Title: Lake Erie Fishing Report - Walleye, Smallmouth, and Perch Action Heats Up for Fall

Good morning, anglers—Artificial Lure here, bringing you today’s Cleveland Lake Erie fishing report for October 1st, 2025.

Let’s start with the weather and lake conditions. Overnight, stiff northeast winds up to 25 knots pushed waves to 4–7 feet, with some rollers topping out around 9 feet, according to the National Weather Service out of Cleveland. That’s got a small craft advisory in place until early Thursday morning, so unless you’re in a larger boat and know the lake well, best play it safe and stick closer to shore today. Skies are mostly clear and temps are cool, with water off Cleveland holding steady at a fishy 71°F.

Sunrise hit at 7:22 AM and sunset is pegged for 7:09 PM. With the new month rolling in and the mornings getting brisk, fish are feeling that shift and activity is picking up, especially for the fall run species.

This past week, area regulars and charter captains have been reporting a solid walleye bite both east and west of Cleveland, particularly near Lorain and out toward Geneva. Trolling programs are still putting walleye in the box: from 52 to 68 feet of water, double willow worm harnesses have been the hot ticket, and many are pulling Bandit crankbaits 70–100 feet back behind boards. Those golden and perch-pattern cranks are out-producing the rest.

For folks targeting smallmouth bass, rocky points near the breakwalls off Edgewater and E. 72nd have seen decent action, especially early and late. Reaction Tackle’s tungsten stand-up shaky heads rigged with goby-soft plastics or ned rigs have done damage when hopped along the rocks. Smallies are nabbing tube jigs in green pumpkin as well.

Perch action picked up a tick this week as well. Anglers report most action on the sand humps off E. 55th and around the crib, spread out in 28–38 feet. Emerald shiner remains the classic bait—if you’ve got ’em. Some guys have been experimenting with preserved shiners and even vodka-cured leeches, with fair results. A simple drop-shot or tandem rig with #6 hooks will put dinner in the cooler.

Walleye.com notes some recent limits coming from north of the Cleveland water intake crib and out east toward Ashtabula, especially in the deeper trenches, so if you’re mobile, don’t be afraid to run and gun to find your marks.

As for tackle, if you’re after walleyes today, bring those golden jigging spoons—Reaction Tackle’s heavy tungsten models tipped with a minnow have been putting big fish on deck, especially when vertical jigged over marks in deeper water. Pike and the odd steelhead are showing in the same zones. For bass, stick with paddle tail swimbaits or ned rigs, and don’t overlook a simple white twister tail.

Hot spots for today:
- The outer breakwall and rockpiles near Gordon Park (E. 72nd access) are always worth a drift, especially as smallmouth stage for fall.
- The sand humps northeast of E. 55th marina, particularly for perch and the occasional bonus walleye.
- If lake conditions allow, the trenches off Geneva and north of the Cleveland crib have both produced walleye limits this past week.

If you’re looking for a quieter bite with families or kids, hit the sheltered harbors—Edgewater and Wildwood are seeing good panfish and the odd bonus largemouth, especially on live minnows below a float.

Fishing tends to be best early morning and just before sunset, but with the water cooling and this northeast blow mixing things up, fish will move and so should you. Adapt, stay safe, and watch for floating debris after all this wind.

Thanks for tuning in to your Lake Erie fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe for tomorrow’s update and tight lines out there. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, anglers. Artificial Lore here bringing you today's Cleveland
Lake Erie fishing report for October one, twenty twenty five.
Let's start with the weather and lake conditions. Overnight, stiff
northeast winds up to twenty five knots pushed waves to
four seven feet, with some rollers topping out around nine feet.

(00:20):
According to the National Weather Service out of Cleveland. That's
got a small craft advisory in place until early Thursday morning,
So unless you're in a larger boat and know the
lake well, best play it safe and stick closer to shore. Today,
skies are mostly clear and tempts are cool, with water
off Cleveland holding steady at a fishy seventy one degrees fahrenheit.

(00:42):
Sunrise hit at seven twenty two am and sunset is
pegged for seven zero nine pm. With the new month
rolling in in the morning's getting brisk, fisher feeling that
shift and activity is picking up, especially for the fall
run species. This past week, area irregulars and charter captains
have been reported ving a solid walleye bite both east

(01:02):
and west of Cleveland, particularly near Lorraine and out toward Geneva.
Trolling programs are still putting walleye in the box from
fifty two to sixty eight feet of water. Double willow
warm harnesses have been the hot ticket and many are
pulling bandit grank baits seventy one hundred feet back behind boards.
Those golden and perch patterned cranks are out producing the

(01:24):
rest for folks targeting smallmouth bass. Rocky points near the
break walls off edge Jotterer and E seventy second have
seen decent action, especially early and late reaction tackles. Tungsten
stand up shaky heads rigged with goby soft plastics or
ned rigs have done damage when hopped along the rocks.

(01:44):
Smallies are nabbing tube jenks in green pumpkin as well.
Perch action picked up a tick this week as well.
Anglers report most action on the sand humps off east
fifty fifth and around the crid spread out in twenty
eight thousand, thirty eight feet. Emmeral chiner remains the classic
bait if you've got them. Some guys have been experimenting

(02:05):
with preserved shiners and even vodka cured leeches with fair results.
A simple drop shot or tandem rig with number six
oaks will put dinner in the cooler. Walleye dot Com
notes some recent limits coming from north of the Cleveland
Water Intake Crib and out east toward Ashtibulah, especially in

(02:25):
the deeper trenches, so if you're mobile, don't be afraid
to run and gun to find your marks. As for tackle,
if you're after walleyes today, bring those golden jigging spoons.
Reaction tackles. Heavy tungsten models tipped with a minnow have
been putting big fish on deck, especially when vertical jigged over.

(02:45):
Marks in deeper water pike in the odd steelhead are
showing in the same zones for bass. Stick with paddletail,
swim baits or ned rigs, and don't overlook a simple
white twistertail. Hotspots for today, the breakwall and rock piles
near Gordon Park E seventy second access are always worth

(03:06):
a drift, especially as smallmouth stage for fall. The sand
humps northeast of East fifty fifth Marina, particularly for perch,
and the occasional bonus Walleye if lake conditions allow. The
trenches off Geneva and north of the Cleveland Crib have
both produced walleye limits this past week. If you're looking

(03:26):
for a quieter bite with families or kids. Hit the
sheltered harbors. Edgewater and wild Wood are seeing good panfish
and the odd bonus largemouth, especially on live minnows below
a float. Fishing tends to be best early morning and
just before sunset, but with the water cooling and this
northeast blow mixing things up, fish will move and so

(03:49):
should you adapt. Stay safe and watch for floating debris
after all this wind. Thank thanks for tuning in to
your Lake Erie fishing report. Don't forget to subscribe for
tomorrow update and tight lines out there. This has been
a quiet please production. For more check out Quiet please
dot ai