Lake Erie Cleveland Fishing Report: Early Fall Bite Heats Up

Artificial Lure with your Lake Erie Cleveland-area fishing report for Sunday, September 14th, 2025.

It’s a gorgeous early fall morning on the North Coast, and conditions are just about tailor-made for getting lines wet. According to the National Weather Service, we’ve got high pressure sitting on us, keeping winds light out of the east at less than 10 knots and waves a gentle one foot or less all day—perfect for small boats and pier fishing. The sun rose bright at 7:05 AM and won’t dip below the horizon until 7:38 PM, giving us a nice long window to chase that bite. Cleveland’s water temp is showing 76 to 78 degrees, just off the city, and surface air temps are pushing a warm 84 by midday with only a scatter of clouds—classic late summer action before the real autumn turnover hits.

No tidal swing to worry about here, but that mild chop should keep up just enough oxygen for active fish, especially with that cold front forecasted to clear out by evening. Inside scoop from L-36.com is to expect those conditions to hold through tomorrow morning, but look out—unsettled weather’s heading our way early next week, so make the most of the stable bite while it lasts.

Let’s talk fish activity. Local anglers out yesterday and early this morning have been slamming yellow perch and walleye on the western and central basins. Word’s out that the perch bite has been red hot around the Cleveland Harbor breakwalls and just out from Edgewater Park—anywhere you see the pack boats working, perch are under the boat. Most are seeing quick limits of 9-12 inchers, mainly between 36 and 42 feet of water. For walleye, the night bite is starting to heat up, with fish moving into the shallows—trollers working anywhere from Gordon Park to just east of Wildwood Park have been picking up plenty of eaters, and a few fish pushing into the upper 20-inch class came in after sundown.

Steelhead are being caught at the river mouths, and early morning casters off the rocks near E. 72nd have even pulled a few bonus smallies and sheepshead.

Best baits right now? For perch, nothing beats a classic spreader perch rig tipped with emerald shiners—if you can’t find shiners, live minnows or softshell crayfish will get the job done. A simple crappie rig loaded with pieces of worm has put plenty in the bucket as well. Walleye chasers, break out your Bandits in chrome/blue and firetiger patterns, or try trolling deep-diving Husky Jerks and spoons just off the dropoffs. Caster fans, now’s the time for 1/8 to 1/4 ounce jigs with chartreuse twister tails or blade baits along the rockpiles. Anglers on the river mouths and harbors are also scoring with swimbaits and small, flashy spoons—anything that mimics those baitfish hugging the shoreline at dawn.

If you’re after smallmouth bass, rock hopping around the harbor mouths or the breakwalls between Wendy Park and Edgewater early in the morning or late afternoon is your best bet. Drop-shot rigs with 3" Gulp minnows or Ned rigs in green pumpkin have been landing nice fish after sunrise.

Hot spots today—
- E. 72nd Street breakwalls, especially near the lighthouse, for a multi-species shot at perch and steelhead.
- The area out front of Edgewater Park in 36-40 feet for fast perch limits.
- Gordon Park to Wildwood Park, especially around dusk,for walleye.
- Old Coast Guard Station rocks for smallmouth and maybe even a surprise white bass.

That’s all for today from your local Lake Erie angling desk. Thanks for tuning in—don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. 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 with your Lake Erie Cleveland area fishing report
for Sunday, September fourteenth, twenty twenty five. It's a gorgeous
early fall morning on the North coast and conditions are
just about tailor made for getting lines wet. According to
the National Weather Service, we've got high pressure sitting on us,
keeping winds light out of the east at less than
ten knots and waves a gentle one foot or less

(00:22):
all day, perfect for small boats and pure fishing. The
sun rose bright at seven oh five am and won't
dip below the horizon until seven thirty eight PM, giving
us a nice long window to chase that bite. Cleveland's
water temp is showing seventy six to seventy eight degrees
just off the city, and surface air temps are pushing

(00:43):
a warm eighty four by midday, with only a scatter
of clouds, classic late summer action before the real autumn
turnover hits. No tidal swing to worry about here, but
that mild chop should keep up just enough oxygen for
active fish, especially with that cold front forecasted to clear
out by evening. Inside scoop from l Dash thirty six

(01:03):
dot com is to expect those conditions to hold through
tomorrow morning, but look out unsettled weathers heading our way
early next week, so make the most of the stable
bite while it lasts. Let's talk fish activity. Local anglers
out yesterday and early this morning have been slamming yellow
perch and walleye on the western and central basins. Words

(01:24):
out that the perch bite has been red hot around
the Cleveland Harbor break walls and just out from Edgewater Park.
Anywhere you see the pack boats working perchure under the boat,
most are seeing quick limits of nine to twelve inchures,
mainly between thirty six and forty two feet of water.
For walleye. The night bite is starting to heat up

(01:46):
with fish moving into the shallows. Trollers working anywhere from
Gordon Park to just east of Wildwood Park have been
picking up plenty of eaters and a few fish pushing
into the upper twenty inch class came in after sundow down.
Steelhead are being caught at the river mouths, and early
morning casters off the rocks near E seventy second have

(02:07):
even pulled a few bonus smallies and sheep said best
baits right now for perch, nothing beats a classic spread
or perch rig tipped with emerald shiners. If you can't
find shiners, live minnows or sawshell crayfish will get the
job done. A simple crappy rig loaded with pieces of
worm has put plenty in the bucket as well. Wileye chasers,

(02:30):
break out your bandits and chrome blue and fire tiger patterns,
or try trolling deep diving husky jerks and spoons just
off the drop offs, castor fans. Now's the time for
one eighth to one fourth ounced jigs with Chartru's twister
tails or blade baits along the rock piles. Anglers on
the river mouths and harbors are also scoring with swim
baits and small flashy spoons, anything that mimics those baitfish

(02:54):
hugging the shoreline at dawn. If you're after small mouth bass,
rock hopping around the harbor mouths or the breakwalls between
Wendy Park and Edgewater early in the morning or late
afternoon is your best bet. Dropshot rigs with three inch
gulp minnows or ned rigs and green pumpkin have been
landing nice fish after sunrise. Hotspots today e seventy second

(03:16):
street breakwalls, especially near the lighthouse for a multi species
shot at perch and steelhead. The area out front of
Edgewater Park in thirty six to forty feet for fast perch.
Limits Gordon Park to Wildwood Park, especially around dusk for walleye,
Old Coastguard station rocks for smallmouth and maybe even a

(03:36):
surprise white bass. That's all for today from your local
Lake Erie angling desk. Thanks for tuning in. Don't forget
to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has
been a quiet please production. For more check out Quiet
please dot ai