Photo by Ron Sinfelt

By Greg Keefer

Lake Erie is arguably the best all-around fishery in the Midwest. Thousands of smallmouth bass, walleyes, yellow perch and steelhead are taken every year from waters that are easily accessible to Buckeye State anglers. And the fisheries biologists of the Ohio Division of Wildlife work hard to provide those excellent angling opportunities.

"Every year we collect data on the lake through creel surveys, the commercial fishery, trawling and gill netting," said Travis Hartman, a biologist with the Sandusky Fish Research Unit. "All of our data is used to document the trends of the fishery over time and is also used to determine recreational and commercial fishing regulations."

Long-term predictions are hard to make, says Hartman, but the prospects for 2004 are excellent. Here's a look at what's in store for Ohio's Lake Erie anglers this season.

The most productive areas for spring bass are around the Bass islands and Kelleys Island, near shore areas around Marblehead and Catawba, and in harbors from Vermillion to Conneaut.

Kelleys Island is the long-recognized hotspot for bass. More spawning activity occurs around Kelleys than anywhere else in the lake. The Kelleys Island shoal is known for its trophy-class bass, while the areas east of Kelleys Island are loaded with bass on the submerged humps and dropoffs in front of the docks on the south shore and in front of the ferry dock off Carpenter Point. Also, Catawba Island offers more prime smallmouth fishing in spring.

Anglers should target the offshore humps and isolated rockpiles on Catawba's west side as well as the marinas along the south shore near the Portage River. Shorebound anglers do well along the riprap breakwalls. The island's northwest corner and west side hold spring bass in the rocks near the dropoffs. Harbor entrances are worth trying as well.

The aptly-named South Bass, North Bass and Middle Bass islands always produce fish. Spawning smallmouths migrate up onto the reefs and rocks in early spring and provide fast action for anglers.

Drift or troll through the scattered weeds southwest of South Bass Island between the Buckeye Reef and Ballast Island, and along the dropoffs to the west. Shoreline access will be found at the Put-In-Bay docks and on the southwest corner of the island.

North Bass Island's spawning areas are off the north and east sides. The submerged reefs west of the island are excellent for post-spawn smallmouths in late May.

Excellent spring bass fishing areas surround Middle Bass Island. Concentrate on the nearshore dropoffs, reefs and rocks.

According to veteran tournament angler Rory Franks, smallmouths aren't limited to these areas. "I spend most of my time in the central and eastern basins," he said. "Last spring there was a 9-pounder taken in the Ashtabula and Geneva area. We had numerous days with over 100 fish, and several specimens in the 5- to 6-pound range." Expect most fish to be between 15 and 20 inches.

Beginning this year, a no-possession restriction is in effect between May 1 and the third Saturday in June. During the rest of the year, anglers may possess five fish with a minimum-size limit of 14 inches daily.

The 2003 year-class has the potential of being one of the best in recent years. The 1999 year-class is carrying the harvest at present, and filling livewells with 18-inch fish.

Spring anglers will find roughly 80 percent of the walleyes in one of three places: the Maumee River, the Sandusky River or the reef complex north of Camp Perry. The remaining fish head towards the Detroit River.

"Spring offers an unmatched opportunity to catch trophy walleyes from shore in the rivers and in the near shore areas from a boat," said biologist Hartman. "Walleyes over 30 inches are caught every spring from March through May." Anglers can expect to tangle with some 18- to 25-inch fish this season.

Lake Erie's keeper perch typically range from 8 to 12 inches, with 14-inch fish possible. There is a 30-fish daily creel limit with no minimum size.

The Marblehead and Kelleys Island areas are usually the most productive in the western basin. The water off the Marblehead Lighthouse is often a hotspot. Other good western basin locations are the Clint and Niagara reefs, the water west of Green and Rattlesnake islands, Ballast Island northeast of South Bass Island, the area west of Sister Island, the Toledo water intake and near the turnaround buoy of the Toledo shipping canal.

In the central basin, fishing can be good within two miles of nearly every port, typically in 30 to 40 feet of water. Some of the best spots for early spring perch are near Huron, Vermillion, Lorain, Cleveland, Fairport Harbor and Conneaut.

"Perch tend to be in shallow water in the spring because they are spawning," said Matt Wolfe, a fisheries biologist with the ODOW's District Three office. "In both the central and western basin, fish will likely be in 10 to 40 feet of water. It's hard to say exactly where they'll go to spawn, because they can spawn on anything from gravel bars to mud bottoms. Wherever they are they will be near the lake bottom."

Live shiners, minnows and night crawlers on perch harnesses and spreaders trolled or drift-fished are big producers.

"Most of the fish this year are running 8 to 10 inches," said Wolfe. "If you're lucky, you'll run into a school of jumbos that average from 11 to 12 inches."

A good hatch in 2001 and 2003 will keep this fishery booming for years to come, he added.

The fishing can be tough in early spring as the steelhead migrate from the tributaries to the lake's central basin. The ODOW annually releases 200,000 6- to 9-inch trout into several Ohio streams that empty into Lake Erie. By late spring these fish have reached Lake Erie and begin their life cycle of annual migrations back into the streams to spawn.

A fast-growing steelhead that's spent just one summer in Lake Erie feasting on shad, shiners and smelts can be 18 inches long and weigh up to 3 pounds. Trout can live up to seven years, and may measure 30 to 37 inches and weigh between 15 and 21 pounds.

According to biologist Hartman, anglers are finding the Conneaut, Grand, Chagrin, Rocky and Vermillion rivers to be the most productive.

Use spinning rods from 7 to 9 feet long and reels spooled with 6- to 10-pound-test line with a fluorocarbon leader, baited with spawn bags, jigheads tipped with maggots or minnows, or blue-chrome, brown or rainbow trout-colored spinners.

From Sept. 1 through May 15 the daily limit on trout in selected Lake Erie tributaries is two fish, with a minimum-size limit of 12 inches. From May 16 to Aug. 31 the daily limit is five fish.

For more information and a free copy of the Lake Erie Fishing Guide, contact the ODOW's District Three office at (330) 644-2293.

The Ohio Division of Tourism can provide information on lodging, restaurants and other amenities by calling 1-800-282-5393.