Ohio Fishing Reports
04-16-2008
11-16-2007
CENTRAL OHIO
Griggs Reservoir (Franklin County) Largemouth and smallmouth bass are being caught in this reservoir in Columbus. Largemouth bass can be caught on creature baits, crank baits, or plastic tubes. Smallmouth bass are becoming active along rock outcrops, north of the island and below the dam. Use crankbaits in a crayfish pattern and spinners. Crappie will increase feeding as water temperatures fall. Target submerged wood using minnows or jigs.
Hoover Reservoir (Delaware and Franklin counties) White bass are active as the water temperature falls. Try jigging leadheads and vibees on the flats next to deeper water. This weeks warming trend may disrupt angling success. Catfish are still being caught in the north end; use shrimp, night crawlers or prepared baits for the best yield. Saugeye are starting to get active. Troll spinners and worm harnesses along points and across flats leading to deeper water. Keep the baits very close to the bottom, early morning and evening bites can be good.
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NORTHWEST OHIO
Maumee River (Defiance County) Crappie are being taken by fishing minnows below a slip bobber. The base of Independence Dam has been the hot spot. These fish are being caught day and night.
Oxbow Lake (Defiance County) Bluegill are being caught in good numbers here. Fishing worms under a slip bobber is the best bet. Any time is good and anywhere along the shoreline is good.
Auglaize River (Defiance County) Flathead catfish are being caught by still fishing chubs, bluegill or shad. These fish are being caught after dark.
Pleasant Hill Lake (Richland County) Saugeye in the 14 to 18 inch range are being taken. Jigs tipped with night crawlers or minnows are working the best. Good numbers of crappie are also being taken. Fishing minnows under a slip bobber is working great for them. The best spots are places where there are downed trees in deeper water.
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NORTHEAST OHIO
Aquilla Lake (Geauga County) This small 29-acre lake located north of Aquilla Road, two miles north of Claridon off of State Route 322 offers excellent catfishing. A total of 723 yearling channel catfish, averaging about 9 inches, were stocked in 2006. Catfish that were stocked in 2003 should average more than 21 inches this year. Fishing during the night brings the best results but catfish can be caught during the day too. Throughout the night though and at dusk and dawn, anglers should concentrate on more shallow areas of the lake where catfish visit to feed. Dough balls, shrimp, chicken liver, or Velveeta cheese balls are all good choices for bait. Anglers seeking the largest catfish should be generous with the bait as well.
Leesville Lake (Carroll County) A wide variety of fish can be caught in this 1,045-acre lake located about two miles southeast of Sherrodsville off of State Route 212. Bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, muskellunge, and saugeye provide good to excellent fishing. Muskie and channel cat fishing are both incredible due to Division of Wildlife stocking efforts. An impressive 92 of the 522 muskies caught and recorded as of November 30, 2006 exceeded 42 inches or more! Approximately 40 percent of the catfish sampled last fall measured 24 inches or more. More information about fishing Leesville Lake and other lakes in northeast Ohio can be obtained by calling Wildlife District Three (330-644-2293) and requesting the free brochure, NE Ohio Fishing Prospects 2007.
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SOUTHEAST OHIO
New Lexington Reservoir 1 and 2 (Perry County) To access the reservoir from New Lexington, travel north on State Route 13, turn right on Perry County Road 19. Anglers have had success catching smaller-size largemouth bass in the evening hours using artificial lures, particularly top-water bait. Bluegills have been biting on small in-line spinners and wax worms. Electric motors only.
Hocking River (Hocking County) Success continues to be high for smallmouth bass fishing in the Hocking River south of Sugargrove in the stretch north of Logan. Concentrate your fishing in high velocity current, where woody structure is present in more than 20 inches of water. Float shallow diving minnow imitation lures, or use white and chartreuse twister-tails on 1/8 to 1/9 ounce jigs. Water conditions are slightly cloudy and low.
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SOUTHWEST OHIO
Caesar Creek Lake (Warren County) Muskie anglers continue to be successful. Anglers report catching 30 to 40-inch muskie with numerous follows. Try casting large bucktail spinners, jerk baits, or crankbaits around standing or fallen timber in coves or along main lake shorelines. If you catch a muskie, please report it to the Ohio Huskie Muskie Club using the envelopes located at the state park office, local bait shops, or contact the Wildlife District Five office. Anglers are beginning to catch crappie fishing minnows under a bobber and casting jigs. Remember, all crappie less than nine inches long must be immediately released back into the lake. Bluegills are being caught by anglers fishing wax worms and redworms around fallen or standing timber in two to five feet of water. Saugeye anglers are starting to catch a few fish from six to 15 feet of water, but most fish are small. Troll medium or deep diving crankbaits along submerged points or underwater humps in the North pool. Cast or drift with live night crawlers on a bottom bouncing harness rig, or use a lead-head jig tipped with a piece of worm. Fish in the early morning and early evening hours. Schools of shad working and jumping on the surface have given anglers opportunities to catch a few white bass. Cast jigs into the schools of shad. Due to the lack of rain, the lake is currently down about two feet.
