Spring Smallmouth, Walleye Bite along Cleveland's North Coast

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Lake Erie and Cleveland area fishing report for Sunday, May 11, 2025. We’re heading into a classic spring day on the north coast. The sunrise lit up the city at 6:09 am and we’re looking at sunset around 8:33 pm. Weather conditions today are mostly stable and mild, with just a slight breeze out of the west and temperatures peaking in the upper 60s to low 70s. There’s no major rain in the forecast for today, so river and lake conditions should be favorable for most anglers, although some of our rivers like the Rocky and Chagrin still have a bit of a muddy stain from earlier showers[1][2]. The lake-run smallmouth bass fishing remains the highlight across all waters. Smallmouth are active and pushing into rocky shorelines and river mouths. Many are being caught both along the Lake Erie breakwalls and in the deeper pools of the Rocky and Chagrin Rivers. Productive baits include medium-sized minnow or shad-pattern crankbaits, spinners, olive tube jigs (3-inchers have been hot), Ned rigs, and minnow-imitating streamer flies. Goby patterns continue to perform when the water’s clear[1][2]. Walleye anglers are also reporting some good catches, especially in the evening and after dark near the Cleveland Harbor and E. 72nd Street area. Jigging with blade baits or trolling stickbaits just off the breakwalls remain the go-to techniques. Remember, between May 1 and June 21, you can only keep one bass over 18 inches per day, so remember selective harvest and let the trophies go for the next angler[3]. Steelhead fishing is winding down but you can still find a few lingering fish in the deeper holes of both the Rocky and Chagrin Rivers, though this window is closing fast. For trout fans, there are still plenty of stocked rainbow trout in Wallace and Shadow Lakes. Try small spoons, spinners, PowerBait, or small jigs tipped with a maggot or waxworm under a bobber[1]. A couple of hot spots to consider today: - The Rocky River mouth and marina area is holding plenty of smallmouth, as well as a few bonus steelhead for those looking for the “silver and bronze” combo. - E. 72nd Street pier and the breakwall around Gordon Park Lakefront are producing walleye and smallmouth, especially in the early morning and toward dusk. Bait shops are recommending fresh emerald shiners when you can get them, along with waxworms and fathead minnows for multispecies action. That’s the report for today. Get out early, target those rocky structures and river mouths, and don’t be shy about mixing up your lure colors if the bite slows down. Good luck and tight lines!