# whats up with the eyes?



## JC heir (Dec 6, 2013)

Im reading reports from Pa waters all the way into middle Ohio that all seem the same...... lots of marks, lots of whites, not lots of eyes. Im pretty new at this walleye migration game. wondering if this is typical for this time of year or am I misreading the fish reports? What to look for next?


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## eyedreamn (Jun 12, 2011)

Late august into early September brings a transition period. Not sure if it's the end of summer blows or the shorter days. The walleyes make a transition from there off shore haunts.
Fish really start to pile up closer to shore before they make the western hike. I'm sure some just head straight west. 
I do know conny will be awsome real soon. Lots of pa/ny fish will be taking a pit stop there. Don't worry baggers gonna get them all before we get a chance.


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## Skinny1 (Aug 2, 2013)

I fished Conny Labor day, 8 miles out in 69 - 73 FOW. Tons of marks but only pulled bass all day. Manages 2 eye's in 9 hours. Guys on the radio in a little closer sounded like they were do a somewhat better.


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## Treeman (Nov 23, 2010)

Not everyone blabs the mouths... Like me...lol
Especially if they're on a hot bite. Plenty of walleyes being caught Lane. These guys on OGF have taught me that probably the most valuable thing to have in your tackle box is a cell phone with a good network.


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## walleye wacker724 (Jul 17, 2012)

We been pulling 30 fish limits every weekend just got to find the active ones


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## CarpetBagger (Sep 21, 2009)

Generally September fish get real hungry.....there's generally 2 weeks where you catch em headed back west with the feed bag on...it's generally the biggest coolers of the year for summer fish...those cooler nights turn that lake into a vacuum and just pulls air from the south and those south winds move that cooler offshore water closer to shore... 

then the following weeks the fishing slows air temps drop dramatically a big blow or leftovers from a hurricane hit and the fish simply disappear...

They generally are found just a touch north of the perch numbers..only issue this year is right now is the perch are in 40-47ft so this is a bit different from years past...

Time will tell...still fish to pick at for a few weeks as long as the weather stays somewhat intact...


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## JC heir (Dec 6, 2013)

I will be keepin after them.......just a bit disgusted that my screen shows wall to wall fish and The eye production is down. On the bright side, I think maybe I am starting to discern walleye arches from the horde of whites.


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## JC heir (Dec 6, 2013)

Treeman said:


> Not everyone blabs the mouths... Like me...lol
> Especially if they're on a hot bite. Plenty of walleyes being caught Lane. These guys on OGF have taught me that probably the most valuable thing to have in your tackle box is a cell phone with a good network.


Treeman, Im with ya. some of the guys here have cut the learning curve a ton......trouble with me is,Ive been trying to do everything , every where, and had a ball doin it. day fishin, night fishin. Have launched out of Catawba, Geneva, conny, walnut, Presque isle, and North East this year. I haven't stayed in 1 place long enough to get a good network of guys LOL


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## Skinny1 (Aug 2, 2013)

JC heir said:


> Catawba, Geneva, conny, walnut, Presque isle, and North East this year. I haven't stayed in 1 place long enough to get a good network of guys LOL


 JC you might be on to something. I've fished Port Clinton, Geneva, Conneaut, and Walnut this year and did the best at my home marina "Walnut". But I love getting out and seeing other places too.


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## sylvan 17 (May 22, 2010)

walleye wacker724 said:


> We been pulling 30 fish limits every weekend just got to find the active ones


You nailed it! I started like JC on Friday,tons of marks. I sorted white bass and sheephead all morning and had five eyes at noon. I pulled lines and went looking for big arches with no junk and when we found them it was game on.









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## CarpetBagger (Sep 21, 2009)

Walnut isn't a marina...Its a puddle...



Skinny1 said:


> JC you might be on to something. I've fished Port Clinton, Geneva, Conneaut, and Walnut this year and did the best at my home marina "Walnut". But I love getting out and seeing other places too.


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## sylvan 17 (May 22, 2010)

CarpetBagger said:


> Walnut isn't a marina...Its a puddle...


I thought walnut was the place you get yelled at and start fights....lol


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## eyedreamn (Jun 12, 2011)

Chuck nailed it. There is an ungodly amount of white bass out there right now. Don't confuse the white bass marks and eye marks. The eyes are a denser mark and should be a little more spread out. The whites are thinner marks and mark on top of marks.

