# ODNR Fish Report 7/12/06



## Big Daddy (Apr 6, 2004)

Wildlife News 
Ohio Department of Natural Resources- Division of Wildlife

The Fish Ohio Report

July 12, 2006


CENTRAL OHIO
Delaware Lake (Delaware County)  Fishing with cut bait and soft craws is very productive, especially in the upper half of the lake, for anglers seeking channel catfish. Most of these fish measure 12 to 16 inches. Areas where there are deep drop-offs, tree stumps, and the submerged creek channel are the best locations to fish for largemouth bass that may measure up to 20 inches. These same areas are likely to produce some good fishing action for crappie anglers. 

Griggs Reservoir (Franklin County)  This 361-acre lake in Columbus has a very good largemouth bass population. Fish the steep shorelines in the upper end north of the island with crank baits, spinner baits, soft plastics, and live baits during early morning and evening. Fishing is very productive along the east shoreline for anglers seeking channel catfish. Use shrimp, chicken livers, and night crawlers fished along the bottom. Most of these fish will measure 12 to 22 inches. Saugeye fingerlings were stocked in early June to help maintain this excellent saugeye fishery.

NORTHWEST OHIO
Bayshore Access (Lucas County)  Catfish are being caught at this Maumee Bay access area. Tight lining night crawlers on the bottom is producing some good catches of catfish.

Upper Sandusky Reservoir #1 (Wyandot County)  Good catches of channel catfish are being taken here. The best times are morning and evenings. Fishing cut baits on the bottom under a bobber seems to be the best method. The good spot is the pool area near the boat ramp.

Killdeer Pond #30 (Wyandot County)  This pond on Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area is a great pond to fish. Not only is the fishing great but you can see bald eagles and other wildlife while you are fishing. Largemouth bass are being taken in the mornings and evenings by still fishing with fathead minnows or using buzzbaits. All shorelines are producing great results.

Findlay Reservoir #1 (Hancock County)  Channel catfish and perch are being caught in the mornings and evenings. Fishing shrimp, worms or minnows under a slip bobber is the best bet here. The boat ramp and the NE corner seem to be producing the best results.

NORTHEAST OHIO

Beaver Creek (Columbiana County)  Stream fishing for smallmouth bass near the Grimms Bridge Road area along the Pennsylvania border is picking up right now. Anglers using crankbaits and roostertails while wading in the creek are experiencing the best results. This is a great location for fly-fishing as well and dry flies are bringing in good numbers of smallies. A few small sauger are being caught too - this creek runs into the Ohio River just a short distance away. If wading isnt an option, try floating in a canoe or rubber raft downstream. Access the water at Beaver Creek State Park off of State Route 7 south of Rogers, Ohio or Sprucevale Road. Be sure to wear a personal floatation device and be alert for potential hazards such as fallen trees and structure just below the surface. Anglers are reminded that the daily limit for smallmouth bass caught in Beaver Creek is one and it must be at least 15 inches in length. The daily limit for sauger is six and there is no length requirement.

Berlin Reservoir (Portage, Mahoning, and Stark counties)  Walleye fishing is a little slow, but boat anglers are catching a few of these tasty fish near the old railroad bridge and State Route 224. Jigs tipped with worms provide successful results. There is unlimited horsepower at this 3,280-acre lake. On an unfortunate note to those anglers who had enjoyed fishing the tail-water area (Mahoning River) below the Berlin Reservoir Dam, this area has been closed to fishing due to littering and vandalism. This is only a small section of the tail-water available for anglers to use without trespassing onto private property. Further questions can be directed to Wildlife District Three at (330) 644-2293.

Nimisila Reservoir (Summit County) - Good numbers of 12 to 15 inch largemouth bass are being caught by anglers casting just a few feet from shore. Rubber worms or brightly colored jigs cast into the weed beds works very well. This 727-acre lake can be accessed two miles south of State Route 619 on South Main Street. Electric motors only please. 

SOUTHWEST OHIO
Cowan Lake (Clinton County)  Crappie are being caught by anglers trolling small minnows, tube jigs, or twisters tails as bait. Fish the bait in four to eight feet of water. Use a #1/0 or 4 bait holding hook. Productive spots are back in the coves, down on south bank past sailing club, and the south beach anywhere there is brush. Bluegills are being caught by anglers using wax worms as bait. From the shoreline, fish the bait off of the bottom in three to seven feet of water and around structure. Use a #6 long shanked hook. Channel catfish are also being caught by anglers fishing from the shoreline. Use night crawlers or chicken liver on a #1/0 bait holding hook fished on the bottom.

