Lake Erie, Cleveland Fishing Report Today

Hey folks, Artificial Lure here with your Lake Erie fishing report for Cleveland waters on this chilly December 29th, 2025, at 8:26 AM. Winter's grip is tight—National Weather Service has a High Wind Warning blasting from 4 AM today through 1 AM tomorrow, with west winds 40-50 knots gusting to 60 and waves 15-20 feet per the Storm Warning. Stay off the big lake unless you're crazy; nearshore's dicey too. Current temps hover around 45°F overcast in Erie per NWS, with lows in the lower 40s tonight and highs mid-50s tomorrow. Sunrise was at 7:50 AM, sunset 4:50 PM—short days mean prime low-light bites if you can fish protected spots. No real tides on Erie, but those winds are stirring everything up.

Fish activity's slowed with cold water in the low 50s, but walleye's the star—late December reports from Lake Erie Detroit Fishing Report note solid perch and walleye bites before hazards kicked in. Locals pulling walleye on spoons and swimbaits; paddle tails rigged for walleye, bass, pike working grass edges per Wired2Fish winter patterns. Amounts? Steady limits if you're jigging deep—20-30 fish days reported recently in calmer zones.

Best lures: Lipless crankbaits like Yo-Zuri Rattl’n Vibe in shad or red for bass on grass edges—rip 'em yo-yo style over 10-foot depths. For walleye, nickel silver scale flash trolling spoons or pre-rigged paddle tail swimbaits. Bait? Minnows or nightcrawlers on jigs if live's your game.

Hot spots: Edgewater Park breakwalls for sheltered walleye jigging, or Rocky River mouth—wind-protected, holding perch and eyes. Bundle up, check ice on inland channels if desperate, but respect those waves.

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This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Erie Cleveland fishing report.

We’re sitting on a calm start along the central basin, but the lake’s getting ready to turn nasty. The National Weather Service in Cleveland is calling for southeast winds building to strong southwest and then west gales late tonight into tomorrow, with waves off Cleveland jumping from 1–3 feet today to 7–10 feet and higher in the next 24–36 hours. Water temp off Cleveland is about 36 degrees according to the nearshore marine forecast, so this is full-on cold-water fishing.

Erie isn’t tidal like the ocean, so you’re really playing wind-driven seiche. With the southeast flow this morning, expect a little water stacking on the western and central shorelines, then a hard push back out as those big west winds arrive. Plan on levels bouncing and current ripping later; fish early and be off before that gale hits.

Sunrise is right around 7:50 a.m. with sunset close to 5 p.m. locally this time of year. Your best window today is that mid-morning bump through early afternoon before the main wind shift, then maybe a quick dusk poke only if the forecast still looks reasonable and you’re hugging shore.

According to the Lake Erie, Cleveland Fishing Report Today podcast on Spreaker, the late-December bite has been solid: walleye stacking on deeper structure, decent perch piles when you can find them, and a few bonus smallmouth hanging on edges. Ohio Outdoor News and recent Ohio numbers reported another banner walleye year, and that’s showing right here off Cleveland with good eaters and some big fish mixed in.

Nearshore guys have been picking off walleye trolling and jigging 25–40 feet straight out from Edgewater and Gordon, with more spread out toward Avon and Willowick when the wind lets folks roam. Most boats are reporting a handful up to full limits on the better days. Perch have been more hit-or-miss, but some buckets are coming from tighter pods on rock and rubble, especially when the wind lays down enough to stay on top of them.

Best offerings right now:

- For walleye: **3–4 inch paddletails** on 3/4–1 oz jigs in chartreuse, purple, and natural shiner; also blade baits and jigging raps in gold, perch, and clown patterns. Slow lifts, long pauses – that 36-degree water makes them lazy.

- For trollers: **Deep-diving crankbaits** and spoons run off boards, 1.2–1.6 mph. Purples, chromes, and anything with a glow belly have been hot.

- For perch: **Emerald shiners** are still the gold standard when you can find them, otherwise salted shiners or small fatheads on simple crappie rigs. Keep the rig right on bottom and don’t be afraid to move 30–50 yards at a time until you mark a real pod.

A couple local hot spots if the wind behaves early:

- **Edgewater to Gordon Park line**: classic Cleveland winter water, 30–40 feet. Good marks on the breaks and around any scattered bait.