Go looking for the bigger marks. And by the looks of chucks cooler you can see the end result.


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## CarpetBagger (Sep 21, 2009)

Blobs bad...Thin lines good...lol

if you dont have a color fishfinder you dont know what ur looking at...


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## Skinny1 (Aug 2, 2013)

CarpetBagger said:


> Walnut isn't a marina...Its a puddle...



I kinda get the feeling I'm not welcome.


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## JC heir (Dec 6, 2013)

Skinny1 said:


> I kinda get the feeling I'm not welcome.


Im thinkin that's not the case skinny. Took me a while to figure, but I think Bagger just has an uncommon hatred of walnut........probably an exwife living in Fairview or something LMAO


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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

just stop walleye fishing and start white bass fishing and you will have a very successful day. its all in how you look at it... :^)


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## CarpetBagger (Sep 21, 2009)

No x-wife or wife yet...

Pile of eyes though today north of Conneaut. 

I fished pa for 14 years. Big difference on the other side...dealing with walnut on an occasional basis and dealing with it on a daily basis are 2 different things...lol man I have some stories about that place!




JC heir said:


> Im thinkin that's not the case skinny. Took me a while to figure, but I think Bagger just has an uncommon hatred of walnut........probably an exwife living in Fairview or something LMAO






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## chaunc (Apr 11, 2004)

privateer said:


> just stop walleye fishing and start white bass fishing and you will have a very successful day. its all in how you look at it... :^)


 Why stop fishing for eyes? We fished out of walnut yesterday and got 11 eyes between the two of us. Quite a few were real big too.


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## russh (Feb 12, 2007)

walleye wacker724 said:


> We been pulling 30 fish limits every weekend just got to find the active ones


Really? Where? I did good earlier in the year but the past couple of months the walleye seem to have all gone east. I have little interest in trolling and the casters have been doing awful this year around the islands. 

There is no question in my mind that the walleye population is down significantly. I talked to a charter guy that said he thinks the walleye population is down 2/3 or more since 2008 and I agree with him. It used to be easy to go out after work and get my limit or at least close to my limit, I haven't done on a single afternoon walleye trip.


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## Buckhunter1206 (Sep 15, 2012)

russh said:


> Really? Where? I did good earlier in the year but the past couple of months the walleye seem to have all gone east. I have little interest in trolling and the casters have been doing awful this year around the islands.
> 
> 
> 
> There is no question in my mind that the walleye population is down significantly. I talked to a charter guy that said he thinks the walleye population is down 2/3 or more since 2008 and I agree with him. It used to be easy to go out after work and get my limit or at least close to my limit, I haven't done on a single afternoon walleye trip.



Honestly I think the population has nothing to do with it. IMO it is still the effects of the crazy winter we had. It has everything all screwed up. In my past experience I can't remember when the perch were still on 40+ fow and no sign of moving in the lorain area. 


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## tomb (Oct 9, 2004)

russh said:


> Really? Where? I did good earlier in the year but the past couple of months the walleye seem to have all gone east. I have little interest in trolling and the casters have been doing awful this year around the islands.
> 
> There is no question in my mind that the walleye population is down significantly. I talked to a charter guy that said he thinks the walleye population is down 2/3 or more since 2008 and I agree with him. It used to be easy to go out after work and get my limit or at least close to my limit, I haven't done on a single afternoon walleye trip.


The population is not down. The fish are just in different locations and keeping different habits than 2008.


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## fishingguy (Jan 5, 2006)

Comparing walleye population from 08 to now is not a good comparison. The 03 hatch dominated from 06 to 2010. That stretch of time was second only to the explosion in the late 70's through the 80's. I've been fishing this lake for more than half a century, the population now I would say is pretty good. Much better than the last 50 year average. I've always said, if you started fishing walleyes in 06 to 09 years, you were spoiled. You could catch a walleye on a spark plug with a hook anywhere in the lake. The 03 hatched fish are mostly gone now, only a small percentage of that year class remain. Fishing is just getting back to normal.


