Lake Erie fishing charters and fishing guide service specializing in
walleye, smallmouth bass and perch fishing charters.
 Fishing charter and guide service based in the Port Clinton, Ohio area and fishing
the Ohio and Ontario waters of the western basin of Lake Erie.

     BLUEWATER   CHARTERS     

Fish Reports 2004

Beginning in 2004 we will periodically post reports of the fishing
conditions in the western basin of Lake Erie.

Check back during the season to see what is happening.

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October 17, 2004 -- Walleye fishing has been good to the east (north of Vermillion and Huron).
Perch can be taken from many areas but the larger fish are also coming from the east in
the deeper waters. Smallmouth fishing has been going downhill probably due to increased
fishing pressure. This weekend the gale force winds and resulting large waves have kept
nearly everyone off the lake. The end of the season is here and by November 1st most of
the charter boats will have been hauled out and winterized. Lots of small walleye were caught
and released this year. The abundance of young walleye in the lake promises lots of good fishing
over the next few years. Have a good winter and beware of thin ice. See you in the spring.

August 23, 2004 -- Walleye fishing is very slow with only a few fish being taken per outing.
Smallmouth fishing is somewhat better with the best catches coming from the Ontario
waters near Pelee Island. Some good catches of perch have been coming in but the size
of the fish generally are not large.

August 7, 2004 -- Some good catches of walleye are still being taken. The better fishing
seems to be in the Ontario waters to the west of Pelee Island. Smallmouth bass fishing
is good but not great with the best fishing being in the Ontario waters around Pelee Island.
Perch are coming from several areas: near Rattlesnake Island; east and southeast of Kelleys
Island; east of Ballast Island; near Lakeside and Marblehead.

July 28, 2004 -- Walleye fishing is moderately good. The best areas seem to be around
Middle Sister Island and west to the shipping channel. The fish seem to be concentrated
more in the Ontario waters. Some good catches have been coming from the waters around
Pelee Island. Bass fishing is slow, but some fish are coming from the waters around Middle
Bass and North Bass Islands. Better catches are coming from the Ontario waters around
Pelee Island. Perch catches have been coming from several locations: near Rattlesnake
Island; east and southeast of Kelley's Island; off Lakeside and Marblehead; east of Catawba.

July 13, 2004 -- Fishing for walleye has been improving as the mayfly hatch has been
slowing down. There are pockets of fish scattered around the lake and they keep moving.
Where fish were caught yesterday may not be the place to fish today. There are lots of very
small walleye being caught and released. Over the next few years, as they mature, the walleye
fishing should improve dramatically. Smallmouth season has been in for about two weeks
and is reasonably good around the islands of the western basin. Expect to catch several
freshwater drum for every bass that you catch. We have not been perch fishing yet this year,
but others are bringing in fairly good catches of perch. 

June 24, 2004 -- Fishing for walleye has not been very productive on Lake Erie for the
last couple of weeks. The mayflies have been hatching and fish are gorging on them and
are not hungry. Some walleye are being caught but they are mainly smaller in size and are
not being taken in large numbers. Fishing should improve after the mayflies disappear.
Smallmouth bass season opens this weekend in Ohio and Ontario and fishing should be
good around the islands and on the reefs. Good catches of perch have been coming in, but
they are not large in size.

June 8, 2004 -- Walleye schools are located northwest of West Sister Island, northwest of
Rattlesnake Island, east of the bass islands, and near Pelee Island. Some days the catches
are very good and other days not nearly as good. Larger fish have been coming from the
Canadian waters. Smallmouth season will soon be opening. Not much action on perch yet.

May 16, 2004 -- Walleye fishing is improving and good catches are common. Mostly nice
size fish with an occasional lunker mixed in.  Perch fishing is also improving. The winds
have not been as strong lately and the lake is not churned up which makes for better fishing.

May 2, 2004 -- Walleye fishing has been moderately good. Most catches are less than
limit catches but the fish are mostly nice in size (23" and up) with an occasional
fish of trophy size included. The weather has produced several windy days with
a fair amount of rain and cold temperatures. Today few if any boats left port and
many charter trips were cancelled or rescheduled.

April 15, 2004 -- Tax day today and not a good day.  We launched the boat Monday in
very windy conditions and proceeded to the dock for a thorough cleaning to remove
dust and grime built up over the winter. Then proceeded to install the electronics
and bring aboard fishing and other necessary equipment. The wind continued
all day Tuesday and began to abate some on Wednesday. We made our first trip
on Thursday. The weather was clear, calm and cold (with frost on the boat) in the
morning. A nice (but cold) breeze picked up soon after we began fishing so we had a
good drift all day. The winds of the previous day had churned up the lake and in most
areas the water was murky to muddy. Three of us (drift) fished all day and only took one
nice fish (31 3/4 inch walleye that weighed 11 1/2 Lb. on the boat scale). Fishing appeared
slow  across the western basin of Lake Erie with only a few scattered reports of fish being
taken. Hopefully the fair weather predicted for the weekend will improve fishing success.

April 2, 2004 -- The walleye spawning runs are going strong in the Maumee and Sandusky
rivers and many walleye can also be found on the reefs in the western basin of Lake Erie.
Steelhead are in the rivers and streams that flow into the central and eastern sections of
the lake. The weather for the past week has not been favorable for good lake fishing, but
conditions should improve soon. Marinas are beginning to open and boat launching season is
beginning. 

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March 21, 2004 -- Third hand reports reaching me indicate that walleye are being taken about
one mile off Camp Perry and large perch are biting off the Marblehead Lighthouse.

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March 20, 2004 --- Spring is officially here.  The ice has left the western basin of Lake Erie. The harbors are clear of ice, and there is no ice on the lake that is visible from shore. Possible there could be small amounts of floating ice, but there is very little if any.  The marinas will soon be opening the charter fishing season will begin in earnest.  Boaters with trailerable boats are already fishing for walleye.  The spring spawning in the rivers and on the reefs is beginning and should peak in a week or two.  If you go out early, use caution and stay dry.  The water is not much above freezing and falling in can be very dangerous or fatal.

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January 25, 2004 -- There is a lot of ice on the western basin of Lake Erie now. In general it is thick enough for Ice fishing. There are lots of very rough areas formed by waves breaking and piling up the ice as it was forming. Also large cracks (several feet wide) often form when the wind causes the ice to shift. These areas skim over with thin ice and are not safe. White outs can occur due to snow and blowing snow. Yesterday a dozen or more fishermen had to be rescued about five miles out on the lake when large cracks opened and they couldn't return to land. If you go out practice safety. No fish is worth your life. 

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January 3, 2004 -- The only ice in western Lake Erie is light skimming in the harbors
and bays. There is no safe ice yet. The cold weather forecast
for the next week could improve the ice conditions.

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December 18,2003  ---  There is little ice in the western basin yet. It will take a few days of
 very cold temperatures with little or no wind to produce
safe ice.

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RETKCYUHLAW