Knox Lake (Knox County) Largemouth bass are being caught at this 481-acre lake in Knox County. Target shoreline cover and the stump field in the east end of the lake using spinner baits, plastics, and crank baits. Largemouth bass must be 18 inches or longer to harvest. Channel catfish are biting on prepared baits and night crawlers and night is the best time to catch them. The crappie bite will increase as water temperatures decrease. Use minnows and jigs around woody cover.
Olentangy River (Delaware and Franklin counties) Smallmouth bass and rock bass are two fish species that provide action to the angler on this river that runs through Columbus. The best angling can be found from Highbanks Metropark to the Delaware Lake dam. Try spinners and crayfish-imitating crank baits around rocks and other cover in pools and runs. Other fish present include crappie, saugeye, carp and channel catfish.
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NORTHWEST OHIO
Findlay Reservoir 1 (Hancock County) Anglers are catching yellow perch on the bottom using spreaders tipped with minnows. Channel catfish are being caught at night using night crawlers, shrimp, and cut bait. Bluegills are being caught from shore using earth worms or wax worms fished near the bottom.
Pleasant Hill Reservoir (Richland County) Anglers are beginning to catch saugeye using jigs tipped with night crawlers. Fishing should get even better with the arrival of cooler temperatures.
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NORTHEAST OHIO
Leesville Reservoir (Carroll County) - The native muskellunge, also known as the muskie or the fish of a thousand casts, is very sought after for its huge size, unpredictable nature, and difficulty to catch. For anglers at Leesville Reservoir, muskie fishing can be very productive in this 1,045-acre lake located off of State Route 212. Anglers casting spinners and crank baits for bass have discovered that 18 to 30-inch muskies cant resist these lures. Anglers who do not plan on keeping muskellunge should wet their hands and gently release the fish immediately.
Lake Erie shoreline (Lake and Ashtabula counties) Lake Erie perch fishing is attracting anglers especially around the west side of Lake County, Fairport, and the Conneaut area of Ashtabula County. Near Wildwood (Lake/Cuyahoga county line), perch are biting in 42 to 48 feet of water while closer to Ashtabula, perch are in the 70-foot deep range. The sizes may be small, but the quantity is numerous! For more hot spots, request the free Lake Erie fishing guide by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE.
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SOUTHWEST OHIO
Buck Creek State Park (Clark County) - Channel catfish are being caught by anglers using chicken livers, cut bait, or earthworms as bait. Fish the bait slowly along the bottom and into deep pools. Fishing is good near the mouth of Buck Creek. Keep the bait greater than 10 feet deep. Good hook size choice is #2/0 bait holding hook.
Cowan Lake (Clinton County) Located nine miles southwest of Wilmington on SR 730. Access points from S.R. 350 are Beechwood Road or Yankee Road. Access points from S.R. 730 are Sprague Road and Osborn Road. Channel catfish are being caught by anglers using chicken livers, cut bait, shrimp or earthworms as bait. Cast from the pier area. Keep the bait off of the bottom and about three to six feet deep. Use a #5 baitholding hook.
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SOUTHEAST OHIO
Lake Vesuvius (Lawrence County Anglers have had some success fishing for largemouth bass in the early mornings and late evenings using buzzbaits, crankbaits and four to six-inch pearl or white worms.
Muskingum River (Muskingum County) Catfish have been reeled in at the Y-bridge, Riverside Park and Putnam Landing using gold fish, cut baits and chicken livers.
Dillon Lake (Muskingum County) Anglers have had success catching largemouth bass in the 14 to 16-inch range using crankbaits or jigs with black and yellow worms.
Hanging Rock (Lawrence County) Fish for largemouth bass in the early mornings or late evenings using four to six inch plastic worms or Rapalas. Fish for bluegill near cover or weedbeds. Bluegill up to eight inches have been caught on night crawlers or meal worms.
Monroe Lake (Monroe County) Fish for bluegill using wax worms suspended under a bobber at three to four feet. Average bluegill catch has been fair with many fish measuring six to eight inches. Largemouth bass have been hitting soft plastic baits and crankbaits. Largemouth in the 12 to 14 inch range were caught over the weekend.
