CENTRAL OHIO



Hargus Creek Lake (Pickaway County) - Crappies are active in coves and around woody cover. Use minnows under a bobber or small jigs. A good number of bluegill and redear sunfish up to eight inches can be caught on waxworms in shallow areas this time of year. A large population of largemouth bass from 12 to15 inches inhabits this lake with fish over 20 inches present. Largemouth bass can be caught on crankbaits, plastics tubes and creature baits. Note: 15 inch minimum length limit on largemouth bass and electric motors only.

Indian Lake (Logan County) - Saugeye are aggressive on wind swept points and channel openings with current at this 5040-acre lake in Logan County. Try casting or trolling small rattletraps and jigging suspending baits. Largemouth bass fishing is popular along the many stone riprap areas, docks, and islands. Many bass are in the 12 to18-inch size range and are in shallow water. Crappie and white bass fishing can both be good during May. Minnows are the most popular choice for live bait. Channel catfish fishing should be picking up as the water warms.



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NORTHWEST OHIO


Wauseon Reservoir #1 (Fulton County) - Saugeye are being taken on the bottom by trolling jigs or night crawlers. Fishing is good all over the reservoir.

Wauseon reservoir #2 (Fulton County) - Water temperature is 63 degrees. Saugeye and white bass are being caught in the mornings by fishing minnows under a slip bobber or casting jigs with a twister tail.

Archbold Reservoir (Fulton County) - Saugeye are being caught during the daylight hours by fishing minnows under a slip bobber or casting jigs with a twister tail.

Sandusky River (Sandusky County) - White bass are still being taken by casting light colored jigs from the shoreline. The best spots are between the State and Hayes Street bridges. The outlook this week is very good.

Muddy Creek (Sandusky County) - Good numbers of channel catfish in the 20-24 inch range are being taken in Muddy Creek. Night crawlers fished on the bottom day or night is working great. There will be some great fishing with the good weather that is forecast this week.

Maumee River (Henry County) - Nice catches of crappie are being taken in the brush piles at North Turkey Foot and by the docks at Mary Jane Thurston State Park. Fish minnows three to five feet under a bobber.


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NORTHEAST OHIO


LaDue Reservoir (Geauga County) - Largemouth bass are biting at this 1,475-acre lake located in the southern part of the county. Nice numbers of nine to 15-inch fish are being taken mostly by boat anglers. Electric motors only please.

Westbranch Reservoir (Portage County) - Large crappies between nine and 14-inches are being caught in the willow "stickups" near all available shorelines. Live minnows on gold hooks or smaller jigs under floats are the preferred methods. Anglers using lightweight line and extension rods are experiencing the most success. This 2,616-acre lake is located five miles east of Ravenna on SR 5. Wheelchair accessible shoreline fishing facilities are available.

Portage Lakes (Summit County) - Bass fishing is beginning to pick up as spawning season winds down. Hungry post-spawn bass are scattered, but biting well on a soft plastic lures like worms and Senkos. The sunfish bite is also improving, with bluegill and redear sunfish moving shallow in preparation for the spawn. Anglers are having success on maggots and pin mins jigs suspended under bobbers.

Berlin Lake (Stark, Mahoning, and Portage Counties) - Walleye are dispersed, and are being caught at depths between 15 to 25 feet. Crankbaits and jig and crawler combinations in bright colors have been periodically effective. While locating fish may be challenging, occasional large fish are being caught.

Spencer Lake (Medina County) - Anglers are reporting catches in large numbers of bluegills, perfectly sized for filleting and frying. Wax worms on small hooks works well in five to six feet of water near shore. Spinners are working well too and as a result, some anglers are also catching crappies in the six to ten inch range.





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SOUTHEAST OHIO

Bur Oak (Morgan and Athens counties) - Burr Oak continues to be an excellent bass lake in southeast Ohio. Anglers are using spinners and plastic worms with most of the success being toward the dam. Bluegill and crappie have been caught by fishing worms or minnows approximately five feet under a bobber in ten foot depths over structure.

