CENTRAL OHIO
Alum Creek Lake (Delaware County) - Saugeye is an early favorite. Fish minnow-imitating crank baits along the dam and causeways at dawn and dusk. After a water release, fish the spillway with jigs for saugeye. For crappie, try jigging off deep points that have old stumps and in the northern basin of the lake around fallen trees in the creek channel. Crappies are staging in deep water close to spawning sites. Crappie must be nine inches or longer to harvest.
Delaware Lake (Delaware County) – This 1,017 acre lake north of Columbus in known for large crappie. Fish the old river channel and deep water with woody cover using a jig tipped with a minnow. As water warms this spring, crappie will move to shallower water to spawn. Channel catfish can be caught using cut bait; target the north end of the lake. Fish the spillway using jigs after a water release to catch saugeye and crappie. Nine inch minimum length limit on crappie.
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NORTHWEST OHIO
Maumee River (Henry County) – Fishing at Mary Jane Thurston State Park for crappie has been good. Still fish a minnow in three to five feet of water. The docks are where they are being caught in good numbers.
Charles Mill (Richland County) – Very good catches of crappie being taken at Charles Mill. The average size has been in the seven to nine-inch range with an occasional 10 to11-inch fish being caught. Minnows fished under a bobber are working well as is fishing with jigs with white/pink or white/lime green tails. The Crider Road area has been a hot spot.
Pleasant Hill (Richland County) – Nice crappies are being caught here as well. Fishing from boats near fallen trees has been working the best.
Sandusky River (Sandusky County) – Some limits of walleye was reported over the weekend. The Miles Newton Bridge area as well as the walkway on the east side of the river has been the best spots.
Maumee River (Lucas and Wood Counties) – The water temperature is 48 degrees and the river level is normal. This can change depending on the amount of rain that is received at the beginning of the week. A few catches of 18 to 22-inch walleye have been reported. Floating jigs with a bright twister tail has been working the best. The best spots are Bluegrass Island, Buttonwood Park, Fort Meigs and the Flats area between I-475 and Jerome Road on the Lucas County side.
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NORTHEAST OHIO
Tappan Lake (Harrison County) – Anglers have been known to catch large numbers of smaller white bass and crappies from shore at Willis Bay. Surveys conducted in 2008 show that the average white bass caught by anglers measured almost 12-inches. Anglers should note that there is a nine inch minimum length limit on crappies in this lake to improve the lengths of the population. The Bay is located on Willis Run Road, off State Route 250 near the Tappan Dam. Jigs with minnows or small tube jigs typically work well for both species. Wheelchair accessible shoreline fishing facilities are available at this 2,131-acre lake. Horsepower limit is 299.
Turkeyfoot Lake (Summit County) – According to night-time electrofishing survey results, nearly 30% of largemouth bass sampled in this lake measured 15-inches or more. Large numbers of 2008 Fish Ohio! awards for bass caught in this lake were submitted to Division of Wildlife, proving plenty of 21-inch-plus fish are produced in this body of water. Bass are biting on soft plastics and jerk baits. A very recently updated map of Portage Lakes is available at www.wildohio.com or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE. Access this 483-acre lake from State Route 93 in Akron, via the State Park entrance. Boat access and shoreline fishing are both available.
Jefferson Lake (Jefferson County) – This small, 10-acre lake was stocked with about 2,500 rainbow trout on April 9th; Take SR 43 north through Richmond. Go about one mile and turn right on CR 54. Continue for about two miles on CR 54 to the entrance of the park. Restrictions: None. Jefferson Lake is open 24 hours per day to anglers of all ages.
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SOUTHWEST OHIO
East Fork Lake (Clermont County) - Crappies are being caught using live minnows, Rosie Red minnows, or jigs with plastic bodies. Anglers are catching crappies in the shallow areas near stickups and brush piles. Anglers are also following the wood lines back into the tributary creeks such as Poplar, Clover, Flat, and Barns creeks. Spotted and largemouth bass are being caught by using spinner baits and plastic jigs colored black and blue. Hybrid striped bass are being caught by fishing chicken liver or night crawlers off of the bottom. All fish are being caught in shallow water one to three feet deep. Channel catfish are being caught by anglers using night crawlers as bait.
Rocky Fork Lake (Highland County) - Channel catfish are being caught in shallow water by using night crawlers or shad as bait. Fish the bait along the bottom. Crappies are being taken by anglers using waxworms, salt and pepper colored curly tails, or crappie minnows as bait. Fish the bait under a bobber and between four to 10 feet deep. Successful anglers are fishing near the boat docks, sailboats, and along the edges of docks walls.
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SOUTHEAST OHIO
Dow Lake (Athens County) – Trout will be stocked into this 153-acre lake this weekend. Fishing for channel catfish, especially during high water inflow periods can be very productive. Try a variety of baits including chicken livers, night crawlers, crayfish, or cut bait.
Rose Lake (Hocking County) – Trout will be stocked into this Hocking Hills State Park lake this weekend. Park naturalists have coordinated a fly-tying demonstration and workshop celebrating the trout release. Workshop will be held at 2pm at the state park amphitheater on Friday, April 10.
Monroe Lake (Monroe County) – Rainbow trout anglers are still having some success from the recent trout stocking using Rooster Tail spinners and Berkeley PowerBait. Anglers are targeting the three to six foot depth range either by fishing on the bottom with a light sinker or suspending their bait under a small bobber. Chartreuse or orange PowerBait seems to generate most strikes. Bluegill and crappie are also starting to hit. Wax worms fished below a bobber or small jigs tipped with wax worms are working well.
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LAKE ERIE
**From March 1 through April 30 the walleye bag limit reduces to four fish per day, returning to six fish per day on May 1. The minimum size limit for walleye is 15 inches.**
**The daily bag limit for Lake Erie yellow perch is 25 fish per angler in waters west of the Huron pier. The 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, 2008 through May 15, 2009 the steelhead trout daily bag limit is two fish. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches.**
**The black bass (largemouth and smallmouth) daily bag limit is five fish through April 30, 2009 with a 14 inch minimum size limit. May 1 through June 26 is closed to possession (catch and release only) with the limit returning to five fish on June 27, 2009.**
Western Basin
As of April 7, recent wind and cold weather have slowed the early spring walleye fishing in the western basin. Prior to the poor weather jig anglers were catching fish on many of the Camp Perry reefs and trollers were having success around the eastern cans of the Camp Perry range. Jig anglers are still having some limited success on the reefs in the stained water, but trolling has slowed with very poor water clarity in most open water areas. When conditions stabilize fishing should improve. During the month of April jig anglers typically have success in spawning and staging areas such as the Camp Perry reefs, Maumee Bay, the Bass Islands, and various nearshore areas from Toledo to Cedar Point. Early trollers will have success fishing the open water around the Camp Perry reef complex and the Bass Islands.
Based on the nearshore marine forecast the water temperature is 44 off of Toledo and 40 off of Cleveland.
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OHIO RIVER
Greenup Dam (Scioto County) – River levels and flow are high and fast. Anglers are still having some luck fishing for sauger/saugeye/walleye using three-inch flathead jigs, usually chartreuse in color. A hotspot continues to be the point from the Ohio shore. Anglers also report nice catches of hybrid striped bass in the 20 to 24 inch range. Try fishing from the platform using cut shad fished off the bottom. Fishing shad off the bottom has also produced catfish in the 16 to 25 inch range.
Report by ODNR.