The Fish Ohio Report
Updated Weekly April through October
July 28, 2010

CENTRAL OHIO

Griggs Reservoir (Franklin County) – This 361-acre reservoir in Columbus provides good fishing for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and carp. Target smallmouth bass downstream of the dam in the Scioto River and in the reservoir. Use small crankbaits, creature baits and tubes along secondary lake points around rocks and other cover. Big carp are also abundant in this reservoir. Crappie can be caught in the reservoir using minnows or jigs fished around woody cover. For bluegills and other sunfish try night crawlers.
Licking River (Licking County) – This river east of Columbus provides fishing opportunities for flathead catfish, channel catfish, carp, and smallmouth. Use live bait for flathead catfish in pools around woody cover. Cut bait and night crawlers fished on the bottom can be effective for catching channel catfish. Carp can be caught throughout the river using prepared baits. For smallmouth bass use jigs, baits that imitate crayfish, or tube baits, fish areas with moving water around rocks and other cover.


NORTHWEST OHIO

Auglaize River (Putnam County) – Some nice rock bass have been caught in the river lately. Night crawlers under a bobber or casting yellow rooster tails are producing the best results. Daytime is best in the shallow areas.
Findlay Reservoir #2 (Hancock County) – Walleye are being caught in the early evening by casting leeches. Early evening is the best time and the east bank is the best spot. White bass are being taken as well. Again, early evening on the east bank. Casting worms or a spinner with a worm is working the best. Channel catfish are being taken in the early evenings by still fishing shrimp. East bank is best.
Upper Sandusky Reservoir #2 (Wyandot County) – Largemouth bass are being taken in the shallow shoreline areas in the evenings. Fishing fathead minnows under a bobber or casting buzzbaits or shallow diving crankbaits is working well. Try the south shore. Bluegill are being caught in the early afternoons by fishing redworms under a slip bobber. Fish the standing timber and brushy areas. Channel catfish are being taken as well. Evenings are best. Still fishing cut baits in the beach area is producing the best catches.


NORTHEAST OHIO

Nimisila Lake (Summit County) – The summer heat has slowed bass fishing somewhat, but anglers are still catching fair numbers early and late in the day. Shallow shoreline areas are consistently producing keeper sized bass on soft plastics, while deeper main lake structure is periodically producing larger fish. Walleye have been active near the dam and can be taken on trolled worm harnesses, and average-sized bluegill are also biting well near shore on maggots.
West Branch Lake (Portage County) – Muskie fishing has been hot at this busy reservoir. Anglers are catching good numbers of these exciting fish on crankbaits trolled in 15 feet or more of water. Regular long line trolling is popular, but anglers also do well here trolling baits in their prop wash, as little as eight feet behind the boat. Anglers trolling with short lines for muskie should be sure to loosen their drag somewhat relative to long line trolling to prevent break-offs.
Tappan Lake (Harrison County) – Saugeye are periodically being taken off rip rap areas. Light jig and crawler combinations and crawler harnesses are both proving effective, with most fish being caught less than 12 feet deep. Keeping baits very close to the bottom is usually the key method, regardless of depth. Good catches of bass are also being periodically reported on soft plastics from shoreline rocks and timber, and by anglers working main lake structure.


SOUTHWEST OHIO

Cowan Lake (Clinton County) – Bluegill and sunfish are being caught by anglers using earthworms or wax worms as bait. Good artificial bait colors are green or chartreuse. There are good fishing opportunities from a boat or along the shoreline and pier areas. Look for additional opportunities in the mouth of Cowan Creek. Keep the bait five to six feet deep. Channel catfish are being caught by anglers using chicken livers, cut bait, shrimp or earthworms as bait. Fish from the pier area., campground cove, or creek channel. Keep the bait off of the bottom and about three to six feet deep. There is a 10 horsepower motor limit at this reservoir.
East Fork Lake (Clermont County) – Hybrid striped bass can be caught this time of year by anglers trolling or jigging shad colored crankbaits or spoons in five to seven foot depths. Also, try slowly trolling with live gizzard shad. Shore anglers have been successful using night crawlers and chicken livers. Watch for schools of small shad jumping at the surface - hybrids may be feeding below the schools. Best area to fish is around the main state park public swimming beach. REMEMBER all hybrids less than 15 inches long must be immediately released back into the lake. Also, anglers can only keep a daily limit of four hybrids. Anglers are encouraged to cut the line on deeply hooked hybrids to be released back into the lake. Channel catfish are being caught by anglers using crawdads, live minnows, or earthworms as bait. Cast into the areas under undercut banks or near submerged trees and brush. Keep the bait off of the bottom and about five to eight feet deep. Use live bait such as gizzard shad or bluegills to catch flathead catfish.


SOUTHEAST OHIO

Lake Vesuvius (Lawrence County) – Anglers are catching good numbers of catfish throughout the lake fishing with cut baits or livers fished off the bottom. Anglers are still catching trout using powerbaits fished off the boardwalk pier. Largemouth bass are being caught in good numbers using a variety of artificials.
Turkey Creek (Lawrence County) – This week, black bass and crappie have been caught in good numbers using spinner baits, buzzbaits and worms fished in shallow water at approximately three feet of depth in locations all over the lake.
Muskingum River (Morgan County) – Channel catfish and flatheads are being caught at the Stockport dam and tail water from the mill side of the river. Preferred baits are chicken liver, shrimp and night crawlers.


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) daily bag limit is 5 fish per angler with a minimum size limit of 14 inches.**

Western Basin

Walleye: The best fishing in the western basin continues to be NW of West Sister Island, W of the Bass Islands up to the international border including northwest reef, and 5 miles E of Gull Island shoal along the international border. Casters are using mayfly rigs or drifting bottom bouncers with worm harnesses. Trollers are catching fish on spoons with dipsys or jet divers, or on worm harnesses with inline weights.

Yellow perch: The best perch reports have come from between Marblehead and Kelleys Island, NW of Kelleys Island’s, and N of Ballast Island. Perch spreaders or crappie rigs with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Central Basin
Walleye fishing has been good W of the sandbar (N of Vermilion), 72 to 74’ NE of Geneva, and in 68 to 75’ NW of Conneaut. Anglers are fishing down 50 to 64’. Trollers are using pink, red, gold, black, purple, silver spoons and worm harnesses off dipsy divers, planer boards and jet divers.

Yellow perch fishing has been good to excellent in 38 to 45’ NE of Edgewater State Park, 41 to 43’ N of Wildwood State Park, 50’ NW of Ashtabula Lakeshore Park and 45 to 54’ NE of Conneaut. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

White bass fishing has been fair off the Eastlake CEI and Fairport Piers. Always difficult to predict when they will come in close to shore. Anglers are using agitators and small yellow or white jigs along with small spinners. Mornings and evenings have been the best.

Based on the nearshore forecast the water temperature is 74 degrees off of Toledo and 72 degrees off of Cleveland.

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

View the predicted weather forecast for Lake Erie.

View Lake Erie boating information, safety tips, and launch ramps.


OHIO RIVER

Western River counties (Hamilton, Clermont, Brown and Adams counties) – Catfishing success has been fair with anglers using cutbaits, shad, bluegill, and night crawlers fished towards the bottom. Anglers are reporting flatheads in the 20- to 26-inch range. Try fishing the mouths of tributaries along the river and the tailwaters below the Meldahl lock and dam. Try to fish 15 to 20 feet depths adjacent to the deeper channel edge. Early evening until dawn has been good for catfish. NOTE: Water levels in the River may fluctuate daily due to this year rainfall events. To check real-time water level data visit the USGS Web site.


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