- **Avon Point and the dump area east of it**: deeper structure that’s been holding walleye when the lake lays dow

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Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your Lake Erie fishin' expert right here in Cleveland. It's a crisp Saturday mornin', December 27th, and that post-Christmas ice bite is heatin' up across Lake Erie. National Weather Service out of Cleveland calls for east winds 15-20 knots easin' to northeast 10-15, with freezin' rain turnin' to showers this afternoon—waves 2-4 feet droppin' later, so no big open-water runs, stay safe on the ice. Water temps in the low 30s, sunrise hit 7:50 AM, sunset 'round 5:10 PM, givin' ya about 9 solid hours. No tides on this freshwater beast, but wind-driven swells act like 'em—mind the chop near shore.

Fish are stackin' in shallows and river mouths. Spreaker's Lake Erie report from yesterday nails it: walleye hauls of 18-25 inchers, perch 8-12 inches pilin' up, and smallmouth holdin' deeper—locals hittin' 10-20 fish days through the ice. FishUSA in Erie echoes ice buildin' again after the blowout, with tribs fishable for steelhead too, though slower in the cold. Outdoor News says early ice fishin' realized but on hold—now it's pickin' back up.

Best lures? Gold or silver spoons like Williams Whitefish or Swedish Pimple for perch—jig slow on tip-ups. Walleye love glow jig heads or Buckshot Rattle Spoons bouncin' bottom. Live bait rules: medium shiners or fathead minnows on quick-strike rigs, deadstick 'em and wait.

Hot spots 'round Cleveland: Edgewater Park shallows for perch and smallies if ice holds, or head to the Cuyahoga River mouth—walleye stacked there. Punch holes careful, check thickness.

Bundle up, fish slow, and get after 'em before the next front.

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Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your Lake Erie fishing guru right here from the Cleveland shores. It's Christmas Eve mornin', 8:27 AM, and we're lookin' at a calmer day after last night's west winds hittin' 15-20 knots off Avon Point to Willowick, with waves 3 to 5 feet—National Weather Service Cleveland says north winds 5-15 knots today turnin' southeast, droppin' waves to 2 feet or less. Water temp off Cleveland's holdin' steady at 37 degrees, perfect for late walleye chasers. Sunrise was at 7:52 AM, sunset 4:52 PM—short days, but fish don't punch clocks.

No tides on Erie, but that strong walleye hatch from Ohio DNR's 2025 trawl surveys—sixth biggest in 38 years—means good numbers out west, and Cleveland anglers are still pullin' 'em despite fall storms. Outdoor News reports hundreds of big walleye weighed in from recent derbies, with fair to good action lakeside. Folks are ice fishin' early channels near Rocky River Reservation, landin' perch and maybe some walleye if you're jiggin'.

For lures, glow jigs, spoons, and minnow baits shine in low light—Sir Walleye Charters swears by 'em for ice walleye, pair with minnow heads or soft plastics. Live minnows or emerald shiners top bait lists right now.

Hit these hot spots: Edgewater Park for shore jiggin', or head to Avon Point offshore if you're boat-bound—watch for small craft advisories lingerin'. Bundle up, stay safe on thin ice.

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# Lake Erie, Cleveland Fishing Report

Hey folks, Artificial Lure here with your Lake Erie fishing update. It's late December, and conditions are prime for some solid walleye and yellow perch action around the Cleveland area.

**Current Conditions & Fish Activity**

We're in prime winter fishing season right now. Lake Erie's been producing some excellent results this year. The 2025 walleye hatch in the western basin came in strong at 128 fish per hectare—that's the sixth largest hatch we've seen in 38 years of surveys. Even better, the central basin walleye population is sitting at 26 young-of-year per hectare, well above the long-term average of 8. These fish are going to start hitting catchable size come spring 2027, but we're already seeing fantastic action.

Yellow perch fishing has been solid too, especially in the west zone where we got a hatch ranking seventh of the past 38 years with 733 fish per hectare. That's above average, and anglers have been pulling limits of large yellow perch near central basin harbors—particularly around Lorain and Cleveland late in the fall. The central and east zones are running a bit slow right now, but don't let that discourage you from hitting those spots.

**Best Techniques & Gear**

For walleye, your standard jigs and live bait are going to produce. Jigging live shiners or crawlers in 15 to 35 feet of water is your bread and butter. Trolling crankbaits also works well this time of year when the water's cold and fish are concentrated.

Yellow perch? They love small live shiners and tube jigs. Keep your presentations tight and methodical—perch aren't aggressive this time of year, they're looking for easy meals.

**Hot Spots**

Head to the harbors around **Lorain and Cleveland**. We know anglers have been crushing limits there recently. **Edgewater Park** in Cleveland offers solid access and productive structure. The **rocky areas and break walls** near the harbors are holding good concentrations of both species.

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Artificial Lure here on the Cleveland lakefront with your Lake Erie fishing report.