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## Gringo Loco (Mar 5, 2005)

Sorry fishingguy can't buy it. I have fished the lake for 50 years. I fish the Western Basis and found easy limits of 10 fish all through the 90's. The charter boats where I am at Toledo Beach would limit in 2-3 hours 90% of the time. The last few years since the green slime showed up I have only seen few limits of six fish and most of the charters are struggling or out of business with no customers. These are trolling charters that fish nearly all the way to Middle Sister if they have to.


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## beetlebailey (May 26, 2009)

russh said:


> Really? Where? I did good earlier in the year but the past couple of months the walleye seem to have all gone east. I have little interest in trolling and the casters have been doing awful this year around the islands.
> 
> There is no question in my mind that the walleye population is down significantly. I talked to a charter guy that said he thinks the walleye population is down 2/3 or more since 2008 and I agree with him. It used to be easy to go out after work and get my limit or at least close to my limit, I haven't done on a single afternoon walleye trip.


trust me chase does!! hes a good dude and friend!! that's why hes called walleye wacker!!


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

****** Loco said:


> Sorry fishingguy can't buy it. I have fished the lake for 50 years. I fish the Western Basis and found easy limits of 10 fish all through the 90's. The charter boats where I am at Toledo Beach would limit in 2-3 hours 90% of the time. The last few years since the green slime showed up I have only seen few limits of six fish and most of the charters are struggling or out of business with no customers. These are trolling charters that fish nearly all the way to Middle Sister if they have to.


If you fished in the 60s or early 70s, (prior to the 1st phosphate ban) then you should remember the "green slim" being way worse then than it is now. It is a totally different lake now. 

Yes there are fewer fish, anyone who argues that simply does not know the facts. The big walleye hatches of the 80s made perch fishing very poor, and historically when the perch numbers are up, the walleye numbers are down and visa versa. 

I don't think it needs to be or should be as easy as it was in the 80s and early 90s. Who liked all those boats on the lake and all the masses everywhere on shore.

I've heard some good things about this years hatch, and I'm as hopeful as anyone that we get a 30 million or so hatch out of the 03 fish. Let's let Mother Nature deal with it and not get our blood pressure up too high. I don't really think another 70 million hatch (really recruitment) is necessary.

Ok ... sermonette over.... Somebody pass a hat.


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

All I can say is the last three to four years are the best fishing that I have experienced in over a decade, especially last year and this year...but I significantly changed my tactics to adjust to the changing lake...


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## jamesbalog (Jul 6, 2011)

russh said:


> Really? Where? I did good earlier in the year but the past couple of months the walleye seem to have all gone east. I have little interest in trolling and the casters have been doing awful this year around the islands.
> 
> There is no question in my mind that the walleye population is down significantly. I talked to a charter guy that said he thinks the walleye population is down 2/3 or more since 2008 and I agree with him. *It used to be easy to go out after work and get my limit or at least close to my limit, I haven't done on a single afternoon walleye trip*.


90% of my fishing is done in the evenings and ive caught my share of walleye this year, plenty of limits too. This was out of Lorain/Vermilion.

im kind of new to the walleye game but this year has been by far my best year


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## Snook (Aug 19, 2008)

Still plenty of fish to be caught. It's been really nice to see a lot of smaller fish this year. Now hoping for a great 2014 hatch!


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## JC heir (Dec 6, 2013)

is there any info out yet on the "14" hatch?


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## beetlebailey (May 26, 2009)

The eyez are there ! Just like last yr . There in small schools just have to find the active ones! Best investment ive done was get a better ff/gps( hds gen 2 ) and my catch rate went up!! There there just have to find em!!! And stay on em....


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## beetlebailey (May 26, 2009)

im worried about the hatch this yr, we didn't have much of a spring, and ive been catchin a lot of eyez with eggs still in em.. all season!!! time will tell


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## idontknow316 (Mar 21, 2008)

Maybe a good sign as far as hatch goes, my father in law and I have been perching around Green Island and have caught 6 to 7 small 6 to 7 inch walleye. In the past I've caught one or two, but never this many juvenile walleye. A good sign I'd say.


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## FarmerChris (Oct 31, 2011)

Any one know if the ODNR has done a study on baitfish population for this season? I suspect the walleye movements and activity are more related to the water temperature of the lake and baitfish availability. Did the long cold winter impact baitfish survival? Spawn? Did water stay cold longer delaying eastward walleye migration? The fish want to eat first, be comfortable 2nd, otherwise doubt much else influences their behavior.
I am not a fisheries scientist, so would like to hear from some of them.
Chris.


