Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure coming at you for Tuesday, October 21st with your Lake Erie fishing report out of Cleveland.
We've got some challenging conditions shaping up today. A low pressure system is pushing through the Upper Midwest, bringing two cold fronts across the lake through Wednesday. The National Weather Service has issued Small Craft Advisories from midnight last night through Wednesday morning for most of our nearshore waters.
Wind's picking up significantly - we're looking at southwest winds building to 20-30 knots today, shifting west later. Waves are running 4-7 feet nearshore from the Islands to Willowick, with occasional builds to 9 feet. If you're heading out beyond five nautical miles, central basin waters are seeing 5-9 feet building to 6-10 feet, occasionally hitting 13 feet. Showers moved through early this morning, and we've got more chances throughout the day with possible thunderstorms tonight and into Wednesday. There's even a chance of waterspouts Tuesday night and Wednesday, so stay alert out there.
Water temperatures are holding nice though - 65 degrees off Cleveland, 64 near Toledo, and 63 off Erie. That's keeping fish active despite the weather.
Speaking of fish, walleye continue their exceptional year. The 2025 hatch has been outstanding, and anglers have been connecting consistently when conditions allow. Smallmouth bass are still cooperating in their typical fall pattern around rocky structure and drop-offs.
For walleye, you'll want to work with crawler harnesses or stick with live bait - nightcrawlers and emerald shiners are producing. Trolling crankbaits in natural perch patterns works well when the water's choppy like this. For smallmouth, tubes in brown or green pumpkin, and small crankbaits have been solid choices.
Hot spots worth hitting when conditions calm down: the artificial reefs off Edgewater Park have been holding good numbers of smallmouth, and the waters around the Islands - Kelleys and South Bass - remain walleye magnets. The drop-offs from Vermilion to Avon Point have been producing mixed bags of both species.
Thursday looks like your better bet this week - winds dropping to 15-25 knots with waves calming to 3-6 feet. Friday brings even nicer conditions with lighter southwest winds under 10 knots and waves under 2 feet. That's your window right there.
If you're stuck onshore today, hit Edgewater or work the breakwalls when it's safe. Just watch those wave heights.
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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
