"Lake Erie Fishing Report: Walleye, Bass, and Perch Action Heats Up Around Cleveland"

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Lake Erie fishing report for Cleveland and the surrounding shoreline, Friday, September 19th, 2025.

We kicked off the morning with a *sunrise at 7:17 AM* and can expect sunset at *7:38 PM*. Today’s weather is fantastic for anglers—*mostly sunny skies*, a high in the *mid-70s*, and *northeast winds 5 to 15 mph* shifting easterly as the day goes on. *Wave heights* are holding at *2 feet or less*, making conditions comfortable from the city breakwalls out to five nautical miles. Water temperature is a steady *70 degrees off Cleveland*, so keep a light jacket close for that early start according to the National Weather Service Cleveland Marine Forecast.

Lake Erie doesn't experience true tidal swings, but watch for wind-driven water levels influencing shoreline bite times—east winds often push baitfish closer to the Cleveland Harbor and nearby rocky shorelines, making *dawn and dusk prime periods for casting*.

Over the past week, fish activity has ramped up with the cooling nights. Local walleye action is picking back up—reports from Precision Trolling Data and anglers using the *50+3T trolling method with Off Shore Tackle 3-oz weights* have found pods of 'eyes scattered along mid-lake humps and drop-offs. Anglers are boating *decent limits of 3- to 5-pound walleye*, especially trolling deep-diving crankbaits and worm harnesses from Gordon Park east toward Wildwood Marina.

Bass fishing near breakwalls and harbor mouths continues to be productive. Tournament results across northern Ohio indicate largemouth and smallmouth bass are hitting hard on *Ned rigs, drop-shot setups, and tube jigs in 6 to 14 feet*. Reaction Tackle reviewers rave about *paddle tail swimbaits rigged on 3/0 or 4/0 hooks*—these have produced both quantity and quality, especially around riprap and submerged weed beds. Micro tubes pulled through rock piles off E. 55th have landed some surprise *3- to 5-pound smallmouth*.

Yellow perch remain scattered but persistent catches have come from the east end of the Cleveland breakwall and near Edgewater Park, especially for folks anchoring and using emerald shiners or fathead minnows on light drop-shot rigs. The best depth for perch is 17-24 feet, and the afternoons have been solid. Expect mixed buckets with perch running 8 to 11 inches.

For bait, live *emerald shiners* remain the perennial favorite for perch and are excellent on slip bobber rigs. For walleye, drift-walking *crawler harnesses* in chrome, purple, or chartreuse blades has edged out other methods this week, while *deep-diving shad-style crankbaits* like Bandits or Reef Runners are still effective for trolling. Bass anglers should pack *green pumpkin* and *Goby-imitating tubes*, both fished slowly on tungsten jig heads for best bite.

If you’re planning where to launch, two hotspots should be on the radar:
- **Cleveland Harbor mouth**—active feeding right at sunrise as bait gathers near current breaks. Walleye and bass both frequent this area.
- **Wildwood Marina east to Euclid**—steady walleye bite trolling deeper edges, and perch holding in pockets along mid-depth flats.

As always, be safe on the water, mind the wave conditions, and keep a sharp eye out for floating debris after a week of variable winds.

Thanks for tuning in to today’s Lake Erie report from Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe for more weekly tips and real-time updates.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, anglers. This is artificial lore with your Lake
Erie fishing report for Cleveland and the surrounding shoreline. Friday,
September nineteenth, twenty twenty five. We kicked all the morning
with a sunrise at seven seventeen am and can expect
sunset at seven thirty eight pm. Today's weather is fantastic
for anglers, mostly sunny skies, a high in the mid

(00:21):
seventies and northeast winds five to fifteen miles per hour
shifting easterly as the day goes on. Wave heights are
holding at two feet or less, making conditions comfortable from
the city break walls out to five nautical miles. Water
temperature is a steady seventy degrees off Cleveland, so keep
a light jacket close for that early start. According to
the National Weather Service Cleveland Marine Forecast, Lake Erie doesn't

(00:44):
experience true title swings, but watch for wind driven water
levels influencing shoreline bike times. East winds often push baitfish
closer to the Cleveland Harbor and New Bay Rocky shorelines,
making dawn and dusk prime periods for casting. Over the
past week, fish activity had ramped up with the cooling nights.
Local walleye action is picking back up reports from precision

(01:05):
trolling data and anglers using the fifty plus three t
trolling method with offshore tackle three desh oz weights and
found pods of eyes scattered along midlay humps and drop offs.
Anglers are boating decent limits of three to five pound walleye,
especially trolling, deep diving, crank baits and worm harnesses from
Gordon Park east toward Wildwood Marina. Bass fishing near break

(01:28):
walls and harbor mounts continues to be productive. Tournament results
across northern Ohio indicate largemouth and small mouth bass are
hitting hard on med rigs, drop shots, set ups, and
tube jigs in six to fourteen feet Reaction tackle reviewers
rave about paddle tail swim baits rigged on three zero
or four zero hooks. These have produced both quantity and quality,

(01:52):
especially around rip wrap and submerged weed beds. Micro Tubes
pulled through rock piles off e Fifth twenty fifth have
landed some surprise three to five pounds. Small mouth yellow
perch remain scattered, but persistent catches have come from the
east end of the Cleveland Breakwall and near Edgewater Park,
especially for folks anchoring and using emerald shiners or fat

(02:16):
head minnows on light drop shot rigs. The best depth
for perch is seventeen to twenty four feet and the
afternoons have been solid. Expect mixed buckets with perch running
eight to eleven inches for bait. Live emerald shiners remain
the perennial favorite for perch and are excellent on slip
bobber rigs. For walleye drift walking crawler harnesses in chrome,

(02:39):
purple or chartreuse blades has edged out other methods this week,
while deep diving shad style crankbaits like bandits or refroutters
are still effective. For trolling bass, anglers should pack green
pumptin and goby imitating tubes, both fished slowly on tungsten
jig heads for best bite. If you're planning where to lung,

(03:00):
two hotspots should be on the radar. The Cleveland Harbor
Mouth active feeding right at sunrise as bait gathers near
current breaks. Walleye and bass both frequent this area. Wildwood
Marina east to euclid steady walleye bite trolling deeper edges
and perch holding in pockets along mid depth flats as always,

(03:20):
be safe on the water, mine the wave conditions, and
keep a sharp eye out for floating debris after a
week of variable winds. Thanks for tuning in to the
day's lake Erie report from Artificial War. Don't forget to
subscribe for more weekly tips and real time updates. This
has been a quiet please production. For more check out
Quiet please dot ai