Lake Erie Cleveland Fishing Report: Walleye, Perch, and Steelhead Action in Winter Conditions

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Lake Erie Cleveland fishing report. We’re locked in full-on winter mode along the south shore. According to the National Weather Service Cleveland marine forecast, nearshore winds are running southwest 15 to 25 knots with waves 2 to 4 feet, building at times with passing snow showers. Water temp off Cleveland is hanging around 41 degrees, and with these stiff winds and off-and-on snow, it’s small‑craft‑advisory territory. Shore and protected-harbor fishing are the safer play. Sunrise is right around 7:40 a.m., sunset about 4:55 p.m. Here in December your best bite windows have been first light through late morning, then again that last hour before dark when the wind briefly eases and the lake settles just a touch. News 5 Cleveland and other local outlets have been talking about unusually early ice forming on parts of Lake Erie this month, thanks to persistent below-normal temps. It’s still too patchy and thin to walk on; think “skim ice along marinas and back channels,” not safe ice fishing yet. Treat every sheet like it’s lying to you. Recent action has centered on cold‑water walleye and mixed perch, with a few bonus steelhead. The early December Lake Erie Cleveland Fishing Report Today podcast has been calling out steady night‑time walleye catches on crankbaits and jigging spoons when the weather lets guys sneak out between blows. Limits haven’t been automatic, but decent numbers of 18–24 inch fish have been coming in when you time the wind and stay on the breaks. From shore, steelhead have been pushing into the Cuyahoga, Rocky, and Chagrin tribs after each snow and rain pulse. Anglers drifting spawn bags and wax‑worm tipped jigs under floats have been picking off a mix of chrome and darker holdovers, a half‑dozen bites in a morning being pretty realistic if you cover water. Best producers right now: - For walleye: Deep-diving crankbaits in purple, firetiger, and natural shad; 1/2–3/4 oz jigging spoons; hair jigs tipped with emerald shiners. Slow the retrieve to a crawl and use long pauses – these cold‑water ’eyes don’t want to work for it. - For perch: Sabiki or spreader rigs baited with emerald shiners, fished tight to bottom on inside humps and the first breakline when the lake calms for a day. - For steelhead: Fresh steelhead spawn in pink or chartreuse mesh, small white or pink marabou jigs, and 3–4 inch minnows. Light fluorocarbon leaders and natural drifts are key with today’s clear, cold water. A couple of hot spots to circle: - **E. 55th and E. 72nd Marina walls** in Cleveland: When waves back down, these shorelines and harbor mouths give you access to nighttime walleye cruising lanes and the odd bruiser steelhead. Work crankbaits and jigs parallel to the wall after dark, slow and low. - **Cleveland Harbor and the Cuyahoga mouth**: On days the wind lines up, boaters and hardy shore anglers have been picking at walleye and the last of the fall perch around current This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.