"Walleye and Smallmouth Slam on Lake Erie's Cleveland Shoreline"

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Friday, May 23rd fishing report for Lake Erie and the Cleveland shoreline. The weather over Lake Erie today is shaping up nicely for a day on the water. Conditions are stable and should remain mostly dry, with moderate winds and temperatures expected in the comfortable spring range. Sunrise hit around 5:57 AM and sunset will be at 8:49 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to work the water. There is no significant tidal effect on Lake Erie, but pay attention if we get more rain, as local rivers like the Rocky and Chagrin can rise and turn muddy pretty quickly, impacting clarity near river mouths. Recent fishing around Cleveland has been outstanding, and the lakefront is delivering the goods. Walleye fishing is still in full swing—anglers are catching solid numbers, with Central Basin catches including good eaters and the occasional trophy. Best bets for walleye have been trolling with deep-diving crankbaits, especially in natural shad or perch patterns, as well as harness rigs tipped with nightcrawlers. Early mornings and late evenings are producing the best bite as fish move into shallower water to feed. Smallmouth bass are also showing up in numbers along the lakefront, rocky points, and river mouths. Most fish are running between 3 to 4 pounds, with some pushing five. The highlight remains the lake-run smallmouth bite—these hard-fighting bronzebacks are crushing tube jigs (three-inch olive has been hot), Ned rigs, swimbaits, and spinners. A few steelhead are still mixed in, especially in the East Branch of the Rocky River, though that run is winding down. Mixed bag action is strong—anglers are reporting yellow perch, the odd channel catfish, and bonus white bass, especially near current seams or river mouths. For bait, nightcrawlers and emerald shiners are your best natural bets for walleye and perch. For bass, stick to artificial lures: tubes, Ned rigs, and minnow-mimicking swimbaits are working best. Streamer flies that look like gobies or shad will also draw bites, especially for fly anglers. If you’re looking for hot spots today, try the Cleveland Harbor breakwalls, the E72nd Street access, Edgewater Park, or the mouth of the Rocky River. The Cleveland Metroparks and river mouths have all been producing. Take advantage of the conditions before any rain moves in and muddies things up. Good luck and tight lines from Artificial Lure—see you on the water!