# ODNR Fish Report 8/30/06



## Big Daddy (Apr 6, 2004)

Wildlife News 

Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Division of Wildlife
The Fish Ohio Report

August 30, 2006

CENTRAL OHIO

Hoover Reservoir (Delaware and Franklin counties) - Fishing at night along the causeway can produce nice catches of white bass. Use small jigs, spinners and live bait, like shad, at depths of 10 to 16 feet. Traditional baits, like night crawlers or cut baits, can be used around the lake to catch channel catfish. Most of the shoreline cover throughout the reservoir provides good action for bluegills. Use small worms or larval baits suspended beneath a bobber at depths of two to eight feet for best results. Also. 440,186 fingerling saugeye were stocked in May 2006. There is a 10 horsepower limit at this lake.

Knox Lake (Knox County)  Fishing for largemouth bass is difficult in August due to abundant forage fish availability. The woody shoreline cover and areas with aquatic vegetation present the best opportunities to fish for largemouth bass. The best times to fish are early morning and evening. Use live bait, soft plastic baits, small crankbaits and top water lures. Channel catfish up to ten pounds provide good fishing action when the bass arent biting using night crawlers, chicken livers, and cut baits. Over 5,000 yearling channel catfish were stocked last fall. Bluegills can be found almost anywhere there is shoreline cover at this lake using small worms or larval baits under a bobber. There is a 10 horsepower limit at this lake.

NORTHWEST OHIO

Maumee River (Lucas and Wood Counties)  Smallmouth bass and walleye (16 to 17 inches) are hitting on tubes, rooster tails, crankbaits and spinners. Anglers are having the most success in the holes at Side Cut Park between I-475 and Jerome Rd. Anglers are also catching channel catfish in holes off of Blue Grass Island.

Norwalk Reservoir #3 (Huron County)  Anglers are catching crappie (six to 10 inches) in the late afternoon on minnows. Fish the eastern shoreline in four to five feet of water.

Huron River (Erie and Huron Counties)  Anglers are catching smallmouth bass in the morning or afternoon. Try casting small jigs or spinners into the deeper holes.

NORTHEAST OHIO

Leesville Lake (Jefferson County) - This 1,045-acre lake is well known for its excellent muskellunge fishery. Not only do anglers catch more muskies here than most other bodies of water in the state, the numbers of big fish captured are often much larger too! As of July 31, nearly 260 muskies have been caught out of this lake in 2005 and that number will only continue to increase. The total for 2005 was a whopping 1,743 muskies with 583 of that total caught from Leesville Lake! Currently, anglers are finding Ohios largest fish species in weed beds of embayments while using crankbaits or spinner baits in many different colors. Trolling has not proven to be very successful at this time, so casting is bringing great returns. Leesville Lake is found two miles southeast of Sherrodsville off of State Route 212. 

Tappan Lake (Harrison County)  Channel catfish averaging 16 to 24 inches are hitting hard on night crawlers in this 2,131-acre lake. The best technique is to keep the hook very close to the bottom and if you are searching for a monster, use a lot of bait. The trick is to keep your bait geared to the size of fish that youd like to catch. Catfish have poor eyesight, so adding in some color and smell to your own recipe of stink bait wont hurt a bit. Saugeye are a little slow right now, so if catfish do not interest you, give bluegill a try. These delicious fish are averaging about six inches in length and will make a perfect meal. For recipe ideas visit, http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/Fishing/recipes/frecipe.htm

Wheelchair accessible shoreline fishing facilities available. 

SOUTHWEST OHIO

Paint Creek (Highland County)  Crappies are being caught by anglers using crappie minnows or small jigs colored black or chartreuse as bait. Keep the bait five to seven feet deep. Fish the bait around any type of woody structure such as downed trees and overhanging brush. Channel catfish are being caught in the creek arms on cut bait. Fish the bait long the bottom of Rattlesnake and Paint creeks near where they enter into the lake. Largemouth bass are being caught by anglers using crankbaits to fish the main lake points. Best time to fish is during the evening or night time hours. Bluegills are being caught by anglers using wax worms under a bobber as bait. Fish the bait five to seven feet deep. Good fishing spots are back in the coves, near stumps, and around fallen timber. Saugeye are being caught by anglers fishing with shad wraps or by dragging a twister tail. Troll the bait in flats (shallow water) or about seven to 10 feet deep between the beach and island.

Acton Lake (Preble County)  Channel catfish are biting on creek chubs or night crawlers fished along the bottom or between eight to 19 feet deep during the late evening or early morning hours. Fishing for channel catfish is productive anywhere in the lake. Bluegills are being caught by anglers using wax worms or night crawlers as bait. Saugeye have been active in this lake. Try a variety of lures fished trolling up and down the lake and are catching them on bottom bouncers and night crawler rigs. Silver or gold colored night crawler rigs are working well. Fish the bait in water that is greater than 10 feet deep. 

