Early Fall Fishing Forecast for Lake Erie Cleveland

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Erie Cleveland fishing report for Wednesday, September 24th, 2025. We’re rolling into early fall and Lake Erie is starting to cool down, but the fishing action is still alive and well for a determined angler. This morning’s sunrise was at 7:16 AM, and you’ve got daylight to work with right up until sunset at 7:32 PM. Water temps in Cleveland are holding steady around 70 degrees—really prime for this time of year according to the National Weather Service Cleveland office. Weather’s looking mostly cloudy with scattered showers likely through the day, maybe even a rumble of thunder or two. South winds are cruising at 10 to 15 mph and the lake’s pretty calm—wave heights sitting at a foot or less. This translates into solid fishable conditions, just keep an eye out for any pop-up storms and play it safe near breakwalls, river mouths, and piers. Let’s talk fish activity: It’s transition season, so walleye are moving closer to shore, especially early and late in the day. Target Walleye reports that recent tournaments up the lake have seen good numbers of chunky eaters caught shallow on stickbaits and spoons, especially after cloudy days like we’re having. Perch catches are steady off Cleveland and east towards Mentor—look for these fish hanging out over deeper water, 38 to 45 feet, but don’t be shocked to find smaller packs starting to show up a little shallower as we push deeper into fall. Best bites right now? - Walleye: Troll Bandits or Smithwick Deep Rattlin’ Rogues just outside the breakwalls, or go old school with a 1/4-ounce jig tipped with either a minnow or a chartreuse twister tail. - Perch: Drop a crappie rig or spreader with emerald shiners—if you can get them—right on the bottom. When live shiners get scarce, 1.5-inch tube jigs in dark colors (black, gray) like Wired2Fish recommends for finicky eaters work wonders, especially when you add just a touch of scent. Bass action—both smallmouth and largemouth—is still strong around rocky points, harbor mouths, and marinas. Ned rigs in green pumpkin or drop shot rigs with 4-inch worms find bites when the fish get snug to cover after a rainfall. Don’t sleep on a compact spinnerbait flashy enough for stained water after recent showers. Can’t-miss hot spots this week: - The east-facing breakwall at East 72nd Street Marina - The outer reaches of Rocky River and the edge of the old Cleveland Crib - Mentor-on-the-Lake breakwalls for perch, especially in 38 to 42 feet. Recent catches have been respectable: boats are reporting limits of walleye up to 6 pounds, especially in the evenings, and coolers of perch averaging 9 to 12 inches. There’s even been a few bonus steelhead hitting spoons off the mouth of the Chagrin and Grand Rivers, especially after rainfall pushes some color into the water. With the conditions as they are, a light chop and cloud cover will keep predators hunting throughout the day. Just remember—fish slow and steady if you hit those rain show This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.