Fishing Report: Early Steelhead, Perch, and Smallmouth Bite on Lake Erie Near Cleveland

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Erie Cleveland area fishing report for Friday, September 12, 2025.

We’re waking up to **perfect late summer conditions**: sunrise hit at 7:03AM and you’ll have until 7:44PM to chase some fish under mostly sunny skies, with highs in the mid-70s and light north winds at 5 to 10 mph. The water off Cleveland is sitting right around **70 degrees**, and waves are barely a foot—ideal for shore and small boat folks alike, with a “Low Risk” swim category and no big weather threats expected according to the NOAA Cleveland marine forecast.

Fishing’s been lively this week as cooler nights tease the first pulse of **early steelhead**. Word from Cleveland Metroparks is reports are coming in from Rock pile regulars, with steelhead hitting spoons (Little Cleos, KO Wobblers) and spinners (Vibrax, RoosterTail) at classic spots: **Edgewater Park, the E55th breakwall, Wildwood Park, and up at Rocky River Marina**. These fish are nosing around the rocks—cast those lures early, or after dark for a bonus walleye bite. For walleye, stick to shallow running crankbaits like Perfect 10s after sunset, especially if you find a little chop.

Meanwhile, **yellow perch** and **white perch** are showing up on the bottom, especially at the E55th breakwall, with anglers doing best soaking bits of worm or small minnow on crappie rigs. Captain Ken’s Wild Wings shared a fresh report from the Port Clinton side, where crews put nice yellow perch in the box by blending trolling, jigging, and bottom fishing on the western basin wrecks. The bite isn’t red hot, but steady action and mixed bag days are the norm. Fall is THE time to load up on perch before migration gets tricky.

Smallmouth are biting too—both lake and river! Around the Cleveland shoreline, work tube jigs and dropshot rigs near structure. Wallace Lake, Ledge Lake, and Beyer’s Pond inland are serving up largemouth, channel cats, and assorted panfish. Inside the rivers (Rocky, Chagrin, Cuyahoga) chase smallies at deep pool heads with 3-4" dark olive or brown tubes, minnow or crayfish, and don’t overlook leech or Clouser minnow patterns if you’re swinging a fly. Smallmouth have been aggressive, with early and late day windows best.

For bait and lures, here’s your top picks:
- **Spoons and spinners** for steelhead (Little Cleo, KO Wobbler, Vibrax, Rooster Tail).
- **Shallow crankbaits** (Perfect 10) for nighttime walleye.
- **Tube jigs**, **live bait** (minnow, crayfish), and **dropshot rigs** for smallmouth and rock bass.
- **Worms and small minnows** on crappie rigs for perch and panfish.

Two hot spots you shouldn’t skip right now:
- **E55th Street Breakwall**—perch, steelhead and the odd walleye.
- **Rocky River Marina**—early steelhead, with bonus smallmouth and cats up the channel.

A heads up: Wendy Park at the old Coast Guard station is closed for repairs, so check access before heading out.

Best bite windows are dawn and dusk, especially with clear skies and a flat lake—so hit your spot early, bring a sun hoodie for that high UV, and be ready for fast flurries when the fish get moving.

Keep an eye out for the Steelhead Expo at Rocky River Nature Center on September 27—great chance to brush up your tactics for the run coming soon.

Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for your weekly Cleveland fishing fix. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Artificial lore. Here with your Lake Erie Cleveland area fishing
report for Friday, September twelfth, twoenty twenty five. We're waking
up to perfect late summer conditions. Sunrise hit at seven
zero three am and you'll have until seven forty four
pm to chase some fish under mostly sunny skies with
highs in the mid seventies and light north winds at

(00:23):
five to ten miles per hour. The water off Cleveland
is sitting right around seventy degrees and waves are barely
a foot ideal for shore and small boat folks alike,
with a low risk swim category and no big weather
threats expected, according to the Noah Cleveland Marine Forecast. Fishing's
been lively this week as cooler nights tease the first
pulse of early steelhead. Word from Cleveland Metro Parks is

(00:47):
reports are coming in from Rockpile regulars with steelhead hitting spoons,
ko wobblers and spinners, vibracts, rooster tail at classic Spots,
Edgewater Park, the E fifty fifth Break, wild Wood Park,
and up at Rocky River Marina cast. These fish are
nosing around the rocks cast those lures early or after

(01:09):
dark for a bonus walleye bite for walley stick to
shallow running crank baits like perfect tens after sunset, especially
if you find a little chop. Meanwhile, yellow perch and
white perch are showing up on the bottom, especially at
the E fifty fifth breakwall, with anglers doing best soaking

(01:30):
bits of worm or small minnow on crappy rigs. Captain
Ken's Wild Wings shared a fresh report from the Port
Clinton side, where crews put nice yellow perch in the
box by blending trolling, jigging and bottom fishing on the
western basin wrecks. The bite isn't red hot, but steady
action and mixed bag days are the norm. Fall is

(01:53):
the time to load up on perch before migration gets tricky.
Smallmouth are bite in two both lake and river. Around
the Cleveland shoreline, work tube jigs and dropshot rigs near
structure Wallace Lake, Ledge Lake and Buyer's Pond Inland are
serving up large ouf channel cats and assorted panfish inside

(02:14):
the rivers Rocky Chagrin, Cuyahoga Chase, Smallli's at deep pool
heads with three to four inch dark olive or brown tubes,
minnow or crayfish and don't overlook leech or clouds or
minnow patterns if you're swinging a fly. Small Mouth have
been aggressive with early and late day windows best for

(02:35):
bait and lures. Here's your top picks, spoons and spinners
for steelhead, little cleo ko, wobbler, vibracts, rooster tail, shallow
crank baits for nighttime, walleye tube jigs, live bait, live
bait and crayfish and Dropshot rigs for small mouth and
rock bass, worms and small minnows on crappy rigs for

(02:57):
perch and panfish. Hot spots you shouldn't skip right now
e fifty fifth Street breakwall perch, steelhead and the odd walleye.
Rocky River Marina early steelhead with bonus small mouth and
cats up the channel a head's up. Wendy Park at
the old Coastguard Station is closed for repairs, so check

(03:18):
access before heading out. Best bite windows are dawn and dusk,
especially with clear skies and a flat lake, so hit
your spot early. Bring a sun hoodie for that high
UV and be ready for fast flurries when the fish
get moving. Keep an eye out for the steelhead expo
at Rocky River Nature Center on September twenty seventh. Great
chance to brush up your tactics for the run coming soon.

(03:41):
Thanks for tuning in, and don't forget to subscribe for
your weekly Cleveland Fishing Fix. This has been a quiet
please production. For more check out Quiet please dot ai