When someone talks about fishing on Lake Erie, what do most people think of first? Big Walleye catches fit for a trophy. For those who have never done it before, they might picture casting from the shore under a rough dawn sky, glad to be here and enjoy the action. The truth is, this fishery is all that and so much more.
Lake Erie is renowned for its rich waters and the bite that keeps on giving. If you didn’t know, it’s the Great Lakes’ shallowest body of water! This beautiful body of water spans the border between the US and Canada and is a dream come true for most people. So, let’s see what makes Lake Erie so unique.
Lake Erie is best known among anglers for its abundant walleye, yellow perch, and smallmouth bass fisheries But some may be surprised to learn that salmon and steelhead trout also swim in Lake Erie’s waters Let’s take a closer look at the salmonid populations found in this Great Lake.
A Brief History of Salmon in Lake Erie
Lake Erie once supported large populations of native lake trout steelhead, and Atlantic salmon. But habitat loss and overfishing decimated their numbers by the early 1900s. Pollution was also a major factor in declining fish stocks.
In the 1960s and 1970s, agencies began putting in non-native salmonids to bring back sport fisheries. In all of the Great Lakes, chinook and coho salmon from the Pacific Northwest were put in. It was possible for steelhead and Chinook salmon to grow in Lakes Michigan, Huron, Ontario, and Superior thanks to these stocking programs.
But in Lake Erie, salmon never gained a strong foothold. Warm, shallow waters didn’t provide ideal habitat. Steelhead became the main salmonid target for Erie, and stocking efforts changed to focus on them.
Current Salmonid Populations
Here’s a quick overview of the salmonids swimming in Lake Erie today:
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Steelhead: By far the most abundant salmonid. Over 1 million steelhead are stocked annually. Popular with anglers for their hard fighting and good eating.
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Chinook Salmon: Once widely stocked, natural reproduction of Chinook in Lake Erie is now very limited. Except for rare encounters like the 32-inch king caught in 2021, Chinook are uncommon.
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Coho Salmon: Small numbers are stocked, but successful natural reproduction is minimal. Catching coho in Erie is infrequent.
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Brown Trout: Occur in small numbers where stream tributaries provide coldwater habitat. Some fishing opportunities exist in eastern tributaries.
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Pink Salmon: Stray fish enter Erie during odd-numbered years when waters are cold. Catches are very sporadic.
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Atlantic Salmon: Native population is functionally extinct. Restoration efforts are underway in some tributaries.
Best Salmon & Steelhead Fishing in Lake Erie
While salmon are rare, Lake Erie provides plenty of steelhead fishing opportunities from late summer through spring:
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Fall: Stage near tributary mouths before spawning runs. Try casting spoons and spinners from piers and breakwalls.
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Winter: Fish deep tributary holes for steelhead holding before the spawn. Use egg sacks, jigs tipped with maggots, or swinging streamers.
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Spring: Target post-spawn steelhead on their downstream journey back to the lake. Drift floats with nymphs or swing streamers across current seams.
Top tributaries for steelhead include New York’s Cattaraugus and Oak Orchard Creeks, Ohio’s Grand River, and Pennsylvania’s Elk and Walnut Creeks.
Outlook for the Future
Don’t expect salmon to make a big comeback in Lake Erie anytime soon. But steelhead and brown trout fisheries will continue thriving through stocking and careful management.
Seeing a rare king salmon remains possible, though warm summer water temperatures limit their survival. Focus your Lake Erie salmonid fishing efforts on abundant steelhead, and view an occasional Chinook or coho as a pleasant surprise.
Tips for Catching Lake Erie Steelhead
Want to catch steelhead on your next Lake Erie fishing trip? Here are some tips:
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Use medium-heavy spinning tackle with 10-14 lb. mono or braid. Steels can make fast long runs.
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Cast inline spinners, spoons, crankbaits, and swimbaits for pre-spawn fall fish.
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Switch to drift floats, jigs, egg sacks, and streamers once steelhead move into tributaries.
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Pay close attention to water conditions and flows. Target the leading edges of tributary plumes after rains.
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Be mobile and don’t be afraid to cover water to find active biters. Steelhead often school up.
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Fish early mornings and late evenings when steelhead are most active. Overcast days are ideal.
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Dress appropriately for cold weather. Focus efforts during winter and spring when steelhead runs peak.
