Lake Erie Fishing Report May 28 2025 - Smallies, Walleye, and Perch Bites Heating Up

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Lake Erie Cleveland fishing report for Wednesday, May 28, 2025. We’re heading into summer patterns here on the north coast, and the bite on Lake Erie and its connected waters is heating up. The sun rose at 5:56 AM and will set tonight at 8:52 PM, giving you a generous window to get on the water. Lake Erie isn’t tidal, but wind does push water levels a bit—currently, the lake’s sitting near normal with a gentle southwest breeze, and we’re expecting partly cloudy skies and temperatures topping out in the upper 60s. Rain is possible later this week, so today is a prime window to hit the water before levels rise in the rivers. Anglers are reporting excellent numbers of lake-run smallmouth bass in both the main lake and the Rocky and Chagrin rivers. The smallies are stacked up along rocky shorelines, breakwalls, and river mouths, hitting medium-size minnow or shad crankbaits, olive tube jigs around 3 inches, Ned rigs, and spinnerbaits. Streamer flies that mimic local forage like gobies or shiners are also drawing aggressive strikes. Most fish range from 14 to 18 inches, and the action has been hot, with quick limits and lots of catch-and-release[1][2][3]. If you’re targeting walleye, the bite is strong along the Cleveland shoreline in 25 to 35 feet of water, especially from Edgewater to E. 72nd Street. Anglers are pulling in fish trolling stickbaits, deep-diving crankbaits, and worm harnesses. Fish are averaging 18–25 inches, with the occasional trophy over 28 inches. Reports show mixed year classes, which bodes well for summer fishing. Despite a slight drop in yellow perch numbers in the central basin, there are still decent pockets—try live minnows near the bottom off the Cleveland harbor for your best shot at a perch fry[5]. There’s still a handful of late-running steelhead in the Rocky and Chagrin rivers, though their numbers are falling fast as the water warms. Trout stocked in Wallace and Shadow lakes are providing a backup plan if winds keep you off the big water[1][2]. For hot spots, Edgewater Park and the E. 72nd Street access remain top choices for both walleye and bass. The Rocky River mouth is also fishing well, especially for smallmouth. Don’t overlook the breakwalls and harbor areas for mixed bag action. Best baits: - Smallmouth: 3-inch olive tube jigs, Ned rigs, minnow imitating crankbaits, spinners, streamer flies - Walleye: Stickbaits (Smithwick, Bandit), deep-diving cranks, worm harnesses - Perch: Live minnows on perch rigs That’s your local scoop. Good luck out there, respect the limits, and tight lines to all. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.