Lake Erie & Near-Shore

Fly Fish Ohio's Ocean.

Lake Erie was one of the first Great Lakes to be uncovered during the last retreat of the glacial ice. In its current form, the lake is about 4,000 years old. It is the fourth largest of the Great Lakes. Ohio’s portion of the Lake Erie shore is about 316 miles long and the depth of Ohio’s waters ranges from about 24 feet to about 60 feet.

The amazing thing about Lake Erie is the diversity of species. At Ohio Fly Fishing Guides we fish for everything from Freshwater Drum to White Bass. Every trip to Lake Erie is an adventure that will bring in a multitude of species and memories that will last for seasons to come.

Check out our Lake Erie Fly Fishing Video to see for yourself.

Location

Season

We'll typically fish the areas around Sandusky OH and Madison OH.

We fly fish Lake Erie and Near-Shore during the months of May through September.

Species Description

During the Months of May and again in September, Lake Erie boasts an amazing population of trophy sized smallmouth bass. It's not uncommon to find fish that break the 20 inch mark and even exceed 5 pounds. The baitfish binge is in full swing in May and again in September as fish prepare for the spawn in the early season and get ready for the cold winter months in the late season. While these two months are our primary windows for targeting smallmouth on Lake Erie, they can be found through out the summer typically as a bycatch while fishing for other species. Both floating lines and sinking lines are used to pursue these fish with crayfish, gobies and other various baitfish flies. It's recommended that anglers know how to throw casts of of at least fifty feet and be able to double haul. While this is not a "must have" it definitely helps on the windier days.

Lake Erie’s freshwater drum truly don’t get the attention they deserve. Similar to carp, these fish can be found cruising the shallow flats of Lake Erie looking for all sorts of crustaceans and small baitfish. When the water temperatures cool down, drum will move to deeper areas and we’ll target them with baitfish and goby style flies at depths of 15-20 feet. Floating and sinking lines are used for these fish depending on where you find them on a given day. Drum are a great species for all skill levels and are readily available in our Great Lake.

While freshwater drum and smallmouth bass are out main targets, white bass, channel catfish, largemouth bass, walleye and even steelhead can be found as by catches