When the walleye start to roam the basins, I target them at the dumping grounds. Each major port typically has dumping grounds offshore. Below are the popular dumping grounds on Lake Erie that I target.
Lake Erie Dumping Grounds Locations
| Location | Coordinates (Latitude) | Coordinates (Longitude) | Buy a Map of the Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huron Dumping Grounds | N 41 26.462 | W 82 31.969 | BUY HURON MAP |
| Lorain Dumping Grounds | N 41 31.212 | W 82 12.000 | BUY LORAIN MAP |
| Vermilion Dumping Grounds | N 41 27.736 | W 82 21.827 | BUY VERMILION MAP |
| Michigan Dumping Grounds | N 41 48.00 | W 83 21.00 | BUY MICHIGAN MAP |
| Sandusky Dumping Grounds | N 41 31′ 51.60″ | W 82° 40′ 30.00″ | BUY SANDUSKY MAP |
Fishing around Lake Erie Dumping Grounds
I focus on dumping ground areas on Lake Erie to target walleye and perch. I do this because dumping grounds change the bottom contour on an otherwise flat bottom. This subtle change attracts all kinds of Lake Erie fish.
Walleye Fishing Dumping Grounds
- Trolling with Crankbaits: Use deep-diving crankbaits at 1.5-2.5 mph, targeting depths of 10-30 feet. Sometimes fishing the bottom with crankbaits is better than targeting suspended fish around the dumping grounds.
- Jigging with Blade Baits: Jig blade baits or jigs tipped with live bait (minnows, nightcrawlers) in deeper waters.
- Drifting with Live Bait: Use nightcrawlers or minnows on a bottom rig, drifting over drop-offs or structure.
Perch Fishing Dumping Grounds
- Drift Fishing with Minnows: Use live minnows on a slip sinker rig, drifting near rocky bottoms. The is the most effective method for fishing Lake Erie.
- Vertical Jigging: Jig small lead head jigs (1/16-1/8 oz) tipped with minnows or soft plastics. If live bait is not available, these are great for perch fishing Lake Erie.
- Perch Spreaders: Use rigs with multiple hooks to target schools of perch with live bait.
Why the Dumping Grounds Hold Fish
The dredge material creates uneven bottom contour in an otherwise flat, featureless lake bottom. Any break in bottom consistency like a hump, a hard patch mixed into soft mud, a change in depth of even a foot or two and concentrates fish.
What to Use
I keep it simple out there. For walleye fishing, worm harnesses pulled behind bottom bouncers work as well as anything, especially in crawler colors like chartreuse, purple, and gold that stand out in Erie’s often stained water. Jigging spoons and blade baits also shine when fish are holding tight to the bottom contour rather than suspended. For perch, a simple two hook spreader rig tipped with emerald shiners or a piece of night crawler is hard to beat. Drop it straight down once you’re marking fish on the graph and let it sit just off bottom. Bring a variety of weights since current and wind drift change day to day, and you’ll want to adjust to keep that bait in the strike zone.
