Ohio Fishing Report

[FishingLTJ]

Here is the weekly ohio fishing report from odnr! Enjoy!

Heading into the late fall season the Bass Islands, Kelleys Island and nearshore from Port Clinton to Marblehead will all produce walleye. Stable conditions and clear water produce the best results. The best technique to catch fall trophies is trolling crank baits around open water baitfish during the day or along rocky shorelines at night. Shore anglers can also catch walleye from western basin piers after dark as walleye move inshore to feed on shiners and gizzard shad.

Muddy water resulting from the strong winds has slowed perch fishing in the western basin. The best yellow perch fishing had been around the northern cans (A, B, and C) of the Camp Perry range, north of the Toledo water intake, at the Toledo Harbor Light, north of West Sister Island, off of Kelleys Island shoal, and north of the Marblehead lighthouse. 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 — When conditions have allowed the best walleye fishing has been from Cedar Point to Vermilion. The best technique to catch fall trophies is trolling crank baits around open water baitfish during the day or along rocky shorelines at night. Shore anglers can also catch walleye from piers after dark as walleye move inshore to feed on shiners and gizzard shad.

Steelhead fishing has been very good. They are being caught off the Fairport, Ashtabula and Conneaut break walls in 10 to 25 feet and in the Ashtabula and Grand Rivers, and the mouth of Conneaut Creek. Anglers are catching steelhead trolling green/white, red/white, black/purple, chartreuse, and silver/blue spoons. Steelhead fishing has also been very good at the mouths of the rivers and major streams. Water levels remain low in the main channels on the rivers and streams. Anglers are catching fish at the Lorain Ore dock, East 72nd St. Pier in Cleveland, Euclid Creek (Wildwood State Park), Chagrin River, Grand River, Arcola Creek, Geneva State Park, Conneaut Creek and along the Conneaut west break wall. Shore anglers are using small spinners and spoons, and jigs and maggots rigged with a split shot under a light bobber.

Yellow perch fishing has been very good off of the Vermilion break wall in 35 to 38 feet of water, off of the Lorain lighthouse, northwest of Gordon State Park (Cleveland) in 42 feet, north of Edgewater State Park (Cleveland) in 40 feet, north-northwest of Fairport Harbor in 45 to 60 feet, and north of Conneaut in 35 to 40 feet. Perch spreaders with shiners or crappie rigs fished near the bottom produce the most fish. Shore fishermen are catching yellow perch at the Lorain ore dock pier using perch spreaders with shiners or crappie rigs.

Smallmouth bass fishing has been good 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, crank baits, and jigs tipped with minnows or night crawlers.

The Lake Erie surface temperature is 53 degrees off of Toledo and 59 degrees off of Cleveland.

NORTHWEST OHIO

Paulding Reservoir (Paulding County) — The water is clear and is 63 degrees. Saugeye are being caught in the early mornings. Minnows under a slip bobber is working great as is jigs with twister tails. The waved washed shoreline is the best place to fish.

Auglaize River (Paulding County) — The water is a bit cloudy and the water temperature is 63 degrees. Crappie are being taken in good numbers in the mornings and evenings. Minnows fished below a bobber is working great as is small jigs tipped with small minnows. Find areas in the main river with brush piles.

Flat Rock Creek (Paulding County) — The water is cloudy and the water temperature is 63 degrees. Crappie are being taken in the mornings and evenings. Minnows fished beneath a bobber is the way to go. The Flat Rock Creek Access Area and near the Paulding Reservoir are the hot spots.

Sandusky River (Seneca County) — Smallmouth bass and rock bass are being caught in the river. Casting spinner baits is the best method.

NORTHEAST OHIO

Deer Creek Reservoir (Stark County) — There is another very well known Deer Creek Reservoir located in Fayette and Pickaway counties, but this 314-acre lake is located in northeast Stark County. While it is typically an excellent largemouth bass fishery, fishing has been a little slow lately. Largemouth bass prefer areas with weeds, trees, or other submerged objects and this is the first step for locating fish. Be patient though since the hawgs are biting here and there. Spinner baits are popular for shoreline anglers but run shallow as there are plenty of weeds. The lake has not been drawn down, so the launching from the primitive ramp should not be an issue for boat anglers. Wheelchair accessible shoreline fishing facilities are available. Access the lake from state Route 183 at Limaville and northwest of state Route 225.