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LAKE ERIE
**The daily bag limit for Lake Erie yellow perch dropped from 30 to 25 fish per angler effective July 1, 2008 in waters west of the Huron pier. The daily bag limit will remain at 30 fish per angler in Ohio waters from Huron eastward. Any boats landing west of Huron, Ohio will be subject to the 25 fish daily bag limit, while boats landing at Huron or points east will be subject to a 30 fish daily bag limit. Shore-based anglers west of the Huron pier will be subject to a 25 fish daily bag limit, while those on the pier and eastward will remain at 30 fish daily.**
**From September 1 through May 15 the steelhead trout daily bag limit is 2 fish. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches.**
**The walleye bag limit is 6 fish per day. The minimum size limit for walleye is 15.**
**The black bass (largemouth and smallmouth) daily bag limit is 5 fish with a 14 minimum size limit.**
Western Basin
Walleye fishing has remained slow over the past week. The best fishing was north and northeast of Kelleys Island, and also around Northwest Reef (northwest of West Reef). Most fish have been caught by trolling. Trollers have been catching fish on spoons with divers, or worm harnesses fished with inline weights, snap weights, bottom bouncers, or divers.
Yellow Perch fishing has been good in the western basin. The best spots have been the turnaround buoy of the Toledo shipping channel, between Green and Rattlesnake Islands, around C can of the Camp Perry firing range, north of North Bass, northeast of Kelleys Island, and Gull Island shoal. Perch spreaders or crappie rigs with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.
Smallmouth Bass have been caught around Middle Bass Island and South Bass Island, and also along the east side of Mouse Island. Some of the fish have been up to 19 inches long.
Central Basin
Walleye fishing remained slow west of Cleveland with the best area being the sandbar between Vermilion and Lorain. Fishing continues to be slow in the Cleveland area this past week so there are no locations to report. Fishing continues to be good 12 to 17 miles north of Geneva in 70 to 72 feet of water, and six to 10 miles northeast-northwest of Ashtabula in 69 to 72 feet of water. Trollers are using worm harnesses, spoons or stickbaits off jet divers, dipsy divers, planer boards and downriggers. Worm harnesses and spoons continue to be the top baits. The best action has been about 25 to 50 feet down, and the best colors have been watermelon, purple, orange, green, and gold/black or red/silver.
Yellow perch fishing has remained slow from Huron to Avon. The most consistent action has been on the south end of the sandbar. Fishing has been very good offshore in the Cleveland area and also east to Conneaut. The best spots to fish are northwest of Edgewater Park in 45 to 47 feet of water, northwest of Wildwood State Park in 41 to 46 feet of water, northwest of Fairport in 40 to 50 feet of water (the hump), north of Geneva in 40 to 50 feet of water, and north-northeast of Conneaut in 60 to 65 feet of water. Perch spreaders or crappie rigs with shiners fished near the bottom usually produces the most fish, however. Fish have ranged from seven to 12 inches.
White bass fishing has been spotty off Eastlake CEI power plant in 15 to 30 feet of water. Anglers are using agitators with blue/silver spoons and jigs tipped with twister tails.
Smallmouth bass fishing has been very good in 16 to 26 feet of water around Cleveland, Fairport Harbor, Ashtabula and Conneaut harbors. Fish are being caught on watermelon, pumpkinseed and green tube jigs and drop-shot goby imitations.
Steelhead are being caught off Geneva and Ashtabula while fishing for walleye. Anglers are catching steelhead on blue or green with silver spoons while trolling using downriggers, dipsy divers, or jet divers off planer boards.
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OHIO RIVER
River Bend (Hamilton County) - Catfish and hybrid striped bass are being taken on cut shad. Most success has been from dusk to midnight. Anglers are reporting cats around 12 pounds and hybrid striped bass from five to seven pounds.
Monroe County - Flathead catfish have been hitting cut baits, chicken liver, and night crawlers fished on the bottom. For smallmouth bass try tube baits or crankbaits. Hybrid striped bass have been caught using a jig and twister tipped with a minnow.
Report By: ODNR