Crisp Conditions Fuel Walleye & Steelhead Surge on Lake Erie Cleveland

This is Artificial Lure with your November 14, 2025 Lake Erie, Cleveland fishing report. We rolled out of bed to **clear skies and a high-pressure system on the move**, setting up a crisp and pleasant day before weekend rain is expected, according to Hoodline. Temps are in the mid-40s at sunrise, with a light west breeze and calmer conditions than we’ve seen most of this choppy month. Water temps off Cleveland are steady around 51 degrees, based on the latest National Weather Service open lake forecast. Small craft advisories have expired, making for fishable but still brisk waves at 1 to 3 feet this morning, flattening out by late afternoon. **Sunrise hit at 7:07 AM and sunset winds down at 5:09 PM.** With these shorter days, anglers are stacking bites right at first and last light. The talk on the docks and in online chatter like Walleye.com has been about the recent **late-fall walleye resurgence**. The night bite is especially hot right now, with good size ‘eyes coming off the city’s piers, Edgewater, and East 72nd. Shorelines and breakwalls after dark have been producing steady limits. Several groups last night reported taking home three to five walleye each, most in the 18–24” slot. As the sun comes up, the bite slows but holds on for those vertical jigging out deep. Perch are sporadic but still catchable. Try west of the Cleveland harbor in 36–40 feet, or at the mouth of the Rocky River when you see gulls working bait. Just don’t expect a full cooler—action is more hit-or-miss, but the jumbos are in. **Steelhead numbers are solid in the local rivers and creeks.** The Rocky and Chagrin have been giving up chrome, especially after last week’s winds calmed muddy flows. Anglers are swinging in a mix of fresh-run steelhead and some browns for those hiking up the riffles. Now, let’s talk tactics and best baits—this is what everybody’s been waiting for: - For **walleye after dark**, throw shallow-diving stickbaits (think Smithwick Rogues, Rapala Husky Jerks, or Bandits) in clown, purple, and blue/chrome. Troll these slow and steady for pier action, or cast parallel along breakwalls. - If you’re on the rivers for **steelhead**, drift 10mm beads in green or chartreuse, or white marabou jigs beneath a float. Fresh spawn bags and egg sacs in blue, white, or pink remain hot tickets, with VooDoo jigs also drawing strikes, as detailed in Upstate and Western New York’s recent report. - **Perch** are on the move; try emerald shiners on crappie rigs or slider rigs tight to the bottom. Jigging Raps and 2-inch plastic grubs in bright yellow or chartreuse will pick up bonus fish when things quiet down. - For bonus brown trout and incidental lake trout, orange and peach beads or maggots below a float are productive, but remember lake trout are out of season right now. **Top spots today:** - East 72nd Street Marina for a strong evening and night walleye bite along the breakwall. - Mouth of the Rocky River for mixed bags—walleyes at night, steelhead and b This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.