# ODNR Fish Report 5/16/07



## Big Daddy (Apr 6, 2004)

Wildlife News 
Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Division of Wildlife
The Fish Ohio Report

May 16, 2007

CENTRAL OHIO
Hoover Reservoir (Delaware and Franklin counties)  Crappie are the hot fish at Hoover Reservoir right now. They can be caught in two to four feet of water on jigs tipped with minnows or twister tails. Most fish range from seven to 10 inches. Hoover is also an excellent lake to catch nice largemouth bass due to reduced fishing pressure compared to other large lakes. May is the time to fish shoreline cover with lures like spinner baits, jig & pig and jerk baits. Look for spawning bluegill on beds in the backs of coves. Mid-to-late May is about the time to switch from minnows to worms for your saugeye presentations. There is a 10 horsepower motor limit at this reservoir.

Indian Lake (Logan County) - Saugeyes are aggressive on wind swept points and channel openings with current at this 5040-acre lake in Logan County. Try casting small rattletraps and suspending crank baits. Largemouth bass fishing is popular along the many stone riprap areas, docks, and islands. Many bass are in the 12 to18-inch size range and are in shallow water. Crappie and white bass fishing can both be good during May. Minnows are the most popular choice for live bait. Channel catfish fishing should be picking up as the water warms.

NORTHWEST OHIO
Paulding Reservoir (Paulding County)  The water temperature is 65°F, clear and at normal level. Saugeye in the 10  14 inch range are being taken during the daylight hours. Leeches fished below a slip bobber is the best method. The wave washed shoreline is the best place to catch these saugeyes.

Maumee River (Lucas and Wood Counties)  The water temperature is 62°F and the water level is dropping. Anglers are taking excellent catches of white bass using floating jigs with bright colored twister tails and spinners. The best areas are Ft. Meigs through Orleans Park and around Blue Grass Island. Anglers are also catching fair numbers of walleye using floating jig heads with bright colored twister tails in the faster water. The outlook for white bass is very good as the river conditions improve. Walleye will be in the river until around the end of May, but their numbers will continue to decrease.

Sandusky River (Sandusky County)  The water temperature is 63°F and the river is clear and low. Effort is high. Anglers are catching very good numbers of white bass using minnows with small jigs under bobbers from the Ballville Dam to the Turnpike. The white bass fishing should be excellent through most of the month of May with good river conditions. The walleye run is about over in the Sandusky River for this year.

Reminders:

-Black bass season is closed, from May 1 through June 29, 2007; any caught must be 

released. 

-Walleye have a 15-inch minimum length limit for the entire season.

-Walleye daily bag limit is four (4) from March 1 through April 30, and six (6) from 

May 1 through the last day in February.

-Other Fishing Regulations pertaining to the walleye run are listed in the 2007-2008 

Fishing Regulations publication available where ever fishing licenses are sold or they

may be viewed at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/default.htm or simply do a 

search for Ohio Division of Wildlife.

-New 2007 fishing licenses are required as of March 1, 2007.

View sunrise/sunset table http://www.sunrisesunset.com/calend...;-5;1&month=3&year=2007&time_type=0&use_dst=1

NORTHEAST OHIO

Atwood Lake (Carroll and Tuscarawas counties)  This 1,551-acre lake is producing good numbers of saugeye ranging in length of 12 to18-inches. Anglers should target bottom contour structure areas with transitional bottoms. Searching the shoreline for change of sand and rocky areas produces successful results. Fish are being caught in water depths from two to 12 feet. The majority of the fish are reportedly being caught on jig/curltail combinations (with no color preference) tipped with a piece of worm, nightcrawler, or a minnow. Anglers are encouraged to also try fishing the same transitional bottom areas with lighter than usual line in the four to six-pound test weight. Use a light wire hook baited with a piece of worm, nightcrawler or a minnow with a 1/16 to 1/8 once split shot attached about 12 to 24-inches above the hook. Casting the rig along the shoreline and retrieving very slowly once it makes contact with the bottom works well. Dont forget to adjust your reel drag for the lighter line! There is a restriction of 25 horsepower at this lake. 

Berlin Lake (Portage, Mahoning, and Stark counties)  Anglers are catching high numbers of both black and white crappie ranging 8 to 12-inches long throughout the lake but anglers are doing especially well in the willows. Crappie-sized live minnows serve as the choice bait with a simple hook and bobber setup as we approached spawning time. Get to know this 3,280-acre lake and others by visiting www.wildohio.com or order free maps at 1-800-WILDLIFE. Unlimited horsepower please.