Rocky Fork Lake (Highland County)  Crappies are being caught by anglers fishing live wax worms or crappie minnows. Fish the bait at least 18 feet deep. Use a fine wire hook in the size range of #6 to 8. Bluegill and sunfish are being caught by anglers using wax worms or night crawlers as bait. Place the bait on a #6 fine wire hook and cast into areas with submerged trees and brush. Keep the bait under a bobber or slip bobber and between two and three feet deep. Fish the bait along the shorelines and docks. Channel catfish are being caught by anglers using shrimp, soft craws, or night crawlers as bait. Use a #8, 1/0, or 2/0 long shanked hook. Keep the bait under a bobber and off of the bottom and fish the bait close to the shoreline. Largemouth bass are being caught by anglers fishing around the boat docks in about three to four foot of water and in the coves with artificial purple worms, bass minnows, or spinner baits.

SOUTHEAST OHIO

Salt Fork Lake (Guernsey County)  Successful reports of the much coveted muskie bite have included using crank baits, traditional large muskie lures, and the smaller three to five inch shad imitation lures. Fishing in eight to ten feet of water has been most productive. Largemouth bass have been reeled in along the shorelines by anglers trolling top-water lures and buzz baits during low-light hours. Shore fishing for sunfish has been productive; fish measuring six to seven inches have been caught on night crawlers and wax worms fished under a bobber. For catfish try chicken livers and night crawlers fished tight-line. Water levels have been high and slightly murky due to recent rainfall in the area. 

Wolf Run Lake (Noble County)  Angler success has been good at this 220-acre lake. Sunfish in the six to seven inch range have been reeled in at any shoreline access along the lake using wax worms fished under a bobber. Catfish anywhere from 10 to 20 inches have been caught using cut baits, night crawlers and chicken livers fished on the bottom. Successful catfish areas include the more shallow waters where the creek enters the lake.

LAKE ERIE
**The walleye daily bag limit is six fish. A 15 inch minimum size limit for walleye remains in effect for the entire season. The Lake Erie daily bag limit for yellow perch is 40 fish. The daily bag limit for black bass on Lake Erie is five. The minimum size limit for black bass on Lake Erie is 14 inches. The steelhead trout bag limit is five. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches. **

Western Basin

Walleye fishing continues to be excellent with many limits being caught. The best fishing has been along the Canada border from Middle Sister to North Bass Island, nearshore from the Toledo harbor light to Metzgers Marsh in 19 to 21 feet of water, around A and B cans of the Camp Perry firing range, and two to four miles east of Niagara Reef towards Green Island. Drifters are using mayfly rigs or worm harnesses with bottom bouncers, while trollers are using worm harnesses with inline weights or bottom bouncers and jet or dipsy divers with spoons. The best spoon colors have been patterns that include gold or purples.

The best yellow perch fishing in the western basin has been around the Toledo water intake, off of Lakeside, and north of Kelleys Island around Gull and Kelleys Island shoals. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Central Basin 

Walleye fishing in the central basin has been excellent. Fish have been caught in 38 feet of water north of Cranberry Creek, four to five miles north of Lorain, four to five miles northeast of Lorain (east of the old trash dump), six miles north of the Cleveland Crib in 50 to 58 feet of water, four to five miles north of Eastlake in 45 to 55 feet of water, three to six miles northeast of Fairport Harbor in 50 to 70 feet of water, and three to six miles northwest of Geneva in 50 to 70 feet of water. Fish have been caught on worm harnesses or monkey puke, bloody nose, watermelon, killer bee and copper/back spoons trolled with dipsy divers or trolled with jet divers off planer boards. Fish are suspended and anglers are fishing down 30 to 50 feet.

Yellow perch fishing has been excellent two miles north of Wildwood State Park in Euclid in 42 to 45 feet of water, two miles north of Bratenal in 40 feet, two to three miles north of Ashtabula in 50-55 feet of water, two to three miles north of Conneaut in 50-55 feet of water. Fish have ranged from seven to 11 inches. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish. 

Smallmouth bass fishing has been excellent on Ruggles Reef between Huron and Vermilion, and along the shoreline from Fairport Harbor to Conneaut in 10 to 25 feet of water. Fish have been caught on tube jigs, jigs tipped with minnows or leeches, or by trolling crankbaits. 

White bass fishing has been fair 1/2 mile north of Eastlake CEI power plant. Anglers are using agitators with white, yellow and green twister tails. Shore anglers are catching white bass at the Eastlake CEI pier using agitators with white, yellow and green twister tails and small spoons.

Lake Erie surface temperatures range from 71 to 74 degrees. To view the predicted weather forecast for Lake Erie visit: http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/fmtbltn.pl?file=forecasts/marine/great_lakes/le/lez160.txt 

OHIO RIVER

Scioto County  Anglers have had fair success the past weekend fishing the Ohio River at the confluence of the Scioto River. Channel catfish in the 12 to 20-inch range have been caught using chicken livers or night crawlers fished tight-line off the bottom. Some hybrid striped bass have been reeled in using white jigs with twisters tipped with a minnow. The river has been high and slightly murky in this area.


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