April
The expected start of the 2022 fishing season will be the first week of April, 2022. I do not expect Lake Erie to freeze this year. We have a double-dip La Nina this year and normally Lake Erie does not freeze when we have a La Nina. If possible, I will begin this year’s fishing season in March, weather permitting, for Perch. This is my favorite fish to catch on Lake Erie.
Perch: Perch fishing is the best from last ice through the end of April. Any day the waves are less than 2 feet is a good day for perch fishing. I am looking forward to getting back to perch fishing this April. When I last fished on Lake Erie, in October of last year, the perch fishing was just awesome. The perch were biting pretty good and had some nice size. My son and I ran out of bait and we had 98 nice size perch in the boat in a couple of hours. Remember the lake and air temperature is cold this time of the year. Dress very warm. Perch fishing is the most fun you can have fishing on the lake.
Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth bass are located in deep water in April on Lake Erie. When the spring water temperatures climb up from the low 30°F to the low 50°F, the smallmouth bass usually gather on the end of points that extend from spawning areas. We will be fishing from 10 to 35 feet deep. Typically we will be drifting; fishing vertically with either heavy metal spoons, tube jigs, or swim baits. These are very large smallmouth bass at this time of the year. The females are full of eggs and weigh an extra pound to pound and half because they have not spawned yet.
Walleye: Season closed until first Saturday in May. This year the opener for walleye is May 7.
May
In May, we can either fish for smallmouth bass, perch and/or walleye. The walleye season is closed until the first Saturday in May. Actually, this is the best month of the year to fish. You never know what is on the end of your line. In the same spot on the lake you can get all three species within five minutes.
Perch: Perch fishing is usually good until about the middle of May. After Lake Erie water warms above about 60°F (about the end of May) the perch fishing usually gets more difficult. The big schools of perch begin to break begin up and scatter across the lake bottom, and then the perch pods can be found anywhere from 20 to 90 feet of water. You can always catch perch anytime during the year, but you have to spend more time finding each pod of active perch and each pod will usually contain less fish than typically found earlier in the year.
Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth bass fishing is just special in May. The bass are big this time of year and they are just fun to catch. We will be drifting with tube jigs, swim baits and shiners on Carolina rigs out in the lake this time of year. When the water temperature in Lake Erie climbs above 55°F the smallmouth bass move up to the tops of humps and flats in depths ranging from 10 to 20 feet. The smallmouth bass scatter to feed and spawn at this time. We could also be drifting along the walls in the Buffalo harbor using Ned rigs on bass. Either way the bass will jump and be fun to catch.
Walleye: Walleye fishing this time of the year is either a night bite, long lining Rapala lures, or my preferred method, drifting with jigs and blade baits during the day. When fished this way, drifting with jigs, you usually catch bass and walleyes at the same time. It is straight out the best fishing possible, using light lines, drifting, and catching fish in shallow water. New this year: Moon Tail Jigs from Rapala. Should be a blast, catching post spawn walleye in shallow water, drifting and casting with this style of deer hair jigs.
June/July/August
In June, July or August we can either fish for smallmouth bass and/or walleye. The lake is usually flat this time of the year (best chance of light winds all year) and the water temperature is above 70° but the smallmouth bass and walleyes are very active.
Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth bass are gradually sliding into deeper water as Lake Erie water temperature increases in the summer sunshine. The smallmouth bass will typically be near deep offshore reefs and humps till the fall now. The smallmouth bass fishing is great; we will be switching now more towards using crawfish and leeches, Carolina rigging or drop shotting. Fish are very active and can be caught all day long.
Walleye: Walleye fishing is fun now because the water temperature in Lake Eire has finally warmed up so we can switch to the worm harnesses and bottom bounce (my preferred method) until I stop fishing for walleyes in late October. As soon as Lake Erie water temperature is above 55°F, it’s a worm bite for walleyes. Last season I used over 3,500 worms. It’s the best fishing, using light lines, worms, and big fish. New this year: Worm Burners. Last August the fishing off the Cattaraugus Creek was just special. The walleyes would travel through the whole water column during the day. Typically we would catch walleyes on the bottom with worm harnesses and bottom bouncers at first light. As the sun moved across the sky during the day, the walleye would move up in the water column. By late morning most of the fish caught were around the 50 foot depth in the water. This is where I will be trying the Worm Burners this year. Should be fun, trying to catch a few extra suspended walleye on worms every day with this new technique.
August/September
Lake Trout: August or September is when I target Lake Trout or Steelhead fishing using light lines, with spoons and will be fishing out of either Dunkirk or Barcelona in the deep water in Lake Erie. Typically we are fishing in water depth greater than 100 feet, five foot from the bottom, eight to ten miles out from shore. I do not fish with downriggers, so you need to pump your fishing pole up and down slowly to jig the spoon just off the bottom as we slowly troll with the wind. Big fish.
September
In September, we can either fish for smallmouth bass, perch and/or walleye.
Perch: Perch fishing starts to get great again. The perch are schooling up in close to shore and feeding very heavily, trying to bulk up for the winter. Fishing can be fast, with doubles and triples.
Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth bass fishing is moving back closer to shore as the water temperature begins to drop in Lake Erie from its summer high temperature. The fish are back in the 15 to 35’ range again. We can fish with tubes, drop shots, spoons, or crawfish. It’s very nice fishing this time of year.
Walleye: Walleye fishing for large schools of walleyes in deep water from Dunkirk to Sturgeon Point. The fishing can be very good with large numbers of big fish caught. This can be the most productive time of the year to fish for large walleyes because they have added all the “summer” weight and are actively feeding because winter is coming. Not uncommon to get a limit of walleyes early in the day and still have time to look for some bonus perch to add to the cooler.
October.
In October, we can either fish for smallmouth bass, perch and/or walleye.
Perch: Perch fishing is great this time of year. The perch are schooling up in close to shore and feeding very heavily trying to bulk up for the winter. Fishing can be fast, with doubles and triples. Usually the last weeks of October are some of the best perch fishing of the fall if you can get out because of the wind and waves.
Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth bass fishing this time of year can be hit or miss. The bass can either still be in shallow water or they can be moving out to the deep water where they will spend the winter waiting for spring. So we have to do a bit of searching to find active fish. Challenging and fun to check everywhere.
Walleye: Walleye fishing this time of year can be hit or miss. By the end of September the weather is turning towards fall on Lake Erie. That means possibility of it being windy and with big waves. The walleyes have spread out over the whole lake and can be along the shore lines to miles out from shore. Therefore it can take some searching to find active walleyes. But when you find them, they can be large and be actively feeding.
I am taking charters booking for the 2022 fishing season, now! Book your dates!
Tight Lines,
Captain Mark
To book a Fishing Charter, please go to my web site: https://www.marklorenccharters.com/ and check my calendar for available dates, then call or text me at 716-534-5905, or email at MarkLorencCharters@gmail.com to secure your charter date.
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