Lake Loramie: Crappies are biting all over the lake. Use minnows or jigs tipped with waxworms and fish in the brush in shallow water. Move around to catch limits of keepers; many 10-11.5-inch fish. The best jig combo has been white or cream with chartreuse. Bluegills are biting around rocks, using tiny rubber spiders, tipped with a waxworm or piece of redworm. Bass are also tight to the banks, around wood. Flip spinnerbaits, plastics or jig-n-pig. Catfish are biting on minnows, nightcrawlers and cut shad.
Cowan Lake: Anglers have been working the north side coves around wood in water 3-12 feet deep for crappies. Use minnows or jigs. Other good spots have been along the drop-off in front of the marina and around the island. Bass have been hitting chatterbaits, square bills around wood along the banks from the campground cove to the island. For saugeyes, try trolling a crankbait, spinnerbait or chartreuse twister tipped with a piece of nightcrawler. Bluegills are plentiful around docks.
Caesar Creek Lake: Crappie fishing has been excellent. Anglers are using minnows 12-15 feet deep around structure. Bass are close to the banks, hitting spinnerbaits and rubber worms. For bluegills, fish around stickups in the coves. Try using a plastic spider or ice jig tipped with a waxworm. Muskies have been caught on spinnerbaits and jerkbaits around Musky Cove and under the Ohio 73 bridge. Saugeyes have been caught by jigging nightcrawlers on the flats or trolling a spinnerbait around the island.
C.J. Brown: Crappies are biting in the marina and around brush or wood in shallow water. Use minnows or white twisters. Bass and walleyes have been caught along the rocks. Use spinnerbaits, crankbaits or plastics to catch bass. For walleyes, use Vib-Es, Rat-L-Traps or brightly colored twisters, tipped with a piece of nightcrawler. Fish the north end for catfish with bass minnows and nightcrawlers.
Acton Lake: Crappies are plentiful at the sugar camp in 2-3 feet of water use a minnow under a bobber. Also try the fishing pier. Saugeyes have been caught by casting brightly colored twisters tipped with pieces of nightcrawler or trolling with a crawler harness. Catfish are all over the lake, biting on bass minnows, nightcrawlers and strawberry chicken. For bass, try trolling in front of the lodge with a spinnerbait or crankbait.
Rocky Fork Lake: Saugeye fishing has been outstanding. Troll with a chartreuse/red fleck twister around the island or in front of both beaches. Tip the bait with a piece of nightcrawler. Work the areas 5-7 feet deep. Also try trolling a crawler harness. Crappies are being caught around wood, 3-14 feet deep. Use minnows or jigs tipped with waxworms. Small chartreuse twisters are also working. Bass are being caught around the banks on jig-n-pig, spinnerbaits or green/pumpkin worms.
Paint Creek Lake: Crappies are starting to move to deeper water. Look for wood and fish in 3-6 feet of water with minnows, black/chartreuse jigs or twisters or Bobby Garland baits in various colors. Bass have been caught from water 4-7 feet deep on black worms or jig-n-pig. Use tiny jigs tipped with waxworms to catch bluegills in the brush. In the spillway, anglers are catching crappies with minnows under bobbers, saugeyes with chartreuse/red fleck twisters and catfish with nightcrawlers and chicken liver.
Lake Erie: Fishing has been good near "H" can and "D" can of the Camp Perry firing range, off Niagara Reef, just west of Catawba Island, north of North Bass Island and around Kelleys Island Shoal. Cast mayfly rigs tipped with worms, or by troll with crankbaits, worm harnesses or divers and spoons. For Lake Erie information, visit wildohio.gov or call 1-888-HOOK-FISH.
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