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## CANEYEGO (Feb 23, 2014)

The present walleye population is about 20 million, down from the 100 million in the 1980s and after the 2003 hatch, but Lake Erie catch rates are still the best of any walleye waters in the United States, said Vandergoot.

The lake-wide total allowable walleye catch will be finalized at the Lake Erie Committee Meeting on March 27-28 in Windsor, Ontario. Ohio and Ontario get the largest slices of the walleye pie.

Vandergoot says the Lake Erie walleye population is stable and the Ohio daily bag limit should again be six walleye for most of the year. The record 2003 class of walleye makes up about 30 percent of the population, a guarantee of plentiful trophy walleye

A big crowd of walleye doesn't mean spawning success.

"Environmental conditions determine success," Vandergoot said. "This winter's colder temperatures and ice cover could mean a better hatch this spring. The quality of walleye eggs improve during an especially cold winter, and it also kills gizzard shad and alewives competing with young-of-the-year walleye for food.

"We're keeping our fingers crossed, and always hope for another class of walleye like we had in 2003."


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## CANEYEGO (Feb 23, 2014)

"GLATOS receivers are finding walleye in the open water of Central Lake Erie, *revealing suitable walleye habitat there for the first time*. A female walleye was tracked swimming in a big circle from the Cleveland area to the Ontario shoreline, and then back again."

Don't mean to do the copy n paste thing but the above answers alot of above questions. BTW, do you think the female walleye mentioned here made that trek all by herself? 
This year, my experience has been that while the old tactics still work sometimes, on the tough days, they're biting on a program they've never seen before. Also it seems they're willing to feed up high even during high sun, which should be blinding pain for their eyes?


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## gonefishn81 (Jun 30, 2013)

If you're having trouble with eyes you may need to be more stealthy I've been running 12 foot leads fluorocarbon line for harnesses since june. The lake is cleaner than in years past your baits don't need to be in their face generally I run 10-12 feet above targeted fish. The fish will commit to the bait coming up to get it rather than be able to study it in front of them. Also change blades out on harnesses more frequently until you find a color they want the back color matters more than the front if your marking walleye and your not getting them your doing something wrong. I know some guys have struggled this year but it's been an outstanding year can't remember last time I fished past noon. Pay attention to the little details and things will fall in place.


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## Leighway (Oct 31, 2011)

Good point on the high fish.we caught two up high today early. Certainly the deeper leads were better overall but we catch them up high a good deal of the time.


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## beetlebailey (May 26, 2009)

gonefishn81 said:


> If you're having trouble with eyes you may need to be more stealthy I've been running 12 foot leads fluorocarbon line for harnesses since june. The lake is cleaner than in years past your baits don't need to be in their face generally I run 10-12 feet above targeted fish. The fish will commit to the bait coming up to get it rather than be able to study it in front of them. Also change blades out on harnesses more frequently until you find a color they want the back color matters more than the front if your marking walleye and your not getting them your doing something wrong. I know some guys have struggled this year but it's been an outstanding year can't remember last time I fished past noon. Pay attention to the little details and things will fall in place.


idid read that walleyes will move 15 miles in 1 day


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## russh (Feb 12, 2007)

> The present walleye population is about 20 million, down from the 100 million in the 1980s and after the 2003 hatch,


Well the guy that said the walleye population is down 2/3 was an understatement, according to these numbers the population is down 4/5. 

I like to cast the shallow reef's and shoals and I have no doubt in my mind that the walleye are simply not there like they have been in past years. I have everything I need to troll but I just don't find trolling to be much fun. I would rather catch 3 walleye casting than 10 walleye trolling, but that's just me.


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## gonefishn81 (Jun 30, 2013)

First reports of walleye hatch for this year are saying it was as good this year as the 2003 hatch! If we get more of these hatches more frequently lake erie will be ridiculous!


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## wakina (May 30, 2007)

gonefishn81 said:


> If we get more of these hatches more frequently lake erie will be ridiculous!


Actually if we get several back to back hatches like 2003 it will doom the walleye population in Lake Erie as there will not or would not be enough of a food supply to sustain a population of that magnitude. In other words they would starve to death.