Oberlin Upground Reservoir (Lorain County) — Bluegill and perch can be caught on very small jigs (1/32 to 1/64 ounce) tipped with maggots at this 56-acre reservoir located southeast of Oberlin. Largemouth bass can also be caught on spinner baits or plastic worms. Boats are not permitted. Access this lake one mile east of US 20 on Parsons Road.

CENTRAL OHIO

Buckeye Lake (Fairfield, Licking, and Perry counties) — As water temperatures start to cool, hybrid striped bass will again feed more actively. Try chicken livers fished on the bottom or troll spinners along the north shore from Sellers point to the north boat ramp at state Route 79. Channel catfish are being taken right now using cut bait on the bottom. Crappie from 10 to 13 inches are active; use minnows and jigs around points especially in the east half of the lake.

O’Shaughnessy Reservoir (Delaware County) — This 912-acre reservoir north of Columbus is a good place to catch largemouth bass and channel catfish. For largemouth bass, try tubes and creature baits around shoreline cover targeting drop-offs and points. Channel catfish can be caught on cut baits, night crawlers, and shrimp fished on the bottom. Crappie are also being caught around woody cover using minnows and jigs.

SOUTHWEST OHIO

The last location in southwest Ohio will be stocked with 10 to 13-inch rainbow trout. Trout fishing provides an exciting fishing experience to anglers. Anglers 16 and over must possess an Ohio fishing license. A statewide bag limit of five trout per person per day applies.

October 31: Sycamore State Park pond (Montgomery County) — Sycamore State Park is located northwest of Dayton.

Paint Creek (Highland County) Crappie are being caught by anglers using minnows or jigs as bait. Fish the bait in three to 12 feet of water. Fish the bait around any type of woody structure such as downed trees and overhanging brush and around the campgrounds. A few saugeye are being caught by casting jigs or trolling small crank baits between the beach and the island and along the hazard area. Bluegill are being caught by anglers using wax worms under a bobber as bait. Fish the bait two to four feet deep. Good fishing spots are back in the coves, near stumps, and around fallen timber.

Caesar Creek Lake (Warren County) — Muskie anglers continue to be successful in the late mornings. Anglers report catching 30 to 40 inch muskie with numerous follows. Try casting large bucktail spinners, jerk baits, or crank baits 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 catching crappie in 12 to 20 feet of water using minnows under a bobber and casting jigs. Remember, all crappie less than nine inches long must be immediately released back into the lake. Bluegill are being caught by anglers fishing wax worms and red worms 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 crank baits 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. 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.

SOUTHEAST OHIO

Oak Hill Reservoir (Jackson County) — Boat anglers report success fishing for largemouth bass any time of day on the shelf (west side of the lake) using Texas-rigged lures, white spinner baits, and four to six inch floating and suspended Rapalas. For bluegill fishing, use wax worms and night crawlers under a bobber for reeling in fish up to eight inches. Catfish in the 10 to 13-inch range have been caught on night crawlers and cut baits fished on the bottom. Water temperatures have been dropping and fishing pressure in this 42-acre lake has been light.

Vesuvius Lake (Lawrence County) — Boat anglers have had success fishing for largemouth bass by using plugs in the area where the creek feeds into the mouth of the lake above the dam. Average catch sizes have been in the 12 to 14 inch range.

OHIO RIVER

Greenup Dam (Scioto County) — Hybrid striped bass are starting to hit on pencil poppers fished anywhere near the shore fishing access at the dam.

Belmont and Monroe counties — River conditions are clear and low. Walleye and saugeye fishing has picked up along the river, particularly when they begin feeding - about an hour before sunset and then throughout the night. Check out the pier at the Pike Island Dam (Belmont County), where anglers have had excellent success vertical jigging with twister tails or jig heads tipped with a minnow. Good catches of smallmouth bass and smaller white bass have been reported in the Pike Island area as well. Try casting out with crank baits resembling minnows or shad. For hybrid striped bass and channel catfish stay in any of the tail waters. Hybrid striped bass have been caught on big creek chubs or any deep-diving bait that resemble minnows. Channel cats are being caught on cut bait, live shad, chicken livers and worms throughout the river.