Salmon Fishing Outlook in Lake Erie
Salmon may never again thrive in Lake Erie like they do in the upper Great Lakes. But nimble anglers can still enjoy great steelhead and brown trout fishing, with the occasional surprise salmon mixed in.
Do your homework on tributary access points, seasonal patterns, and water conditions to up your odds of Lake Erie salmonid success. With the right approach, the fishing for these hard-charging species can be excellent.
Trout of All Shapes and Colors
When there’s talk about fishing on Lake Erie, gorgeous Steelhead (also known as “chromers”) naturally come to mind. They are the most common type of Trout caught in the lake, but there are also a lot of Brown and Lake Trout. Go after them in early spring and fall, and you’re in for a lot of fun.
Rainbow trout can be caught well on both the American and Canadian sides of the lake, especially when the water temperature reaches 55ºF, which is ideal for trout. The best time to catch chromers is during their spring and fall runs. Rainbows are most active from March–May and when the weather cools down, from September all through November.
“Steelhead Alley,” the part of the lake from Cattaraugus Creek to the mouth of the Vermilion River, is the best place to catch big Rainbow Trout. During the hottest months, trout also gather around “the mountain” in the eastern Erie basin. This means that the fishing is great in the summer.
Lake Trout are also frequent catches in these waters. Unlike their colorful brothers, they’ve always been in Lake Erie. Lakers prefer to prowl for their food at the bottom and aren’t as temperature-sensitive as the Steelhead. You’ll find the best Laker bite around the city of Erie.
One thing is for sure: you can catch all three types of fish on Lake Erie: Silver, Brown, and Lake Trout.
Walleye: The One, the Only, the Very Best
If you have to choose one fish to target on Lake Erie, it should undoubtedly be Walleye. There are over 150 million of these creatures and the numbers keep growing. It’s not a surprise that thousands of fishermen go to Lake Erie every year: walleye are one of the most sought-after game fish in fresh water.
Summer months are perfect for treating yourself to a Walleye hunt. From June–September, you can easily land your daily limit, and trophy 17–24’’ specimens are an everyday occurrence. Walleye spawn in spring, so they move around and are harder to predict during this time.
Walleye can be caught as early as April, when they are more likely to be near the surface. They’re very sensitive to light, so anglers hit the water in the evenings for the best bite. If you can’t wait to start fishing, night trips are a great solution. Using planer boards to get your prey’s attention can be very productive.
During the long summer days, Walleye move to Lake Erie’s deeper offshore waters. Slow trolling (2 miles per hour) will give the best results. Even better, Walleye move around in groups, so when you catch one, cast it back as soon as you can to get more.
Wherever you go on the lake, chances are, you’ll find solid Walleye action that will keep you busy. Just pick a spot and enjoy the great Walleye fishing that Lake Erie is known for.
King Salmon and Steelhead – Lake Erie Tributary
FAQ
Are there still salmon in Lake Erie?
Do any of the Great Lakes have salmon?
What kind of fish are in Lake Erie?
Is Lake Erie steelhead a trout or salmon?
What fish are stocked in Lake Erie?
As described in the Stream Fishing page, Lake Erie holds Steelhead, salmon and brown trout. Steelhead are by far the most predominate. Coho salmon and brown trout are stocked but in far smaller numbers. Occasionally Chinook salmon are caught in the Pennsylvania waters of Lake Erie, but they are not common and their origin is often debated.
Does Lake Erie have Chinook salmon?
Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. The catch is especially surprising because Lake Erie hasn’t been stocked with chinook salmon since the 1970s.
Where do walleye fish live in Lake Erie?
As the water temperature of the lake rises, these fish begin to move east into the deeper waters of the central and eastern basins of Lake Erie. This is why the walleye fishing is often best each summer first off Ashtabula, then Conneaut, then in the Pennsylvania waters of Lake Erie.
Where can you catch humpback salmon in Ohio?
Hyvarinen is a fishing guide from Madison, Ohio and was trolling a purple spoon in 74-feet of Lake Erie water, eight miles off Geneva, located northeast of Cleveland. Cleveland Metroparks fishery biologist Mike Durkalec told Cleveland.com that humpback salmon occasionally are caught in the Ohio reaches of Lake Erie, but are rare.