Acton Lake (Preble County) A few saugeye are being caught by anglers. Troll medium or deep diving crankbaits, cast or drift with live night crawlers on a bottom bouncing harness rig or use jigs tipped with a piece of worm or a minnow. Fish in the early morning or early evening hours along the sandy bottom areas near the dam and cabins. Bluegills are being caught by anglers fishing along the boat docks and along the east shore between the lodge and the dam. Fish redworms or wax worms under a slip bobber between three to four feet deep. Due to the lack of rain, the lake is currently down about three feet. This week Hueston Woods State Park staff will be adding rock to extend the boat ramp for safe access for boaters.
East Fork Lake (Clermont County) Due to the lack of rain, the lake is currently down seven feet. Therefore, East Fork State Park has closed the North Shore Boat Ramp. The other four boat ramps remain open. Fishermen should use this opportunity to survey and note the location of exposed fish habitat to enhance future fishing opportunities when the water level is at normal pool.
Paint Creek (Highland County) Note that only the U.S. 50 boat ramp is in use since the lake is currently down over four feet. Crappies are being caught by anglers using minnows or jigs as bait. Fish the bait in two to six feet of water around any type of woody structure such as downed trees and overhanging brush and near the campgrounds. Bluegills are being caught by anglers using wax worms under a bobber as bait fished at two to four feet deep. Good fishing spots are back in the coves, near stumps, and around fallen timber.
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LAKE ERIE
**The yellow perch daily bag limit on Lake Erie has been reduced to 30 fish per day. The change in yellow perch bag limit occurred after the printing of fishing regulations brochure. The 2007-2008 fishing regulations brochure incorrectly lists the Lake Erie yellow perch bag limit as 40 fish per day, which has now been changed to 30.**
**The black bass (largemouth and smallmouth) daily bag limit is five fish with a 14-inch minimum size limit.**
**The walleye daily bag limit is six fish. The minimum size limit for walleye is 15 inches.**
**The steelhead trout daily bag limit is two from September 1 until May 15. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches.**
Western Basin
Walleye fishing has been good in the western basin recently. The best walleye fishing has been from North Bass Island and Niagara Reef to F can on the Canadian border and near Starve Island. Fish have been caught by casting worm harnesses or weight forward spinners, and trollers have had success with spoons on jet divers or dipsys.
The best yellow perch fishing has been around C can of the Camp Perry range, north of the Toledo water intake, near Northwest Reef, off Gull Island Shoal, off of Kelleys Island shoal and Kelleys Island airport reef in 40 to 50 feet of water. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish that have averaged around eight inches with several catches averaging in the nine to 10 inch range.
Central Basin
Walleye fishing has been spotty on the sandbar between Vermilion and Lorain, northwest and northeast of Ashtabula in 63 to 72 feet, and northwest and northeast of Fairport in 65 to 72 feet. Anglers are trolling dipsy divers with spoons, stick baits and worm harnesses ranging in copper, black/purple, tangerine, watermelon, wonder bread, antifreeze and gold/orange.
A few steelhead are being caught off Fairport and Ashtabula in 63 to 72 feet. Anglers are catching steelhead on red/white, black/purple, chartreuse, and silver/blue spoons while trolling for walleye.
Yellow perch fishing has been very good west of the Sandbar, off Lorain in 45 feet of water, north-northeast of Euclid in 55 to 62 feet, northwest and northeast of Chagrin River in 55 to 61 feet, northwest of Fairport Harbor in 47 to 57 feet, and north of Conneaut in 57 to 70 feet. Perch spreaders with shiners or crappie rigs fished near the bottom produce the most fish.
Smallmouth bass fishing has been good near Ruggles Reef in the Huron area, in harbor areas, and in 15 to 25 feet along the shoreline in Conneaut, Ashtabula, Geneva and Fairport Harbor. Fish were caught on goby-colored tube jigs, crankbaits, and jigs tipped with minnows, night crawlers, or leeches.
White bass are being caught by anglers trolling for walleye and inshore near the mouth of the Chagrin River and adjacent to the Eastlake Power Plant.
The Lake Erie surface temperature is 67 degrees off of Toledo and 69 degrees off of Cleveland.
To view the predicted weather forecast for Lake Erie visit: http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/fmtbltn.pl?file=forecasts/marine/great_lakes/le/lez160.txt
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OHIO RIVER
Lawrence, Monroe and Washington counties Catfish success is best through the night and in the early morning hours before daybreak. Bass fishing continues to be challenging, due to the large amounts of forage fish available. However, a few largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass are being caught. Stay along the shoreline, along old concrete lock walls, concrete blocked banks, and various pier structures. Top rated bass lures included plastic worms/tubes that are black, pumpkinseed, and watermelon colored, white and chartreuse spinner baits that are 1/8 to 1/4 ounce. Flathead and channel catfish have been reported at a good catch rate. Anglers are catching channel catfish on cut bait and night crawlers fished tight-line on the bottom. Flathead catfish are being caught on live shad, large suckers, and goldfish.