Dillon Reservoir (Muskingum County) - Anglers are catching crappie in the seven to 11-inch range using jigs and minnows fished near the dam and marina areas. Hybrid striped bass are also being caught using worms or minnows fished on the bottom. Bluegill fishing is starting to pick-up with hot-spots including the shore and the areas around the marina.



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SOUTHWEST OHIO



Cowan Lake (Clinton County) - Crappie, between nine and 14-inches, are being caught around brush piles with slip bobber and minnows 12 to18 inches deep, within 20 feet off the bank.

Acton Lake (Preble County) - Crappie and Saugeye are being caught. Water temperature in the low 60's. Fish fallen timber on both shore lines. Try minnows or chartreuse and white for saugeye. The crappie are being taken on minnows under a float at about 12 to 20 inches deep.





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OHIO RIVER

New Cumberland lock to the Brown's Island area (Jefferson and Belmont counties) - Several anglers have been experiencing nice catches of channel catfish averaging 20 inches plus around the lock and downstream. Shad fished on the bottom produces best results.

Greenup Tailwaters (Scioto County) - Hybrid striped bass are still being fished from the fishing platform using cutbait. Anglers are also fishing worms on the bottom along the rip-rap for shovelhead catfish.



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Regulations to Remember:

The daily bag limit for Lake Erie walleye is 6 fish per angler. The minimum size limit for walleye is 15-inches.

The daily bag limit for Lake Erie yellow perch is 25 fish per angler in waters west of the Huron pier. The limit will remain at 30 fish per angler in Ohio waters from Huron eastward. Any boats landing west of Huron, Ohio will be subject to the 25 fish daily bag limit, while boats landing at Huron or points east will be subject to a 30 fish daily bag limit. Shore-based anglers west of the Huron pier will be subject to a 25 fish daily bag limit, while those on the pier and eastward will remain at 30 fish daily.

Through May 15 the steelhead trout daily bag limit is 2 fish. From May 16 through August 31 the daily bag limit is 5 fish. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12-inches.

May 1 through June 26 is closed to possession (catch and release only) for black bass (largemouth and smallmouth) with the limit returning to 5 fish on June 27, 2009 with a 14-inch minimum size limit.


Western Basin

Walleye fishing was good in the western basin during the week of May 11. The best fishing continues to be around the island complex including north of North Bass Island, between South Bass Island and Kelleys Island, north of Kelleys Island, and north of Kelleys Island Shoal. Farther west the fishing has been good near the Toledo harbor light and "A" can of the Camp Perry range. Drifters are using bottom bouncers with worm harnesses or are casting mayfly rigs. Trollers were catching fish on crankbaits, worm harnesses fished with inline weights or bottom bouncers, and also on spoons fished with dipsy divers or jet divers.

Yellow perch fishing has been best off of Ballast Island and around Kelleys Island. Perch spreaders or crappie rigs with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

The best smallmouth bass fishing reports have come from the around Kelleys Island.


Central Basin

Walleye have been caught trolling near shore in 10 to 25 feet off Cleveland, Grand River and Perry. Trollers are using crank baits, spoons and worm harnesses off planer boards and also flatline trolling. Fishing is picking up on the piers at Eastlake and Cleveland. The best times are in the evening and early morning.

Yellow perch fishing has been best in 30 to 40 feet off Fairport to Conneaut, and 30 to 40 feet east of Cleveland. Shore anglers have been catching fish off the Headlands Beach and Fairport piers on the Grand River and in Cleveland off the E 55th and E 72 Street piers in Cleveland. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

Smallmouth bass fishing has been good in 15 to 25 feet around harbor areas in Fairport Harbor, Geneva, Ashtabula and Conneaut. Fish are being caught on jigs tipped with minnows, leeches, tube jigs, and by trolling crankbaits.

Based on the nearshore marine forecast the water temperature is 57 off of Toledo and 53 off of Cleveland.




Anglers are encouraged to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device while boating.


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That will work just like that.
Thanks for the post JeffE,..

I fish alot at Hargus and I hang out at Wolf Creek (by Burr Oak).