Welcome to our Lake Erie Fishing Home Page
Lake Erie is home to some outstanding fishing for walleye, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. It is arguably the greatest place to fish for walleye on the planet right now with huge numbers of quality fish in the lake. The smallmouth bass fishery is outstanding in certain parts of the lake. If you can find the schools of yellow perch, you can run into some huge numbers of jumbo perch as well. Lake Erie is an amazing fishery, so take a look below to learn more about the popular destinations you can visit on the lake.
Steelhead Alley
Steelhead Alley refers to the river tributaries of Lake Erie that are found along Lake Erie’s southern shores. You can access these tributaries in the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. In the spring, these states stock these tributaries with one year old steelhead and these fish come back into these tributaries when they reach spawning age. Take a look at the map below to see the tributaries that are home to some excellent steelhead fishing.
Michigan
Monroe, MI
Monroe, Michigan is just outside the Detroit River and the Detroit River is known for its amazing walleye runs every spring. This area is home to some excellent walleye fishing, especially in the spring as well as some good perch fishing too. Smallmouth bass are here too and the white bass run brings in tons of fish every spring as well. You will find some charters here that operate out of the western Lake Erie basin.
Detroit River
The Detroit River is famous for its annual walleye run in the spring. So many walleye move into this river to spawn that anglers catch lots of walleye to go along with so many trophy-sized fish. The big females that come in the river to spawn will be some of the biggest fish caught every year for most anglers. The river also has good fishing for other species of fish too. Since it is connected to Lake Erie and Lake Saint Clair, you will find a variety of fish here. Smallmouth bass, muskie, white bass. perch and more can be caught here.
Lake St. Clair
Lake St. Clair is the smallest lake in the Great Lakes system. It is not considered as one of the “Great Lakes,” however, it is part of the Lake Erie basin. Lake St. Clair is shallow, with an average depth of around 10 feet and the maximum depth of 21 feet.
Lake St. Clair offers some excellent fishing. You can catch trophy smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye, perch and muskie. This lake is unique in that so many different species are targeted by anglers. There are many anglers that target smallmouth and largemouth bass, while others target the great-tasting walleye, and some anglers go crazy over the muskie in these waters. Local anglers believe that St. Clair is the best smallmouth bass lake in the state.
Luna Pier, Michigan
Luna Pier is located just north of Toledo, Ohio and the Maumee River. You won’t find as many charter boats operating out of Luna Pier, however, you’re still close to some very good fishing for walleye, perch and smallmouth bass. There is also a city pier here with several miles of shorelines to fish as well. This part of the lake is known for its excellent spring walleye run, however, you can catch walleye, smallmouth bass and perch here from spring through fall. The spring is definitely going to offer some of the best fishing of the year though.
New York
Buffalo, New York / Niagara Region
This part of Lake Erie is home to some incredible smallmouth bass fishing. Good numbers of them are available and big fish are here too. Smallmouth bass in the 4 to 5 pound range are fairly common. Lake Erie is loaded with walleye, so if you go out with a charter, you should be able to catch a bunch of nice walleye as well.
Ohio
Sandusky, OH
Sandusky, Ohio is home to one of most exciting roller coaster parks in the U.S. (Cedar Point). This area is also home to some spectacular fishing if you can find some time to get away from the theme park and out onto the water. Walleye, smallmouth bass and perch are the primary species of fish here.
Cleveland, OH
The Cleveland area offers anglers a lot of fishing options. It may not be most angler’s first choice when they think of planning a fishing trip to Lake Erie, however, there is some very good fishing here.
Lake Erie is awesome for walleye fishing and it is no different around the Cleveland area. You can find some charters that do operate on this part of the lake and the walleye fishing is good for numbers and big fish too. Anglers also target smallmouth bass, perch and more.
Lorain, OH
Lorain, Ohio is located about 40 minutes outside of Cleveland. This is a popular port for anglers targeting a variety of fish such as walleye, perch and steelhead. This area has lots of public launches available and good fishing isn’t too far away in the spring and fall. In the summer, most anglers report the better bite being farther offshore, however, there are numerous anglers and charters who go offshore and do well with walleye, perch and more.
Toledo, OH
Toledo is a popular destination on Lake Erie for walleye, smallmouth bass and perch anglers. The Maumee River provides lots of angling opportunities here as well. This part of Lake Erie is definitely a better spring / early summer walleye destination because of the spawn. However, anglers catch walleye, smallmouth bass and perch here throughout the fishing season.
Vermilion, OH
Vermilion, Ohio is a beautiful small town located on the south shore of Lake Erie. This town is known for it excellent dining and shops to go along with many beautiful homes that are home to many of Lake Erie’s Boat Captains. The Vermilion River gives access to so many boats with more than 1,000 boat slips and plenty of boat ramps to get anglers out on Lake Erie. The fishing is very good for walleye out of this port and anglers also may catch smallmouth bass and yellow perch too.
Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania is a very popular port for fishing on Lake Erie. With Presque Isle Bay here and Presque Isle State Park, this area is an awesome area for anglers to come visit and fish. This port is a popular destination for anglers pursuing walleye, smallmouth bass and yellow perch.
Ontario
Pelee Island
Pelee Island is a small, flat island, however, it is the largest island in Lake Erie covering about 16 square miles. This island is used primarily for agriculture, although, it does have a small population of permanent residents. The population increases during the summer and is a popular place to visit due to the ferry service that runs between Pelee Island and Sandusky, Ohio. Fishing is very popular around the island. It is a very good offshore fishing spot during the summer and fall months on Lake Erie. Smallmouth bass are found in good numbers and big fish in the 4 to 5 pound range are common. Huge walleye patrol the deeper waters out away from the island and when the schools of perch are around, you can catch a mess of them in a hurry.
Ontario Ports on Lake Erie
There are many ports along the Lake Erie coast in Ontario, so if you’re looking for a fishing charter or to take your boat out on the water, the ports listed on the map can help you find a place to start your Lake Erie adventure.