SOUTHEAST OHIO

Piedmont Lake (Belmont County)  Smallmouth bass have been biting well. Successful anglers are fishing in the early evening, night, as well as early morning. Fish along shallow points in three to five feet of water. Anglers are using tube jigs and spinner baits. Spinner baits can be used with a slow retrieve or allowed to helicopter down. 

Hanging Rock Ponds (Lawrence County)  Numerous small ponds dot the Hanging Rock area. Water temperatures have been hovering around 82 degrees. Anglers are catching largemouth bass up to 15-inches on buzzbaits, plastic worms and crankbaits fished in the early evening and past dark.

Clouse Lake (Perry County)  Bluegills are being caught in good numbers at this small lake. Live bait such as wax worms and redworms fished below a small bobber or on the bottom have been working well. Fly anglers have also been having success with small poppers. 

Woodbury Wildlife Area Ponds (Coshocton County)  Most ponds are stable and clear. Sunfish are being caught on small worms or wax worms. Largemouth bass in the eight to 15 inch range have been caught on darker-colored rubber worms during the evening hours or top water lures at night.

Forked Run Lake (Meigs County)  Anglers report success fishing for channel catfish in the shallow end of the lake. Successful rigs were baited with chicken livers or night crawlers and fished under a bobber suspended six feet deep. Fishing for bluegill has also been successful using wax worms or night crawlers fished under a bobber. 10 horsepower limit at this 107-acre 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

Fishing effort directed towards walleye has greatly decreased as western basin anglers are switching to perch fishing. With limited reports the best areas have been along the Canadian border from Middle Sister to West Reef and around islands-area reefs. Drifters are using mayfly rigs or weight forward spinners, while most trollers are using worm harnesses or spoons with jet or dipsy divers.

Yellow perch fishing is improving in the western basin and should continue to improve as we head into fall. The best areas have been "B" and "C" cans of the Camp Perry range, west and northwest of Green Island, Niagara Reef, one to two miles southeast of Kelleys Island, and northeast of Kelleys Island shoal. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Smallmouth bass should start moving shallower as water temperatures drop heading into fall. Fish rocky drop-offs and reefs around the Bass Islands and Kelleys Island, along with nearshore areas from Catawba Island to Sandusky Bay, to find active fish. Tube jigs and drop shot rigs with goby imitations are the most popular set-ups for smallmouth.

Central Basin 

Walleye fishing in the central basin has been very good. Fish have been caught on the sandbar between Vermilion and Lorain, eight miles out north of the Cleveland E. 72nd Street lighthouse in 58 to 62 feet of water, 10 to 12 miles north-northeast of Geneva in 70 to 72 feet of water, and 10 to 12 miles north-northwest of Ashtabula in 70 to 72 feet of water. Fish have been caught on worm harnesses or spoons colored in black/purple, white/red, purple/black, and copper, trolled with dipsy divers or jet divers off planer boards. Fish are suspended and anglers are fishing down 30 to 50 feet.

Yellow perch fishing is improving in the central basin with good catches reported one-half to two miles off Vermilion, Lorain and Avon, five miles north of the Cleveland E. 72nd Street lighthouse in 51 feet of water, five miles out around the Cleveland Crib in 50 feet of water, two to three miles north of Ashtabula in 48 to 55 feet of water, and two to three miles north of Conneaut in 48 to 55 feet of water. Fish have ranged from seven to 11 inches. Perch rigs 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 15 to 29 feet of water. Fish have been caught on goby color tube jigs, goby color drop shot rigs, jigs tipped with minnows or leeches, or by trolling crankbaits. 

The best white bass fishing has been one-half 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, Mentor Headlands lighthouse, Wildwood State Park, Rocky River, Avon Lake and Lorain piers using agitators with white, yellow and green twister tails or small spoons.

Lake Erie surface temperatures are around 73 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

Lawrence County  Water temperature is 80 degrees and falling. Anglers are having good luck with channel catfish using minnows and chicken livers. Baits are being fished on the bottom. Channel catfish up to 25-inches are being caught.

Belmont County  Both flathead catfish and channel catfish are being caught using chicken livers fished on the bottom. Rains in the upper Ohio River watershed may trigger catfish to feed even better. Water temperatures are in the low 80s. 

Gallia County  Try fishing for catfish in the evenings and through the night where the deeper holes start to get shallow using cut bait, livers or shrimp.


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