Email: "The Fish Ohio Report, June 23, 2010"
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Provided by ODNR

CENTRAL OHIO

Big Darby Creek (Franklin and Madison counties) - A float trip on or wading a creek on summer days is a great time to stream fish in central Ohio. Smallmouth bass can be caught in stream pools using crankbaits that simulate crawfish or on plastic tubes and creature baits. Target any cover you see. Rock bass are fun to catch and plentiful in Ohio streams. This aggressive fish is often caught while fishing for smallmouth bass. Others species to catch include crappie, carp, saugeye and catfish.

Indian Lake (Logan County) – This 5,040-acre lake located one hour northwest of Columbus is one of the best saugeye lakes in central Ohio. Saugeyes are being taken by trolling crankbaits and worm harnesses close to Moundwood, Dream Bridge and the South Bank areas. Largemouth bass are being caught using spinner baits, tubes and crankbaits around shoreline cover and in the channels. Bluegills can still be found in shallow water using wax worms under a bobber.

NORTHWEST OHIO

Muddy Creek (Sandusky County) – Catfish are being taken in the creek during the evening and night time hours. Still fishing worms or shrimp on the bottom is working great. The whole creek has been good but the State Route 53 Bridge has been particularly good.

Maumee River (Henry County) – Channel catfish have been taken on the bottom by still fishing worms. They are being caught during the daylight hours as well as after dark. The best results have been had by fishing in holes.

Ferguson Reservoir (Allen County) – Crappie fishing has picked up here in the past week. Perch are being taken as well as bass and catfish. The bluegill fishing has slowed up this past week.

Clear Fork Reservoir (Richland County) – Musky fishing has been good. Trolling is working good as well as using large spinner baits and spoons. The best spot seems to be in the middle of the reservoir at the end closest to the dam.

Portage River (Sandusky County) – Catching catfish and white bass on night crawlers fished on the bottom. Evening is best.

NORTHEAST OHIO

Leesville Lake (Carroll County) – While the crappie bite has tailed off somewhat, anglers are still doing well for muskie and bass. White bass can hardly resist striking small, white or silvery jigs cast close to areas where bass are schooling and causing a disturbance among surfacing baitfish. Cut baits will attract bass too though. Muskie are being caught by anglers trolling open water. This 1,529-acre lake has a 25 horsepower limit.

Highlandtown Lake (Columbiana County) – This 182-acre, electric motor-only lake offers excellent channel catfishing, especially when other species of fish are not biting. Typical baits such as chicken livers, dough balls, night crawlers, cut bait, or corn work well when fished on the bottom. Anglers commonly reel in catfish measuring 18-inches or more thanks to Division of Wildlife stocking efforts which began at this lake in 1994.

SOUTHEAST OHIO

AEP Recreation Land (Morgan Co.) – Good numbers of large bluegill are being caught in the more remote strip ponds and lakes in this area. Good catches of largemouth bass in the 12 to 15 inch range are also being caught in these lakes.

Dillon Reservoir (Muskingum Co.) –The reservoir is slightly high and cloudy. Good catches of largemouth bass are being reported by anglers using pearl colored crank baits or plastic worms. Productive areas for largemouth include the bay by the marina and points south of the State Route 146 ramp to the East bay by the dam, and the second bay on the West shoreline from the dam. Channel catfish are being caught off the marina wall using night crawlers, bluegill, or minnows fished on the bottom.

Piedmont Lake (Belmont Co.) – Black crappie are being caught on submerged woody debris along steep drop-offs in six to eight feet of water. Most fish are being caught on minnows fished below a slip bobber. Nice catches of bluegill in the seven to nine inch range are also being caught by anglers fishing along the shore in four to five feet of water. Larval baits, such as wax worms and meals worms, and worms are the preferred baits.

SOUTHWEST OHIO

Acton Lake (Preble County) – Good numbers of channel catfish are being caught by anglers using shrimp, cutbait, and chicken livers fished on the bottom under a bobber or by tight lining baits on the bottom. Successful catfish areas include the more shallow waters near the boat ramp or along the dam. Night fishing produces the best results. Bluegill, 6 to 8 inches in length, are being taken on redworms or waxworms fished around woody cover found in 6 to 15 foot depths.

