Cleveland Walleye and Perch Bite Heats Up in Late Fall - Fishing Report 11/7/2025

Artificial Lure here with your on-the-water fishing report for Cleveland and the western basin, right on Lake Erie, this Friday, November 7th, 2025. First things first—let’s get a grip on today’s conditions. The sun rose at 6:59 AM and will dip at 5:16 PM, so there’s a tight window for prime action. The weather is brisk, with air temps this morning in the low 40s, warming just a touch, but stay layered up. According to the National Weather Service, we’re looking at a mix of clear skies and increasing clouds later, and Cleveland’s seeing winds out of the southwest, 10 to 20 knots. Waves are running 2 to 4 feet early, so small craft should use caution. The lake temperature off Cleveland is still holding at about 57 degrees, which is on the cool side but still pretty hot for late-season fishing. As we get into the weekend, a chance of lake-effect snow is coming in from Sunday night into Tuesday, so get out there before visibility and waves go sideways. Tides aren’t a factor on Erie but low water advisories are posted today, so keep clear of the shallow cuts and rock piles, especially on the west end. Muddy, churned-up water after wind can trigger a walleye bite but will make perch more scattered. Speaking of catch reports, Lake Erie anglers around the Cleveland area—especially off Edgewater and E. 72nd Street—are hauling in quality late-season walleyes. Multiple crews checked in this week with 4-6 fish limits, many over 25 inches, thanks in part to the Fall Brawl tournament heating up the night bite. Most productive have been crankbaits trolled at 1.2–1.8 mph after sunset. Local favorites right now are the Supernatural Big Baits Mattlock 10-12 and HÖWK Rocky Dentex TPE shallow divers, along with classic Bandits in purple clown and firetiger patterns. Early morning and dusk have produced the best action, with some big fish coming between midnight and 3 AM. In perch news, the bite is fair to good but the fish have moved deeper. Target 35–44 feet just east of the breakwalls and around the Cleveland Crib. Minnows on drop-shot rigs are doing most of the work, but tipping small jigging spoons with emerald shiners will pull bonus slabs when they’re tight-lipped. Reports from local boats show perch limits, but more sorting is needed—expect a handful of jumbos per trip, mixed with runts. The bass bite is slowing, but some nice smallmouth are still coming from rocky structure off Gordon Park and the harbor mouth, mostly on blade baits and soft plastic tube jigs. Best baits for walleye right now: deep-diving crankbaits, Reef Runner 800s, and Bandits. Best colors: purple, chrome, and anything with a hint of glow if you’re trolling at night. For perch: emerald shiners, either live or salted. For bass: dark tube jigs and blade baits. Couple of go-to hotspots this week: - E. 72nd Street Wall: Walleyes are stacking up after dark, especially on windy nights. Cast or troll parallel to the breaks. - Rocky River mouth: Good multi-species action, including bonus This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.