We’re sliding deeper into early‑winter mode, and Erie is showing some teeth. The National Weather Service in Cleveland is calling for strong southwest to west winds 20 to 30 knots with gusts up to 35–40 and nearshore waves building 4 to 8 feet, even higher east toward Conneaut. Water temp off Cleveland is sitting right around 39 degrees. That means it’s big‑lake, big‑caution territory today, especially for small boats.

Sunrise this morning comes in around 7:50 local, with sunset just after 5:00, so your real productive window is that mid‑morning to early‑afternoon stretch when the wind lines up and the fish slide up a bit.

With this churned‑up lake and cold water, the bite is classic December: fewer anglers out, but the ones grinding are on good fish. Local charter chatter out of Wildwood and E. 72nd reports steady walleye action earlier this week on calmer days, with boats boxing 10–25 fish, most in the 17–23 inch class and a few bigger heads mixed in. Yellow perch have been more hit‑or‑miss but there are still packs of 9–11 inchers when you land on them. Shore guys around the Cuyahoga mouth and the E. 55th wall are still picking the occasional bonus steelhead and brown.

Best producers have been slow‑presented stickbaits and blade baits for walleye. Think deep‑running cranks like Bandits and Reef Runners pulled low and slow on offshore days, and from shore, 3/4‑ounce silver or gold blades yo‑yoed tight to bottom. When conditions let you jig, a 1/2 to 3/4‑ounce hair jig or Vib‑E tipped with a minnow is money. Live emerald shiners, when you can find them, are still the top bait for both perch and finicky eyes, fished on simple crappie rigs or single‑hook leaders right on the mud.

Given today’s wind, a lot of smaller rigs will tuck into more protected water. Hot spots to keep in mind:

- **E. 72nd / Gordon Park**: When it’s even halfway fishable, this stretch has been giving up good numbers of eater walleye after dark and a few during daylight on blades and jigs. Work the edges of the rock piles and that first break in 18–24 feet.

- **Cuyahoga River mouth and inner harbor**: When the lake’s angry, sliding inside can save your trip. Slow‑troll stickbaits along the shipping channel or vertically jig the deeper holes. You’ll see a mix of walleye, the odd sauger, and some harbor‑cruising steelhead on marabou jigs and spawn.

Farther west toward Lorain and east to Geneva, boats that snuck out ahead of this blow reported solid walleye programs in 30–45 feet, running cranks off boards 40–80 feet back, speeds around 1.2–1.6. Once this front pushes through and the lake lays down, expect that pattern to pick right back up.

Tide isn’t really a factor here on Erie, but pressure changes are, and with high pressure building in after this system, look for a nice bump in activity once the wind backs off and the barometer steadies.

Bottom line: it’s a “pick your window, pick

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Artificial Lure here, checking in from the Cleveland lakefront with your Lake Erie fishing report.

We’re in classic early‑winter mode on Erie. The National Weather Service out of Cleveland has a Gale Warning up, with strong west winds pushing 30 to 40 knots and nearshore waves in that 5 to 10‑foot range, bigger offshore. Water temp off Cleveland is running about 37 degrees. This is serious big‑water – small boats should stay on the trailer or tuck way inside the harbors.

Sunrise came around quarter after eight this morning, sunset will be just after five. With the short daylight and cold water, your best window is that late‑morning to mid‑afternoon bite when things warm up a touch and the wind, if we’re lucky, backs off just a bit.

No real tide to speak of on Erie, but this west wind is pushing water out and creating low‑water issues on the western basin and around some marinas. The marine forecast and recent low‑water advisories from the Weather Service have been hammering on that, so watch your draft at ramps and channel mouths.

As for fish, the late‑season walleye program is still the main show when you can actually get out. According to recent Lake Erie charter reports and local tackle shops, guys who picked their weather windows this week out of Cleveland and Lorain boated limits or near‑limits of solid 4‑ to 7‑pound fish, with a few bigger. Most of that bite has been in 35 to 45 feet, off the Cleveland crib east toward Euclid and out off Avon and Lorain when conditions allowed. Steelhead trollers have also slid in along the breakwalls and river mouths, picking off a few bonus chromers running the same contours.

Inside, the shore and pier anglers are doing the safer thing. Recent pier reports from the Cleveland lakefront, Edgewater, and E. 55th have been mixed but steady: a handful of walleyes after dark, the odd brown trout or steelhead, and some diehards still soaking minnows for perch in the marinas. The Cuyahoga and Rocky rivers are giving up decent steelhead on the drop between high‑water events.

