Inland anglers should be wary of low water: Northeast Ohio Fishing Report

CLEVELAND, OH — The best fishing in Lake Erie has moved to eastern Ohio, where anglers are running to the deep waters off Fairport Harbor to put some walleye and a few trout in their coolers.

“What’s a little strange,” said Don Moore, “is that large walleye are caught from deeper waters, at about 60 feet in 72 to 77 feet of water, while steelhead trout sail much higher in about 40 feet of water.” Harbor Pet and Eat in Painesville.

Only a few fishermen were willing to run to the Canadian Line, located about 23 miles to the north, to chase walleye and trout.

Moore has been checking the fish limits which have included some walleyes recently, and this week a charter boat came back with three 10-pounds in the boat’s limit. Some smaller walleyes were caught near the shore, but it took longer to confine the walleye.

Moore had been able to stock bright emerald minnows for perch fishermen, most of whom worked in the usual areas with some success. A good catch is about 20 to 30 perches. Some catfish are caught from the Grand River.

Low water and storm wrecks are a problem for boats: Boaters should always exercise caution while on the water, and keep an eye out for floating debris, especially after heavy rains like the one that drenched communities along the shore of Lake Erie last week, as well as the Lake Erie Islands region.

With the arrival of fall fishing, boat owners and fishermen should also be aware that lake levels in inland waters will also fluctuate. Low water can be a major problem for both experienced and novice boat owners.

The Ohio Department of Watercraft warns boaters that precipitation and evaporation together create seasonal cycles in lake levels. Indicators of low water include:

Putting warning signs on the lake.

• Sand bars visible in the water.

• Exposed records or other risks.

In northeastern Ohio, the West Branch Reservoir in the Ravenna region has well below normal lake levels for the season. The boat ramp at Knapp Road was closed due to low water. Warnings are posted on the park’s webpage. Make sure to keep checking the site for updates.

The dry weather caused the water level in the Berlin Reservoir near Alliance to drop by about seven feet. Low winter water levels will also begin in a variety of northeastern Ohio lakes during the fall season. Early Arrival of Trout: Fishermen fishing for trout from Smallmouth have discovered that steelhead trout — but only a few — are also beginning to cruise the Ohio shore and run northeastern Ohio rivers from Lake Erie to feed, Chagrin reports. River Outfitters.

Yellow perch bites back: Yellow perch fishermen in western Lake Erie were worried that last week’s storms would halt perch fishing around the Lake Erie Islands and other hotspots off Port Clinton and Catawba Island.

It did, but only for two days. Fishing guides have reported some good catches again, and a few bait and tackle shops still sell bright emerald minnows for sale. While imported gold polishes are often available and are more solid, bright emerald polishes are a favorite for yellow perch.

Some reports from the West Green and Rattlesnake Islands have revealed that perch switch to feeding on thorn water fleas and invasive feed which often disappears in August. Some perch had flea-infested stomachs, but they were still caught by minnow-headed perch beds.