Lake Erie

Lake Erie is famous for its near-shore smallmouth fishing. Some walleye are caught incidentally by bass anglers, but large numbers of resident walleye haven’t been detected.

“In 20 feet of water, the walleye are mixed in with a lot of bass, perch, sheepshead and other fish,” “Walleye aren’t usually attracted to split-tails and other soft plastics used for smallmouths, and those areas are mostly fished by smallmouth guys. So they didn’t notice there were so many walleye there.”

Fisherman recommended approaching those nearshore smallmouth waters with walleye tactics — trolling or drifting plugs, spoons and worm harnesses.

Decorah District Streams 12/7

: Stocked fish remain in streams through the winter creating excellent angling opportunities. Trout streams with good flows remain open even during winter. Shotgun deer season opens Saturday; wear bright orange and be visible to hunters. Brown Trout - Good: Try a fly imitating small silvery fish. Feathered spinner baits work well when fished through pools. Rainbow Trout - Good: Use an ultra-light pole and reel for fun action. A worm fished under a bobber in slow water works well. Try a spinner in eddies and around structure. Brook Trout - Good: With fewer insect hatches, try using flies imitating minnows such as a wholly bugger.

St. Louis River Estuary system

The St. Louis River Estuary system had a very slow bite last week. And after the last big storm, I don't think things are going to get much better for some time. Best angling chances are going to revolve around the muskie community.
Inland waters will still hold good opportunities as we climb further toward winter ice-up. Water temperatures have taken a big drop with many waters now seeing the 40s. Walleyes and crappies are still being located on mid lake reefs and near steep drop-offs. Although it is easy to graph them on our electronics, it has been hard to get them to bite.
Time of day should not be a big deal considering the falling temperatures. Best bet is to continue to utilize live bait. Don't be afraid to dig into the rattling spoons and other vertical ice jigging techniques.

Lake Ontario and tributaries

 

Not too many people have made it out on the big lake this week, focusing more on the tributaries. One of the busiest spots will be the St. Mary’s Archers Club Catch and Release Tournament Oct. 16-18 on the Oak Orchard River. Ron Bierstine with Oak Orchard Tackle and Lodge reports that any significant rain should bump upriver flows and pull in more fish. It also should add some color to the water, which would be a good thing. It’s been a slow migration to date. There are a fair number of kings at the dam in Waterport. The same can be said for Burt Dam and 18 Mile Creek, according to Karen Evarts at the Boat Doctors in Olcott. There are mixed reports from anglers. Pier action has been slow. Some anglers with small boats are working the creek in some of the deeper holes. The dam has a good mix of fish but getting them to hit with all the pressure has been tough. With rain, seek streams away from the high-pressure areas for a mix of trout and salmon.

Lake Sharpe:

Walleye activity remains unchanged. Anglers working current breaks in 5-10 feet of water are finding plenty of action including nice catches of overs. Lower Brule and Iron Nation areas have been hot spots though the immediate Pierre area is producing fish as well.