C.J. Brown Reservoir: Walleyes are in the deep water, over the humps and old road bed. Troll with a crawler harness or jig with Vib-Es, a nightcrawler or bass minnow. In the evening the best action is along the rocks, near the dam. Try a brightly-colored twister, tipped with a piece of nightcrawler. Crappies are in deep holes. Work the ledges with minnows. All kinds of catfish are being caught on the north end of the lake. The best fishing has been at night with bass minnows and glowworms. Bass fishing has been good along the west shore. Look for wood and use tubes and plastics.
Grand Lake St. Marys: Crappies are still the rage, but the fish have scattered. If bank fishing in a channel, use a minnow under a slip bobber and start I the middle of the channel and work it slowly back to the bank. Fish at varying depths. Also try flipping a pink or chartreuse jig under docks and pontoons. Bluegills can be found around docks and rocks. Catfish are biting on cut shad, bluegills and chubs.
Lake Loramie: Bass fishing has been steady with plenty of strikes along the banks, around wood. Use crankbaits, spinnerbaits or topwater early and late. Bluegills are in the rocks and lily pads, hitting waxworms on ice jigs or rubber spiders. Crappies are in the pads and under bridges, hitting minnows or white/chartreuse jigs.
Acton Lake: Catfish have been the most-caught fish in recent days. The best spots have been the sugar camp and dam. Anglers are using nightcrawlers, cut shad and strawberry chicken. Crappie fishing has slowed, but some have been caught off the banks with a minnow under a bobber. Bluegills are hitting waxworms around docks. For bass, troll a crankbait in front of the lodge.
Cowan Lake: Some nice size bass have been caught lately, using topwater in the morning and jigs or spinnerbaits later. Work around rocks and other structure. You can still work the banks, but move away to water 8-12 feet deep. A few crappies have been caught around the island, mostly on minnows. Anglers are trolling crawler harnesses to catch saugeyes.
Paint Creek Lake: Crappies are about six feet deep along channel banks and bluff walls. Look for wood and other structure. The best bass fishing has been in the hazard zone. Use shad-colored Shad-Raps or Carolina rigs with a pumpkinseed worm. Bluegills are around stumps and rocks. In the spillway, try casting a chartreuse twister to catch saugeyes or use traditional catfish baits to catch channel cats and shovelheads.
Rocky Fork Lake: Most of the bass fishing has been in and around the weed beds. Use buzzbaits, spinner baits or try drop-shotting. Green/pumpkin worms have been popular. There has been lots of bluegill action around brush and docks. Use a waxworm tipped on an ice jig or rubber spider. Saugeye fishing has slowed. A few anglers are trolling a chartreuse/red flake twister, tipped with a piece of nightcrawler in front of the beaches or in shallow bays.
Lake Erie: Walleye fishing has been good near the turnaround buoy of the Toledo shipping channel, north and northwest of West Sister Island, near "G" can of the Camp Perry firing range, between Kelleys Island and South Bass Island and north of Kelleys Island. Cast mayfly rigs tipped with worms, or troll with crankbaits, worm harnesses or divers and spoons.
Yellow perch fishing has been good within a mile of shore near Metzger Marsh, west of Metzger Marsh and near Green Island. Smallmouth bass fishing has been good nearshore around the Bass Islands. Bass anglers are jigging soft craws, casting tube jigs or using drop shot rigs.
For Lake Erie information, visit wildohio.gov or call 1-888-HOOK-FISH.
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