Area fishing report

Indian Lake: With the large amount of rain in recent days, most of the fishing has slowed, except for catfish. Catfish are hitting all over the lake on almost any kind of bait you can toss. Nightcrawlers, chicken liver, shrimp and Power Baits have worked best. Crappies have been caught around the lily pads in the old game reserve, mostly on minnows. The best places to find saugeyes are in heavy weeds and under bridges. Work the docks for bluegills.

C.J. Brown Reservoir: Walleyes have been caught by trolling over the humps and old road bed. Use crankbaits or crawler harnesses. Crappies up to 15 inches have been caught from the deep holes around brush. Bluegills are hitting waxworms along the banks. Catfish are biting on all traditional baits.

Grand Lake St. Marys: Catfish have taken center stage with the most action in recent days. Anglers are getting them from banks and boats on nightcrawlers and cut shad. Crappies are scattered. Check around docks and under pontoons. Plenty of bluegills are being caught, but many are small. The best bass bite is early morning or evening with topwater baits.

Lake Loramie: Catfish are hitting all over the lake on nightcrawlers, chicken liver and shrimp. Bluegills are still spawning, so you are likely to pick up some large females close to the banks. Try jigging with an ice jig tipped with a red worm or waxworm. Saugeyes are being caught in the spillway with brightly colored twisters. Bass are close to the banks, hitting crankbaits, spinnerbaits and black/blue jigs.

Acton Lake: Crappies have moved out to about 12 feet deep. Some boaters are trolling with small crankbaits. Bank fishermen are casting with slip bobbers and minnows. For saugeyes, try trolling or casting with brightly colored twisters or Erie Dearies tipped with nightcrawlers. The best bass bite is early or late with topwater baits or rubber worms.

Caesar Creek Lake: Saugeyes are hitting on the flats and around the island. Use nightcrawlers close to the bottom on the flats, drifting or tight-lining. Troll around the island with crankbaits. Bass are very deep, 20-25 feet. Try using a rubber worm. Bluegills are still around stickups, about 12 feet deep. Crappies are about 25-feet deep, often in the mouths of coves. Tight-lining with a minnow is the best method.

Rocky Fork Lake: Crappies are 8-12 feet deep around structure. The South Wall and Kellys Cove have been good spots to fish minnows. Bass have been hitting off of points, mostly with crankbaits. Also try junebug-colored worms. Work the edges of weed beds to catch saugeyes. Nightcrawler harnesses have worked best. Plenty of bluegills have been caught around docks and in the brushy coves.

Paint Creek Lake: The best fishing is under low light conditions, early and late. Try to find some wood along the channel banks to catch crappies with minnows. Bass have been going after 6-inch green/pumpkin worms along the banks and off of points. Catfish are hitting nightcrawlers and chicken liver on the flats near the campground boat ramp. In the tailwaters, anglers are catching saugeyes on chartreuse/red fleck twisters and catfish on nightcrawlers.

Lake Erie: Walleye fishing was good over the past week. The best areas were north of West Sister Island, south of Middle Sister Island along the Canadian border, "B" and "C" cans of the Camp Perry firing range, and Northwest Reef (west of North Bass Island).

Yellow perch fishing was good over the past week with the best areas being 1 mile north of Metzger’s Marsh, “C” can of the Camp Perry firing range, between Rattlesnake Island and West Reef, around Starve Island, and around Gull Island Shoal.

Smallmouth Bass fishing has been very good around South Bass Island. Anglers are using soft-craws, tube jigs, and crankbaits. Largemouth bass fishing has also been good in harbors and nearshore areas around Catawba and Marblehead.

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