Indian Lake: Fishing has been slow in recent days due to changes in the weather. Windy conditions kept anglers off of the lake over the weekend and rain limited fishing early in the week. Crappies have been hitting in Dunn's pond and around Moundwood on waxworms and minnows. Bluegills have been caught in the channels in brushy areas on waxworms and redworms. With the water temperature dropping, look for saugeye fishing to improve.
Rocky Fork: Anglers have been picking up some yellow perch off of the south beach, using redworms fished close to the bottom. White bass have been hitting shiny spinners or spoons off of the south wall. Bass fishing has been good off of rocks at depths of 5-7 feet using black/blue jigs or pumpkinseed worms. Crappies are around 10 feet deep, hitting minnows in brushy areas.
Bluegills are hitting waxworms in the coves and channel cats are going after nightcrawlers and cut bait all over the lake.
Paint Creek: Fishing has been improving even though the lake was five feet low early this week. Probably the best ramp to use is the one at the marina. Crappies have been hitting in the brush with many keepers (9 inches or larger) being caught. Use minnows or black/chartreuse jigs or tubes. For bass, fish around rocks with plastics or black spinners or jigs. Saugeyes and white bass have been caught around the beach and hazard zone. Use a chartreuse/red twister for saugeyes and a shiny Roostertail or Mepps for white bass. Nightcrawlers and cut shad have been the best baits to catch channel cats.
Cowan Lake: Crappie fishing has been good in about 7-10 feet of water around structure.
One of the hot spots has been the drop-off in front of the marina, using minnows and jigs tipped with waxworms. Bass fishing has been slow, although one angler caught a 32-inch muskie by casting a crankbait off of the south bank. Another muskie was caught by trolling along the south side.
Acton Lake: Good crappie fishing has been reported off of rocky areas with minnows or jigs. Anglers are also catching crappies off of the pier and near the dam. Bass have been caught early in the morning on topwater baits and white spinners. Saugeye fishing has been slow.
Caesar Creek Lake: Musky fishing should be improving with the water temperature dropping. Start working the shallow areas with musky baits. Saugeye fishing has picked up around the island. Anglers have been trolling with crankbaits and large spinners. For crappies, fish around deep structure with jigs tipped with bass minnows. Bluegills are about 8 feet deep around stickups in the coves. Catfish are hitting cut bait and nightcrawlers in the creeks.
Grand Lake St. Marys: Fishing activity has been nil with the EPA ban on contact with the water still in effect.
Lake Erie: Yellow perch fishing has been good north and west of West Sister Island, the Toledo water intake, between "A" and "B" cans of the Camp Perry firing range, Green Island, Ballast Island, north and east of Kelleys Island and off of the Marblehead lighthouse. In the Central Basin, perch fishing has been very good 8 miles north of Vermilion and 3 to 4 miles northwest of Lorain.
There has been very little walleye fishing effort with the best reports from Gull Island Shoal and Kelleys Island Shoal.
For Lake Erie information, visit wildohio.com or call (888) HOOK-FISH.
Outdoors columnist Jim Morris can be reached through his Website at www.tinyurl.com/ylh2rol or by email at sports@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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