Cowan Lake (Clinton County) – Saugeye action is heating up, with anglers taking better numbers of 13-20 inch fish. Try casting a 1/8 or ¼ ounce jig tipped with a piece of night crawler, and hop it along the bottom in 5-12 feet of water near the beach. If you prefer trolling, saugeyes can be taken on shad pattern medium or deep diving crank baits. Lots of 7-8 inch crappies are being caught on small tube jigs or minnows fishing near submerged trees 6-15 feet deep. Bluegills can be caught on red worms or wax worms near boat docks or the edges of lily pads.

Lake Loramie (Shelby County) – Channel catfish are biting on chicken liver, shrimp, and stink baits fished on the bottom. Lots of 6-7 inch bluegills have been caught recently around boat docks, rip rap shorelines, and along the edges of lily pads. Try using small jigs tipped with wax worms fished just 1-2 feet under a small bobber.

LAKE ERIE

** The daily bag limit for Lake Erie walleye is 6 fish per angler. The minimum size limit for walleye is 15”. **

** The daily bag limit for yellow perch is 30 fish per angler on all Ohio waters of Lake Erie.**

** The steelhead daily bag limit is 5 fish per angler through August 31. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches.

** The Lake Erie black bass (largemouth and smallmouth) season is closed to possession (catch-and-release only) from May 1 through June 25. On June 26 the daily bag limit will return to 5 fish per angler with a minimum size limit of 14”.**

Western Basin

Walleye: The best fishing in the western basin has been NW of West Sister Island, east of Middle Sister along the Canadian border, and 3-5 miles east-northeast of Kelleys. Casters are using mayfly rigs or drifting bottom bouncers with worm harnesses. Trollers are catching fish on spoons and dipsys or jet divers, worm harnesses with inline weights, or with crankbaits.

Yellow perch: The best perch reports have come from Marblehead, Kelleys Island, and Green Island. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Central Basin

Walleye fishing has been good offshore between Vermilion and Avon, 50 to 60’ NW off Edgewater Park, 60’ NE off Gordon Park, 51 to 52’ NE off Fairport and 60 to 65’ NE off Ashtabula. Trollers are using pink, yellow, black, purple, orange and green spoons and worm harnesses off planer boards and jet divers.

Yellow perch fishing has been excellent in 42’ NW off Edgewater Park, 42’ NW off Wildwood Park, 50 to 55’ NW off Fairport, 47 to 58’ N off Ashtabula and 50 to 70’ NE off Conneaut. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Smallmouth bass fishing has been very good in 10 to 20’ around harbor areas in Fairport Harbor, Geneva, Ashtabula and Conneaut. Fish are being caught on jigs tipped with minnows, leeches, green, smoke and brown tube jigs, and by trolling crankbaits.

Based on the nearshore forecast the water temperature is 74 degrees off of Toledo and 65 degrees off of Cleveland..

Anglers are encouraged to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device while boating.

To view the predicted weather forecast for Lake Erie visit: http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/fmtbltn.pl?file=/raw/fz/fzus61.kcle.glf.le.txt

To view Lake Erie boating information, safety tips, and launch ramps visit: www.dnr.state.oh.us/default/tabid/2062/Default.aspx

OHIO RIVER

Serpentine Wall (Hamilton County) - Anglers are having success on catfish using cut bait dropped along the wall at about 2-3ft. down. Water levels are slightly elevated but should start to drop during the week. Lower steps may have water on or up to them.

Pike Island Lock and Dam – While river fishing is slow overall, most fish are being caught in the early morning. Sauger are biting on 1/8 to 3/8 ounce jigs and minnows fished plain or jigs and twister tails with white, chartreuse, and pearl serving as go-to colors. The white bass are spotty and most are in the 10 to 14-inch size range. Hybrid stripers are scarce. A few are being caught by the long casters out in the first gate about 70 yards out from the pier. Catfishing has slowed with mostly two to six pound channel cats and a few smaller flatheads. Cut skip jacks and moon eyes are the preferred baits. Live bait fisherman are wading and picking up smallmouth bass, white bass, and sauger off the gravel bar below the fishing pier.

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