Lake Erie Cleveland Fishing Report: Early Summer Walleye, Perch, and Bass Bite

This is Artificial Lure coming to you with the Lake Erie Cleveland fishing report for Friday, June 13, 2025.

We’re waking up to classic early summer conditions on the Cleveland shoreline—the air’s starting off around 66°F, climbing to the upper 70s by afternoon with fair skies and just a gentle southwest breeze. Water temps are right around 63°F, and with minimal rain the past couple weeks, visibility is about as good as it gets. Sunrise was at 5:52 AM and you’ve got daylight all the way till 9:05 PM, so there’s plenty of time to chase your limit today. The lake’s got a comfortable chop but nothing too dramatic—perfect for both boaters and shore anglers, but always keep an eye on the forecast because Lake Erie’s moods can change on a dime (FishUSA, Spreaker).

Let’s get into the action: the walleye bite remains the star of the show. Anglers are reporting strong catches during daylight hours in 40–45 feet of water—most are running deep-diving plugs and small spoons behind divers, with Bandits and stickbaits being hot choices. As the sun sets, that bite slides in shallow; working 7–15 feet of water off the Cleveland breakwall and near Edgewater with shallow plugs will get you fish after dark. Boat anglers are seeing regular limits, and shore folks soaking crankbaits at dusk are doing well too (FishUSA, Spreaker, Ohio DNR).

Don’t overlook the perch—they’re starting to come on strong from Toledo to Cleveland. Emerald shiners on crappie rigs or spreaders are your best bet, especially if you want a shot at some jumbos. The limit is 10 perch in the Central Zone, so pick your numbers and enjoy that fry.

Bass fishing's still solid in the harbors and nearshore—both largemouth and smallmouth are active. Swimbaits and drop shot rigs are producing, but if you’re packing artificials, grab a Keitech Model 1 Jig paired with a creature bait or a River2Sea Bling Spinnerbait for flash. For the traditionalists, live nightcrawlers or crayfish fished near rocks and breakwaters will put you on big smallies (FishUSA, LakeErieTackleBox).

Steelhead are hanging near harbor mouths and tributary mouths. Trolling spoons or stickbaits, or floating spawn bags, will put them in the net, especially in the mornings when the water’s cool (Ohio DNR).

Today’s local hot spots? Try just outside the Cleveland harbor in 40-plus feet for walleye, or work the reefs at Edgewater at dusk. Inside the Cuyahoga breakwall, the bass and perch action is steady, with some bonus channel cats in the mix.

Remember, walleye limit is 6 per angler at a minimum of 15 inches, with black bass limited to 1 over 18 inches for the season. Stay safe, wear your PFD, and respect the lake.

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