SOUTHWEST OHIO

Cowan Lake (Clinton County)  Good numbers of crappie are being caught, however, most are small. Anglers fishing 10 to 15 foot depths near woody cover are catching crappie up to 13 inches. Best baits are live minnows fished under a slip bobber, small jigs with plastic twister tails, or tube jigs. Bluegill are beginning to spawn in the coves. Try using waxworms or redworms fished under a bobber. There is a 10 horsepower motor limit at this reservoir.

Stillwater and Great Miami Rivers (Miami County)  Anglers observed catching good numbers of 8 to 9 inch rock bass along rocky, rip rap shorelines in both rivers. Try using small jigs, minnows, or waxworms. Anglers are also catching smallmouth bass on softcraws in both rivers. A 15-inch minimum size limit and daily bag of one smallmouth bass is in effect in Miami County from State Route 718 downstream to Frederick-Garland Road.

C. J. Brown Reservoir (Clark County)  Crappies and bluegills are being caught around the marina and the wooden piling structures near the boat ramp and campground. Use minnows for crappie and waxworms or redworms for bluegill, fished under a bobber. Anglers are still catching some white bass along the rocky shorelines and up in the creek. Try using small spinners, jigs, or minnows. Walleye fishing has been slow. 

SOUTHEAST OHIO

Ross Lake (Ross County)  Several areas of submerged structure have enhanced this 143-acre lake. Try casting wax worms or night crawlers over some of this submerged structure for good catches of bluegill. Fishing for largemouth bass has picked-up, try casting plastic worms and crank baits. 

Dillon Reservoir (Muskingum County)  Anglers are catching largemouth bass on crank baits in this 1403-acre lake. Try fishing in five to six feet of water near submerged structure or by the dam. Crappie have been hitting on jigs tipped with minnows fished over structure. 

Burr Oak (Athens and Morgan counties)  Crappie fishing has been excellent in this 628 acre lake. Fish jigs tipped with minnows under a bobber in eight to ten feet of water or near the dam. A 12 to 15-inch protected slot length limit on black bass is in effect. Anglers are requested to harvest largemouth bass less than 12 inches to improve the growth of the remaining small largemouth bass into quality size.

LAKE ERIE 

**The yellow perch daily bag limit on Lake Erie has been reduced to 30 fish per day. The change

in yellow perch bag limit occurred after the printing of fishing regulations brochure. The 2007

2008 fishing regulations brochure incorrectly lists the Lake Erie yellow perch bag limit as 40 fish

per day, which has now been changed to 30.

**As of May 1 the walleye daily bag limit returned to 6 fish. The minimum size limit for walleye is 15.

**From May 1 through June 29 black bass (largemouth and smallmouth bass) are illegal to possess on Ohio waters of Lake Erie. It is legal to fish for black bass during the closed season, but any that are caught must me immediately released.

**On May 16 the steelhead trout bag limit returns to 5. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches.

As walleye begin to migrate post-spawn they can be caught in many areas around the western basin. The best areas have been the Toledo Harbor Light outside of Maumee Bay, from Niagara Reef to Rattlesnake Island, and around Green, South Bass and Starve Islands. Worm harnesses have been very effective drifted behind bottom bouncers or trolled with inline weights or jet divers. Trollers have also had success with spoons on jets or dipsys, and with crankbaits.

Surface temperatures range from 57 degrees off of Toledo to 48 degrees off of Cleveland.

Steelhead- For recent updates on the steelhead fishery visit the Division of Wildlife steelhead web page at: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/fishing/fairport/steelhead.htm

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

Pike Island Dam (Belmont County)  Water clarity is clearing up as the river returns to a more normal level. Sauger fishing has been good, anglers have been fishing the pier by vertical jigging with ¼ oz. or smaller jigging spoons. Other methods for sauger fishing on the river include cast and a slow retrieve off the bottom of jigs with pearl or chartreuse twister tails tipped with a minnow. Catfishing has been picking up in the evenings and early mornings, try night crawlers or chicken livers. Anglers fishing for catfish have also reeled in the occasional hybrid striped bass. Smallmouth bass fishing has been fair, try casting spinner bait, crank bait, tube baits or top water walk-the-dog style baits off of stony points.


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