If you do get out, think cold‑water tactics. For walleyes, the best producers lately have been:

- Bandits, Deep Husky Jerks, and P‑10 style crankbaits trolled slow, 1.0 to 1.4 mph, 50 to 120 feet back.

- Colorwise, locals have been leaning on purples, chartreuse‑belly patterns, and anything with a good glow or chrome with some UV.

- When the wind lets you vertical‑fish, heavy blade baits and jigging raps in 30 to 40 feet are putting fish in the box.

On bait, emerald shiners are still king for perch when you can find them, fished on standard perch rigs or single‑hook drop rigs right in the marinas. For steelhead around the river mouths and piers, spawn sacs, live minnows, and small jig‑and‑waxie combos under a float are the go‑tos.

Couple of local hot spots to keep on the list once this wind eases:

- The Cleveland Crib and surrounding 35‑ to 45‑foot band straight north of downtown – classic winter walleye structure when it’s safe to run.

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This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Erie Cleveland fishing report.

We’re riding a brutal early-winter pattern right now. The National Weather Service in Cleveland has west winds cranking into gale territory on the open lake, 30 to 40 knots with 8–14 footers offshore and 3–6 footers still pounding nearshore. That’s basically a “stay off the big water” day for small boats. From shore, you’re dealing with icy rocks, blowing spray, and quick-changing lake levels, so cleats and a conservative attitude are mandatory.

Sunrise is right around 7:50 a.m. with sunset about 4:55 p.m., so you’ve got a tight daylight window. With the cold snap and that classic west wind, fish are sliding deeper and getting sluggish, but they’re still there if you slow down and grind.

Cleveland Metroparks’ latest report says steelhead numbers are solid in the Rocky and Chagrin rivers and Euclid Creek, with the Cuyahoga often shining in low, cold winter flows. They also note some walleye and yellow perch still around the Lake Erie shoreline at Edgewater, Gordon, and Wildwood, but warn that ice along the lakefront can be treacherous. Rivers have been cycling between skim ice and opening up; early mornings can be slushy, afternoons usually fish better as things loosen.

Steelhead are the main show. Best producers right now are small marabou or hair jigs tipped with a few maggots or a waxworm, trout beads or single-egg rigs, live or salted minnows, and dime-sized spawn bags under a float. Keep it slow and tight to the bottom in the deeper winter pools. Fly anglers should lean on small egg patterns and pale nymphs under an indicator.

On the lake side, if you absolutely have to poke around and conditions allow a short, safe session, stick to protected water. Heavier jigging spoons, blade baits, and 4–5 inch paddletails in natural shad, purple, or green can tempt cold-water walleye during low-light periods. Given the wind and cold, though, the smarter play is to treat the open lake as largely unfishable today and focus on the tributaries and stocked ponds.

Cleveland Metroparks just dropped 3,500 pounds of mixed trout into Wallace, Shadow, Ledge, Judge’s, and Ranger lakes, with mostly eater-sized rainbows plus bonus browns, brooks, golden rainbows, tigers, and some new blue rainbows. For those fish, small jigs tipped with maggots or waxworms, PowerBait in chartreuse, white, or salmon peach, and small jigging spoons are putting trout on the bank.

Couple of local hot spots to consider:

- **Rocky River**: Focus on the deeper holes from the marina upstream, and the stretches in the Metroparks. Float jigs or spawn, or drift beads where you can find a soft seam.

- **Euclid Creek at Wildwood** and the **Gordon Park shoreline**: When the ice isn’t locking you out and the wind lays a bit, they can still cough up a bonus steelhead or walleye tight to shore.

Overall fish activity is classic mid-winter Cleveland: fewer but quality bites if you slow everything down, make precise drifts, a

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Artificial Lure here, checking in from the big pond off Cleveland, talking Lake Erie winter fishing.

We’re in classic late‑season mode now. According to the National Weather Service Cleveland marine report, nearshore winds are running southwest 15 to 25 knots with waves 3 to 6 feet and lake temp off Cleveland about 40 degrees, so it’s bumpy and cold. That’s small‑craft‑advisory stuff; only experienced boaters with big glass or deep Vs should be out, and most locals are tucking in close or fishing from shore.

Erie doesn’t have true tides, just seiches, so water level “swings” are wind‑driven. With this southwest push, expect water stacking on the eastern end and a little pull‑down west of town. For planning your day, local tables put sunrise around 7:50 a.m. and sunset about 4:55 p.m., and those low‑light windows are still your best bet.

