Walleye Surge, Perch Peek, & Trout Tease: Lake Erie Fishing Report for Cleveland

Good morning from the north coast—Artificial Lure here with your Lake Erie fishing report for Cleveland and the surrounding shoreline on June 22, 2025.

We’re in the sweet spot of late June and fish activity is solid. According to the Lake Erie, Cleveland Daily Fishing Report and recent updates from Bigwater Fishing, walleye action is red-hot right now. Trollers have been putting up numbers from the breakwalls downtown out to the nearshore reefs and west toward the islands. Average walleye are coming in at about 5 pounds, and stickbaits and spoons are the ticket—don’t leave the dock without chartreuse, purple, or firetiger patterns in your box. Early risers have been seeing the best bite with fish moving into shallower water before sunrise and sliding deeper as the sun gets higher.

Conditions are classic mid-June. Weather and Climate reports show comfortable temps today, sitting in the upper 60s before daybreak and heading toward a high around 75°F. You might dodge some showers as extended forecasts call for scattered thunderstorms and intermittent rain, so pack rain gear just in case. Sunrise is at 5:53 AM and sunset rolls in at 9:04 PM, giving you all-day opportunity to track down a limit.

The yellow perch bite has started to pick up in harbors and nearshore areas around Cleveland. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is recommending emerald shiners on perch spreaders or crappie rigs. Don’t forget—the daily limit for perch is 10 in this central section of the lake. Some jumbos over 12 inches have come in from the E. 72nd Street harbor and the breakwall at Edgewater.

Steelhead trout and the odd lake trout are also being caught at tributary mouths—try trolling stickbaits or spoons near the Rocky and Chagrin rivers. For those fishing bass, remember the special regulation: black bass possession is limited to one fish over 18 inches until tomorrow, June 21st, but expect smallmouths to still be caught and released around rocky points and breakwalls using tube jigs and soft plastics.

If you want a couple local hot spots, Edgewater Park pier and the Cleveland Harbor East 55th Marina are always reliable this time of year for both boat and shore anglers. Out deeper, the 50- to 60-foot contour between Cleveland and Rocky River remains a solid walleye zone, especially at first light.

That's the latest from Lake Erie. Thanks for tuning in—remember to subscribe for more local fishing updates and keep those lines tight. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.