Cleveland's Lakeside Angling: Perch, Walleye, and Smallies Thrive in September.

Good morning, anglers—Artificial Lure here with your Lake Erie Cleveland fishing report for Saturday, September 6th, 2025.

The sun is rising today at 6:58 a.m., with sunset landing at 7:46 p.m., giving us plenty of ideal fishing window on the water. Weatherwise, the National Weather Service Cleveland forecasts clear skies, mild temps running in the mid-60s to low 70s, and west winds at 5–10 knots. Wave heights are nice and gentle, holding at 1–2 feet, which is perfect for both shore and boat fishing. Water temps off Cleveland are currently 72 degrees—right where you want them for good fish movement early September. There's a slight chance of showers north and east of the city this morning, but nothing that's going to keep serious anglers off the lake.

No tides on Erie, but the steady westerly winds and comfortable wave action set up favorable conditions for active fish close to structure and in slightly deeper pockets.

In terms of recent fish activity, the bite has been strong these last several days. According to Sportsman's Warehouse fishing reports, yellow perch and white perch have been abundant near the breakwalls and around the mouth of the Cuyahoga. Minnows fished on standard perch rigs have been putting up numbers, and folks are bringing in coolers full, especially in the 25-35 foot range. Walleye continue to show up in good amounts, particularly around dusk and after dark, with Bandit crankbaits running hot off the west side of Cleveland and near Edgewater. Anglers using mid-depth crankbaits and running a trolling pass between 20 and 35 feet are seeing consistent hookups, with fish typically running 15–22 inches. The salmon reports are sporadic but positive—those working deeper water (over 40 feet), pulling spoons and deep diving cranks, have picked off a few bonus fish this week.

Smallmouth bass are still hugging rocky points and humps, with chatterbaits, tubes, and Ned rigs landing solid catches, especially around the nearshore wrecks and reef edges. There've been good-sized bronzebacks caught close to the Cleveland Harbor and just east near Gordon Park, where the rocks meet weedlines. Local outfitters like Chagrin River Outfitters recommend using Rainy's CF Whistler for bass, size 1/0, and the Echo 84B Bass outfit for best fly tackle presentation around submerged structure.

For bait, minnows are #1 for perch right now, with emerald shiners outpacing everything else. Walleye continue to hammer on plastic-bodied crankbaits—colors like perch, clown, and chartreuse have been consistent. Consider running a hover minnow rig for finicky bites, and don’t be afraid to work soft plastic jerkbaits slowly through the water column for both walleye and smallmouth. For live bait, nightcrawlers on a harness are still turning fish, particularly at dawn and dusk.

If you’re after numbers, head to hot spots like the Gordon Park breakwall, the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, and around the Cleveland Crib. The area off Edgewater Park, 25–30 feet down, remains a perch angler’s playground; walleye hunters should work west toward the 5–8 mile drop-off near Rocky River. For something a little different, the east side, Willowick to Geneva-on-the-Lake, is seeing good bass activity right up on the rocks.

Boat anglers—conditions are prime; just mind the occasional shower early. Shore anglers: work dawn and dusk for best results and keep a perch rig with fresh minnows in the water for constant action.

Don’t forget: the lake’s changing moods mean keeping an eye on conditions. But today’s looking about as good as it gets for early fall, so get out there, make casts count, and fill those coolers.

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