Lake Erie Fishing Report: Walleye Bonanza, Smallies Abound, and River Steelhead Linger

Artificial Lure here, bringing you the Lake Erie and Cleveland area fishing report for Saturday, May 24th, 2025. Let’s start with today’s weather. We’re expecting a mild spring day around Cleveland, with lingering clouds early and temps rising into the low 70s. Winds should be manageable, but do keep an eye on the lake breeze kicking up around noon. The water is a bit stained in places from recent rain, but rivers like the Rocky and Chagrin are clearing up and are in good shape for now, though more rain is in the weekend forecast. Sunrise was at 5:56 am and sunset will be at 8:45 pm, so there’s plenty of daylight for you to wet a line. Right now, fishing pressure is up and for good reason. Lake Erie is living up to its reputation as the Walleye Capital of the World. Limits of walleye are coming in left and right. Most catches have come trolling with crankbaits or worm harnesses in 20 to 30 feet of water off Edgewater and Gordon Park. If you’re up for a mixed bag, you’ll also find yellow perch in the west zone, though numbers are lower east of Cleveland and the daily limit has just dropped to 20 in that stretch. The western basin is still hot though, and you can fill a cooler if you work at it[4]. Along the lakefront and in the lower stretches of the rivers, the smallmouth bass bite is excellent. The lake-run smallmouths are in, with lots of fish over 18 inches reported. Tube jigs in olive, Ned rigs, and smaller crankbaits that mimic shad or goby patterns are the reliable producers. There are still a few lingering steelhead in the rivers, but that's winding down fast. If you want to go for the “silver and bronze” double, now’s the time: a big smallie and a bonus steelhead in the same morning is a real possibility on the Rocky[1][2][3][5]. Best bait for smallmouth are soft plastics—ned rigs or tubes—and for walleye, try trolling Bandit or Flicker Minnow crankbaits in perch or firetiger patterns, or drifting worm harnesses with bright blades. Minnows and leeches will work for perch if you can find a school. For hot spots, check out the Edgewater breakwall or the mouth of the Cuyahoga for a crack at walleye and smallies. Inside the mouth of the Rocky River and along the E 72nd St. marina are also producing well for bass. If you want some sheltered fishing, the marinas and harbor mouths can be great, especially as water clarity improves. That’s the rundown for today. Get out early, beat the storms, and good luck out there. Fish on! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.