Artificial Lure checking in with your Lake Erie, Cleveland fishing report for Wednesday, November 5th, 2025. It’s a classic autumn day on the North Coast—chilly sunshine, brisk air, and the lake serving up just enough chop to remind you it’s November. Sunrise came at 7:58 AM and we’ll fish daylight till a 6:17 PM sunset, so there’s a solid window before that next cold front rolls in.
Right now, weather is holding steady: mostly sunny skies, highs topping out in the mid-50s, and southwest winds running 5–10 knots. The open water temp off Cleveland is a cool 57 degrees according to NOAA, perfect to keep all our favorite species pushing shallow and feeding up. Waves are mild today, holding around 1–3 feet according to the National Weather Service and local marina forecasts, but don’t let your guard down—a stronger front is due later in the week, so now’s your shot for some calmer fishing before the winds start howling again.
Tide swings don’t matter much on Erie, but pay close attention to wind-driven currents near the harbor mouths and rocky points. That’s the secret sauce for active fish—it turns regular spots into feeding frenzies, so follow the southwesterly flow.
Steelhead are leading off right now. The big silvers are piling into the river mouths—places like the Rocky and Chagrin—and staging close to shore. At first light and dusk, folks are swinging Little Cleo spoons, bright spawn sacs, and waxworm-tipped jigs. According to WeatherWorld and multiple reports, the most consistent action is on ¼ oz spoons and pink or chartreuse sacs drifted through slight current seams. The morning bite is hot, especially where creek outflows meet the lake.
Walleye fishing has really ramped up too. The water temp drop flipped the switch, and folks trolling deep-diving crankbaits like the Rapala Husky Jerk and Bandit Deep Divers in firetiger or purple are putting lots of eaters in the box. For night owls, casting blade baits from the Edgewater and E55th breakwalls is a Cleveland classic and has been putting out three-to-six pounders steady, especially as dusk hits. Some crews are getting their six fish limits quick if they work the current seams in 40–50 feet of water.
Don’t sleep on yellow perch! The late fall bite is on strong. Boats working just off Rocky River and towards Edgewater in 35–45 feet are icing down coolers full of “jumbos,” mostly on live emerald shiners fished on spreaders, or with a chartreuse bead for the finicky ones.
Smallmouth bass are getting sluggish but still catchable on Ned rigs and tubes in green pumpkin. Key targets: marina docks, riprap, and wood cover tight to shore. If you spot baitfish dimpling the surface, a soft paddle-tail swimbait bounced just above bottom can fool those last stubborn bronzebacks.
Hot spots for today:
- East 55th Street Marina: Steady steelhead and bonus walleye at dusk.
- Edgewater Park west breakwall: Perch and occasional walleye, prime for bass and steelhead at sunrise and sunset.
- Rocky River mouth: Steelhead pushing in hard, especially after any overnight rain.
- The 28-foot contour east of the harbor remains a prime trolling lane for late-season walleye hunters.
For bait and tackle, here’s your winning lineup:
- Walleye: Deep-diving crankbaits (Bandit Deep, Rapala Shad Rap, Reef Runner), blade baits, and nightcrawler harnesses.
- Steelhead: Little Cleo spoons, pink/orange spawn sacs, white or black marabou jigs under a float, live minnows.
- Perch: Emerald shiners on gold Aberdeen hooks or crappie rigs, with a split shot to keep 'em pinned near bottom.
Keep your eyes peeled for floating leaves and debris—check your lines and certainly wear your PFD, especially near those slick breakwalls.
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