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Lake Erie walleye fishing is excellent right now
The fishing on Lake Erie is always good in the fall and the number of walleye being caught in the last two weeks tells that story. Anglers from all over the United States are flocking to the western and central basins of Lake Erie in search of walleye. Some are looking for food, and some are looking for that true trophy. No doubt, Lake Erie has both. The water temperature this past week has been in the low 50s, look for this to drop as our night temps get cooler. Remember, always prepare for Cold Water Safety.
Western Basin
As walleye make their way from the Eastern basin of Lake Erie, the fishing in the West gets better. Reports are coming in of walleye being caught around the islands, Monroe MI, and the Detroit River. Jigging in the Detroit river has really picked up over the past week. Sandusky Bay is starting to see some fish move in at night around Cedar Point.
Around the islands, the area between Green and Rattlesnake has been best. This area has a lot of current and bait for the walleye to feed on. The area has mid to low grade fish in the 18″-22″ range. Some larger fish have been reported, but most are males. Trolling bandits and flicker shad have produced the most bites. Run baits high in the morning, then assisted with weights as the sun gets high. Trolling speeds have been in the 1.6-2.2 range.
Central Basin
Huron to Cleveland has been good fishing this fall. It seems like there was a slow start, but that was probably due to the weather. October brought gale force winds that tore up Lake Erie and kept fisherman off the water. Calm days are now getting mixed in and the reports are getting better.
Fisherman in Huron and Vermilion have been doing excellent in 38 FOW and 42-46 FOW. 38 FOW in from of Cranberry Creek has been good. NE and NW of the dump has been good in 42-46 FOW. Fish are scattered throughout the water column in those depths and what seems like all the the way to Lorain. Most boats are trolling this area with Bandits, Reef Runners, Husky Jerks, and Flicker Shads. Anglers are reporting catching fish at all depths of the water column. Trolling speeds range from 1.6-2.2. Some boats produced better results by making frequent turns. Often this will trigger bites because it changes the depth and speed of both sides.
In Cleveland, fisherman are deeper water. 50-51 FOW has been good as well as the high forty’s. Fisherman in this are are running the same programs as in Huron. The lures may have to be run a little deeper due to the water depth and fish locations. Some areas to try are straight North of East 72nd. street, Bratenahl, and West of Edgewater Pier.
Walleye Night Bite
In both locations, fish are scattered throughout the water column. Some anglers have reported success trolling baits high in low light conditions. The night bite has picked up dramatically in the last week. Shore fisherman are having a lot of success in Lorain and Cleveland. Check out our article on Shore Fishing for Walleye. Trolling at night has also picked up. When trolling at night the bite has been close to shore with baits run high in the column. Target the top 10 feet of the water column at night. Also, trolling slower at night can trigger more bites. Check out our article on Night Fishing for Lake Erie Walleye.