Do you want to learn more about shore fishing for Lake Erie walleye? Or sharpen your skills if you are already a seasoned shore fisherman? In this article, we break down the top 6 key elements to shore fishing for walleye including locations!
Below is a summary of fishing tackle and gear you will need to fish for walleye on the shores of Lake Erie. These are not all-inclusive, but a good start and will get you fishing in no time.
| Gear | Recommendation | Buy Here |
|---|---|---|
| Spinning Rod | A 7′ to 7’6″ medium or medium-light fast action spinning rod is best. | BUY HERE |
| Spinning Reel | A quality 2500 or 3000 size spinning reel with a smooth drag. | BUY HERE |
| Crankbait | Floating stickbaits such as a Perfect 10 work best. | BUY HERE |
| Landing Net | A rubber-coated net with a long handle makes landing fish from rocks easy. | BUY HERE |
| Headlamp | Choose a bright LED headlamp. | BUY HERE |
Shore fishing for walleye is an experience and adventure, especially on Lake Erie in the spring or fall seasons. Large walleye will frequent the shore at night in the spring and fall. When a person thinks about fishing for walleye on Lake Erie they automatically think about a boat and trolling gear. That is only half the walleye fishing available on Lake Erie, there are plenty of good shore fishing opportunities around the lake. There are a variety of tackle, baits, locations, and techniques to catch walleye from shore. This lake offers a world-class shore fishing opportunity for walleye. Everything you need to know about shore fishing for walleye is highlighted in this guide.
When to Shore Fish for Walleye
There is no doubt Lake Erie is full of walleye. However, there are specific times to shore fish for walleye. Spring, Fall, and Winter are the best months to shore fish for walleye. During those months, the evening, overnight, and early mornings are the best times to fish. Walleye are low-light feeders. They will come shallow during low light periods to feed on bait fish. Shad and emerald shiners are attracted to shore lights during low light periods and, in return attract predators like walleye. To increase your chances while shore fishing for walleye, choose to fish right after sunset or just before sunrise. There are bite windows that happen overnight, but you will have a better chance during those times.
Tackle for Shore Fishing Lake Erie
When walleye fishing from shore, most anglers choose to use a 6’-6” to 7’ medium fast action rod. Fenwick and St. Croix both make great casting rods in that action. The length depends on your storage requirements and casting distance. With a longer rod, you may gain some casting distance.
A quality reel with quality braid is a necessity. The Pflueger President spinning reel is an excellent choice when walleye fishing from shore. Braided line is used for long casts, this keeps your bait in the water longer. 15-20 lb. braid will work best. Kastking makes a great braided line as does Power Pro. Depending on your budget, both are excellent choices. A fluorocarbon leader helps with hookups as it is harder for the walleye to see. Use a 10-15 lb. leader and keep a small spool in a bag. Lastly, a micro snap swivel at the end of the leader is a must to make changing lures easier. Using a snap swivel over a locking-type swivel will keep the lure’s action it was designed for.
Lures for Lake Erie Shore Fishing
Choosing what walleye lure to throw can be overwhelming because there are a lot to choose from. If you are fishing deep water such as at the end of a pier, you may opt for a deep diving crankbait. If it is relatively shallow water you want a bait that has a shallow bill on it. The walleye will be higher in the water column at night, so carry more shallow divers than deep. Good choices in lures are Smithwick Perfect 10, Reefrunner Shallow series, Rapala hj12 – hj14 (jointed and non-jointed), and a Rattle trap. Don’t get too caught up in custom colors, if the fish are there you will get bit. The type of lure seems to have more effect on the hook-up ratio.
Some anglers choose to change out the hooks on casting lures. Walleye are strong fish and can exceed 12 lbs. while fishing in the fall. Having strong aftermarket hooks can increase your chances of landing a trophy walleye. A good aftermarket hook is anything from Gamakatsu or the Owner. Size 4 treble hooks are most common but check with your lure manufacturer to make sure you get the right size hooks.
How to Catch Walleye From Shore
There is an art to lure retrieval when shore fishing for Lake Erie walleye. Some use a short pause, almost like working a jerk bait. Some fishermen like a slow retrieve. It all depends on what the fish want that particular night. Casting parallel to the bank can be productive some nights. Being flexible in your technique and baits used will increase your success. If you are not catching fish, keep changing your technique and bait. Learning how to catch walleye from shore can be frustrating, keep following the guidelines in this article and you will get better.
- Adding lead stickers to your lure can help with suspension and diving. When using a shallow diver, sometimes the lure wants to float or not sink as fast as you would like. Adding these can aid in keeping your lure in the strike zone. Accordingly, this is effective when learning how to catch walleye from shore.
Look for Bait in the Area
One of the main keys to success is seeing bait in the area. Look at this quick checklist below to help you catch more fish from shore.
- Check for bait in the area to help decide what areas to fish.
- Visually check for shiners or shad in the area.
- The water needs to be clean or semi-clean. Fishing in dirty / stained water will most likely waste your time.
Lake Erie Shore Fishing Spots
Walleye fishing from shore is an exciting experience. There are endless Lake Erie fishing spots to choose from. Some popular spots to try are the Huron Pier, Sandusky Bay Dempsey access, Lorain Pier, Edgewater Pier, E55th St. in Cleveland, Lakeside (if you have access), Mazurick boat ramp, Catawba Pier, and Vermillion break wall. There are other public shore fishing opportunities around the lake, but you will have to do some research. Any park or public area on Lake Erie has the potential for you to catch walleye at night. Most can be found using mapping software such as Google Maps.
Areas with access to deep water tend to have more walleye come in at night. Remember, walleye spend the day chasing bait in deep water offshore. They want the same while feeding at night. Places like a rock cliff or extended pier are great areas to try. Cleveland fishing spots are sometimes kept under the radar, but there are a few included in the list below.
Lake Erie pier and rock fishing has become popular in the past few years due to fall walleye tournaments. Pier fishing at Lake Erie is done in the colder months during the spring, fall, and winter. During these months walleye will frequent shore areas in search of bait. Not only can you visit the below locations for bank fishing Lake Erie, but any rocky area on shore will attract walleye at night. Fishing around lights can help, often attracting bait.
- Lorain Mile Long Pier – 301 Lakeside Ave, Lorain, OH 44052
- Edgewater Pier – 6500 Cleveland Memorial Shoreway, Cleveland, OH 44102
- Vermilion Pier – 480 Main St, Vermilion, OH 44089
- Huron Pier – 30 Main St, Huron, OH 44839
- Sandusky Battery Park – 701 E Water St, Sandusky, OH 44870
- Marblehead Dempsey Access – 2498 Cook Dock, Lakeside Marblehead, OH 43440
- Lakeside Pier – 199 Maple Ave Lakeside Marblehead, OH 43440
- Mazurik Access – 8777 N Shore Blvd Lakeside Marblehead, OH 43440
- Catawba State Park – 4049 E Moores Dock Rd, Port Clinton, OH 43452
- Waterworks Park Port Clinton – 74 N Jefferson St, Port Clinton, OH 43452