

Big bronzebacks are converging on the breakwalls and rip-rap in the harbors all along Ohio’s north coast. Consistently good fishing is reported from West Harbor near Port Clinton to Conneaut.

Anglers are picking up fish on jigs and tube baits, as well as jerkbaits and spinnerbaits. Fish of trophy proportions will remain in the harbors for several weeks, before dropping back into the big lake to feast throughout the summer.