On the fish front, Ohio DNR’s 2025 trawl survey reported the walleye hatch as the sixth largest in 38 years, and Hoodline notes strong walleye and yellow perch year classes, so the pipeline is loaded. Right now, the bite is more quality than quantity. Most of the recent reports out of Cleveland, Lorain, and Fairport charters have been 3–7 pound ’eyes with the odd bigger fish, plus some bonus lake-run steelhead around the river mouths.

Best producers: slow programs tight to bottom. Guys running out between the Cleveland Crib and the 60–70 foot line are pulling Bandit‑style deep cranks and Husky Jerks 5–10 feet off bottom at 1.0–1.4 mph. When the wind’s up and boat control stinks, many are switching to heavy jigging spoons or blade baits in gold, purple, and firetiger, tipped with a minnow head. For live bait, a simple jig and emerald shiner still gets it done when they’re sulking.

From shore, the local move has been casting 3/4‑ounce blades, lipless cranks, or hair jigs off the rocks at Edgewater and E.72nd in the dark and first light, then again right at dusk. Steelhead guys on the lower Cuyahoga and Rocky are drifting spawn bags, live minnows, or 1/32‑ to 1/16‑ounce marabou jigs under floats, with a few chrome fish showing most mornings.

If you’re chasing smallmouth, Major League Fishing’s Lake Erie coverage shows how deadly small swimbaits and goby‑style plastics are out here. This time of year, downsize: 3–3.8 inch Keitech‑style paddletails on 3/8‑ to 1/2‑ounce heads, dragged slow on rock in 25–35 feet off Lorain and Avon Point. Bites are light, but the ones you get are solid.

Hot spots I’d look at today, weather allowing:

– The nearshore band from Edgewater Park east to E.72nd Street, working the rock and rubble for walleye and the occasional steelhead after dark.

– The breakwalls and 30–40 foot line off Lorain harbor, where that stained, slightly warmer water often holds a mixed bag of ’eyes and smallmouth.

Match the conditions: big waves and cold water mean slow presentations, sharp hooks, and a short leash to shore. Let somebody know your plan, wear a float suit if you’ve got it, and don’t push

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Lake Erie Cleveland fishing report.

Out on the nearshore this morning, the National Weather Service Cleveland marine forecast has strong west–northwest winds running 20–30 knots with a Small Craft Advisory posted and waves 5–8 feet, occasionally higher. That’s big water and not a day for small boats; most of the serious action is tucked inside harbors, rivers, and marinas.

Sunrise around Cleveland today is right about 7:45 a.m., with sunset near 4:58 p.m. Low winter sun, short feeding windows. Erie isn’t tidal, but we still get seiche swings with this wind; water levels will yo‑yo a bit, especially around river mouths and harbor walls, so watch your footing and ice shelves.

Water temps off Cleveland are sitting near 40 degrees per the NWS. That’s classic winter steelhead and late‑season walleye temperature. Local charter captains and metropark reports say steelhead have been pushing into the Rocky, Chagrin, and Grand, with fresh chrome mixed with darker holdovers. Most shore casters in the harbors and river mouths have been picking a couple fish a trip, better numbers after a warm bump or slight stain in the water.

Best baits right now:

- For **steelhead**: nickel or copper Little Cleos, Vibrax spinners, white or pink marabou jigs under a float tipped with a single egg or waxworm, and spawn sacs in chartreuse or pink mesh. Beads in 8–10 mm, natural or mottled orange, are also getting bit.

- For **walleye** in the dark: slender stickbaits like Husky Jerks and Bandits in chrome/blue, clown, or purple, run slow from the pier heads or breakwalls. When the lake settles, blade baits and jigging raps vertically in 20–35 feet off the nearshore reefs still take a few good fish.

- For **perch and panfish** inside marinas: small fatheads or emerald shiners on tightline rigs, plus ice‑style tungsten jigs tipped with maggots.

Recent catches around Cleveland have been a mixed bag: a handful of nighttime pier walleye in the 18–24 inch class, solid 5–8 pound steelhead in the Rocky and Chagrin, and decent panfish off docks in protected water. Numbers aren’t summer‑thick, but the quality is there if you grind.

Couple local hot spots to keep on your list:

- **E. 55th and E. 72nd marinas**: When waves are pounding the main lake, these basins give you a break from the wind. Steelhead roam the walls, and after dark you’ve got a shot at walleye on jerkbaits.

- **Rocky River mouth and Emerald Necklace access points**: Great winter steelhead water with deep runs and cuts; drift jigs and beads under floats, or swing small streamers if you fly fish.

Fish slow and low in this 40‑degree water. Keep presentations tight to bottom, extend your leaders, and don’t be afraid to downsize. Safety first: wear a PFD on the rocks, cleats if there’s ice, and fish with a buddy.

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