Springtime Smallies and Walleyes Thrive in Cleveland's Rivers and Shoreline

Hey there, fellow anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Lake Erie, Cleveland fishing report for this fine Monday morning, May 19, 2025. The fishing scene around Cleveland is absolutely popping right now! We've got excellent numbers of lake-run smallmouth bass in the Rocky and Chagrin rivers, with conditions looking pretty decent for today. There's been some rain in the forecast lately, so get out while the getting's good. Speaking of smallies, they've been hitting medium-sized minnow and shad crankbaits like nobody's business. If you're looking to hook into these bronzebacks, don't leave home without your spinners, tube jigs (that 3-inch olive color is money), and Ned rigs. Fly anglers, bring those streamer flies that mimic minnows or gobies. For you walleye chasers, the post-spawn bite after dark has been a bit slow, but persistent anglers are still connecting with some nice fish. Try casting those larger Perfect 10 or Husky Jerk shallow diving stickbaits for best results. The Cleveland shoreline is offering a mixed bag right now - largemouth bass, northern pike, rock bass, and even a few late-season steelhead if you're lucky. You might even score the coveted "silver and bronze" - landing both a steelhead and a big smallmouth on the same trip! Over in the bay, smallmouth continue to move in with good numbers being reported. Interestingly, folks are picking up some bonus largemouth while targeting those smallies. Fish are holding both shallow and deep, so you've got options on how to approach them. Hot spots? You can't go wrong with the Rocky River Main Branch or East Branch right now. Wallace Lake is another solid bet, but heads up - the north side of the swimming area was closed until yesterday for a children's fishing derby, so it should be open again now. All the courtesy docks are installed at Metroparks public boat launches, and the E72nd fish cleaning station is open and ready for your catch. Weather-wise, we've had a decent stretch, but keep an eye on those conditions. The wind might kick up a bit as we move through the day. That's the word from the water for today, folks! This is Artificial Lure saying tight lines and full creels to all you Cleveland anglers. Get out there while these spring conditions are holding, and remember - a bad day fishing still beats a good day at work!