Grand Lake St. Marys: Crappie fishing continues to be good in the channels. Look for wood and shade. Use black/chartreuse or dark blue/chartreuse tubes and twisters or try a minnow. Bluegills are still biting along seawalls and under docks, mostly on waxworms. Catfish are still close to the banks, hitting cut shad and nightcrawlers. Bass fishing has been slow.
Rocky Fork Lake: Bass fishing continues to be good. Try to follow the creek beds and work the banks around wood with shad-colored crankbaits or green/pumpkin plastics. Anglers are catching saugeyes, but most of the fish are short of the 15-inch limit. Trolling a nightcrawler harness or a Shad-Rap in front of the south beach or north beach has been the best method. Plenty of catfish are being caught on cut shad or nightcrawlers on the west end of the lake. Bluegills are still hitting waxworms in the deep coves. Look for jumps to catch white bass.
Paint Creek Lake: Plenty of non-keepers mixed with a few crappies over 9 inches are being caught around structure along channel banks. Most are 6-10 feet deep, hitting minnows or small twisters or tubes. Bass fishing has been good, especially early and late. Try working a topwater lure around stumps or weeds. Later in the day, switch to a green/pumpkin worm. Bluegills are still hitting waxworms – look for some shade along the banks. Saugeyes, catfish and crappies are coming out of the spillway.
Cowan Lake: Saugeye fishing has been good around Musky Point. Trolling with Rat-L-Traps has been the best method. Crappies have moved to deeper water. Fish along ledges with minnows. The drop-off in front of the marina is still popular. Fish late in the evening or first thing in the morning to catch bass. Use topwaters early and late and medium-diving crankbaits or plastics during the day. Bluegills are still hitting waxworms or redworms along the banks.
Lake Loramie: Bluegill fishing is still good. Work the rocks and banks with ice jigs tipped with waxworms. Crappies have moved to deeper water. Try to find shady spots. Fishing under bridges is good. The best bite for both crappies and bluegills is early in the morning or late in the evening. Catfish are biting all over on nightcrawlers, chicken liver or shrimp. Bass fishing has been good in the mornings and evenings. Look for cover and fish with crankbaits or plastics.
Caesar Creek Lake: Three muskies were caught recently from deep water. They measured 51, 44 and 31 inches. Bass fishing has been good in the evenings. Work the banks and wood with spinnerbaits or plastics. Saugeye fishing has been good on the flats. Anglers are jigging nightcrawlers or trolling with a nightcrawler harness. Crappies are deep, 25 feet, hitting large minnows fished around structure. Bluegills are about six feet deep around brush. Catfish are hitting cut shad and nightcrawlers. Work the creek mouths.
Indian Lake: Fishing has slowed with the heat, but you can still catch fish. Look for shade and deep water. Crappies can be caught deep with minnows around lily pads and wood. Bass are along the edges of weed beds and around wood. The best place for saugeyes right now is around bridges and in the old game reserve. Anglers are trolling crawler harnesses and jigging Vib-E’s. Bluegills are under docks. Catfish and white bass are both biting in the main lake.
Lake Erie: Walleye fishing continues to be good when the weather allows. Windy conditions stirred up the lake during the past week. The best walleye fishing has been northwest of West Sister Island, west of Green Island and along the Canadian border. Perch fishing has been best around Gull Island Shoal, Niagara Reef and Marblehead. For Lake Erie information, visit wildohio.com or call (888) HOOK-FISH.
Outdoors columnist Jim Morris can be reached by email at sports@coxohio.com.