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## Cajunsaugeye (Apr 9, 2013)

Walleye eat shad,perch,white perch,white bass,emerald whiners,crayfish,gobies,smaller gamefish of all types.I believe they'd be fine.There's a bit of food left in Erie!

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## tomb (Oct 9, 2004)

Here's some interesting reading. Especially the part about zebra mussels.
http://www.landbigfish.com/articles/default.cfm?ID=385


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## fishingguy (Jan 5, 2006)

Good read Tom. I have said, and others have told me I'm totally wrong, when the bait fish in the lake reach extremely large levels, mother nature balances it out with large walleye, bass and/or perch hatches. I don't fish deep much, but in the areas I have been fishing, the bait pods are numerous and huge. If you believe my theory, than we are in for a good hatch soon. If not, hope for the best.


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

One thing for sure, the harsh winter smoked the shad population, I actually don't recall seeing any in my livewell this year, typically fall in the 'bowl" and off cleveland is where I see lots, we'll see what happens this fall. 

Lack of shad is one reason why all the walleye look like they are on diet this year, its been tough to break 10lbs.


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## wakina (May 30, 2007)

Cajunsaugeye said:


> Walleye eat shad,perch,white perch,white bass,emerald whiners,crayfish,gobies,smaller gamefish of all types.I believe they'd be fine.There's a bit of food left in Erie!
> 
> Sent from my VS870 4G using Ohub Campfire mobile app


The big population in the late 70s early 80s was supported by the over abundance of smelt whose numbers had skyrocketed with the decline of the walleye population in the 60s and early 70s. Once those numbers were lowered the eye population went down also. Even the most knowledgeable biologists feel the lake can only support 30 to 40 million walleyes on a continuing basis without damage to the food base on which the walleyes feed. With 2 1/2 to 3 times that many for several years the damage would be hard if even possible to reverse.

It was also reported here on this site by a knowlagable poster that the Canadian netters have had a tremendous impact on the smelt population, they locate and stay with those smelt schoals until the smelt are virtually all caught in that area then move on in search of more That has an impact on the fishery as well. 

With the preferred food having already been eaten and a poor hatch of yellow perch or any other fish that would be fed on in the event of over population, what would be left for the walleyes to eat. No that many walleyes who are a top predator in lake Erie would soon begin to waste away and die of starvation.


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## Cajunsaugeye (Apr 9, 2013)

The decline you're speaking of happened before the goby invasion also.Again,between gobies,crawfish,shad,shiners,young perch and all other young fish,I will say again,no walleye will EVER starve.I promise

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## wakina (May 30, 2007)

Cajunsaugeye said:


> The decline you're speaking of happened before the goby invasion also.Again,between gobies,crawfish,shad,shiners,young perch and all other young fish,I will say again,no walleye will EVER starve.I promise
> 
> Sent from my VS870 4G using Ohub Campfire mobile app


You are aware that Gobies cannot suspend and that they have no air bladder don't you. If you are then you would also know that whenever a deadzone hits the lake it is almost a 100% kill on the gobies as well as the Zebra and Quagga mussles in the area of the dead zone which is getting larger each year. Just because you want it to be that way does not make it that way, most experienced Lake Erie guys have learned to live in the world as it really is and not in a world as they want it to be. The lake can only support so much life and as in all things in nature the top of the food chain is always much lower in population numbers than the prey they feed on for the very reason that the top has nothing other than man feeding on it. But you go ahead and live in your little dream world! Your promise is empty!!


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## gw2kpro (Jul 5, 2012)

wakina said:


> whenever a deadzone hits the lake it is almost a 100% kill on the gobies as well as the Zebra and Quagga mussles in the area of the dead zone which is getting larger each year.


There's a dead zone in Lake Erie growing larger each year? Where?

I'm not being a smart @@@, I've only lived in the area a few years.


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## wakina (May 30, 2007)

gw2kpro said:


> There's a dead zone in Lake Erie growing larger each year? Where?
> 
> I'm not being a smart @@@, I've only lived in the area a few years.


Off of Sandusky Bay, Central Basin and the far eastern basin. It is caused by the lack of Oxygen in the lower levels of the lake which is stagnated water with little or no Oxygen. One of the major contributors to this is algae and the stratification of the water by temp. 
Here you go you can get informed here, take your pick!

https://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv1-&p=lake erie dead zone map&type=


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