Cleveland Fishing Charters
Charter captains are often based in Lorain or Vermilion and have a wealth of experience in catching trophy-class perch and walleye on Lake Erie. They are happy to assist you, no matter how short or long your time is.
Anglers who like to do it all on their own have a lot of options.
Metroparks
The Cleveland metro area has a great network of parks. Two of them are especially popular with anglers: Lake Erie or Lake St. Clair.
TheMetropark Lake St. ClairIt is located right next to Detroit and offers easy access to the lake’s large populations of smallmouth bass, walleye, yellowperch, muskie, and walleye. Lake St. Clair is a popular fishing destination, despite its close proximity to major cities.
TheLake Erie MetroparkIt is located directly on Lake Erie, which allows for easy access to some of the best fishing in both the north and south U.S. Summer is the best time to visit Lake Erie, which is well-known for its perch and walleye.
Rocky River Marina
Rocky River Marina, just a short drive upriver from Lake Erie is one of Cleveland’s most popular locations for anglers.
Wallace Lake
While walleye and perch are the local specialties, Wallace Lake proves that you can never judge a book by its cover. The lake is accessible from shore or via a public launch. It offers excellent largemouth bass fishing as well as panfish, pike and catfish.
Edgewater Park Beach
Edgewater Park Beach is a great place to fish from shore. It also offers excellent fishing access on Lake Erie. For the more adventurous anglers, Edgewater Park Beach makes an excellent base camp for ice fishing.
Rules & regulations
If you are fishing on a charter, you don’t need a fishing licence. A valid license is required if you plan to go out on your own. You will be informed about the regulations regarding bag size and weight limits by your captain.
Please be aware that conditions on Lake Erie can deteriorate rapidly, and due to its shallow depth, high waves develop almost without warning.
Cleveland Fishing Seasons
January
Anglers will be greeted by cold temperatures in the New Year. You can go ice fishing if you are really adventurous. The steelhead bite is expected to pick up in February.
February
The hard water offers plenty of opportunities for perch and panfish to continue ice fishing. The steelhead season is also at its peak.
March
March can be fickle, with the weather changing from winter to spring within a single day. The fishing is still great, evidently!
April
Locals know that April is famous for the annual Barbie Rod Steelhead Derby, so be sure to bring your favorite pink plastic tackle! Steelhead fishing is still strong but walleye, perch and smallmouth fishing are improving as the ice melts.
May
Warm water provides plenty of energy to feed, and May is the month for perch, smallie and walleye fishing.
June
For bass anglers, June means only one thing: the Great Lakes Largemouth Series The walleye, perch, catfish, and smallies don’t mind all that attention directed toward largemouth, though, and June can be a great time to target them.
July
July is heating up, which means that smallmouth fishing in the evenings is a time-honored custom. Walleye, perch and catfish are still plentiful because prey is abundant.
August
Fishing for all species, except steelhead, continues to be a thrilling experience in warm water.
September
September is a great month for yellow perch fishing due to the cooler water temperatures. Falling temperatures also bring back steelhead, but walleye fishing has begun to decline.
October
The fish are well aware that winter is approaching, so it’s a good time to fish largemouth bass to get fat. Perch fishing is also an excellent option.
November
The perch fishing season is peak in November, when walleye, bass and catfish slow down due to the cold. Locals are well aware of this fact. This is a great time of year to fish for steelhead in the last open water.
December
As temperatures drop and winter comes to the Lake, ice fishing for panfish and perch begins. The steelhead aren’t bothered by this, and December is the best month to catch trophy trout.
Top Targeted Species of Cleveland
- Walleye
- Steelhead
- Catfish
- Yellow perch
- Smallmouth bass