Late Fall Fishing on Erie: Walleye, Perch, and More

Good morning, fellow anglers—Artificial Lure here bringing you the Lake Erie and Cleveland fishing report for November 8, 2025. Today’s weather is shaping up classic for late fall on Erie: right now, off Cleveland, the water sits at a cool 56 degrees according to the National Weather Service, and we’re looking at mostly overcast skies with a high in the upper 40s. That north wind we had overnight is tapering off, and for much of the day you’ll see 5 to 10 knots from the north-northeast and waves settling down, generally 1 to 3 feet, maybe even flattening out more in the afternoon. There might be some rain swinging in by mid-to-late afternoon. Sunrise this morning was at 7:05 a.m., and you can expect sunset at 5:13 p.m. As far as tidal activity, Erie’s a basin lake so tides aren’t a factor, but that north and northeast wind will push some water out of harbors—watch for lower water levels on the shoreline and pier edges, especially if winds freshen up again, as posted on USHarbors. The fall bite is on, and so are the big-fish opportunities. A lot of folks have been out east of Cleveland chasing walleye after dark, especially between East 72nd Street, Gordon Park, and all the way to Edgewater—The Fishing Foundation reports a surge in the night bite. Walleye are stacked shallow and hitting crankbaits, jerkbaits, and Husky Jerks, mostly in clown and purple patterns. Don’t overlook Bandit Walleye Deep Divers—they’ve been outproducing the rest for big fish. Daytime, perch activity has perked up as temps have dropped. Most shore reports have hammers in 32 to 38 feet off the Cleveland crib and just west of Gordon Park. Best rigs continue to be drop shotting with emerald shiners, or classic two-hook crappie rigs—natural shad patterns are working great, but on these gloomy days, chartreuse or pink gets extra looks, according to FishGPT. Smallmouth remain scattered but fat: deeper rock piles between 25-35 feet are holding fish, and Ned rigs or tube jigs brown/green flake get the nod. You might get a bonus steelhead near harbor mouths; try a chrome Little Cleo if you see them rolling. For hot spots: - **E. 72nd Street breakwalls (rockpiles and marina mouth):** Night walleye fishing is hot—twitch minnow-style crankbaits slow and steady. - **Edgewater Park:** Perch holding deep; use drop-shot rigs baited with shiners or a 2 to 3 inch Gulp! minnow on days when live bait is in short supply. - **Fairport Harbor:** If you’re looking for steelhead, toss spoons at the mouth early in the morning. Top baits for the weekend: - For walleye: Deep-diving crankbaits in purple or clown, and Husky Jerks or Smithwicks in metallic or firetiger. - For perch: Emerald shiners, lake worms, small soft plastics in white, chartreuse, or even pink. - For smallmouth: Ned rigs, tubes, and swimbaits in natural and green pumpkin patterns. Safety tip: With waves still settling and water temps chilling, wear your PFD when you’re out, especially in the dark or if you’re fishing alon