Lake Erie is known to some as the “Walleye Capital of the World,” to others as the “Smallmouth Capital of the World,” and to many more the surrounding area is simply called “home." With titles like these, it should come as no surprise that Lorain County has a wealth of public fishing opportunities, including some that aren’t called “Lake Erie.”If you do plan on fishing Lake Erie, there are a number of public accesses and boat launches, including three in Lorain, one in Sheffield Lake, and another in Avon Lake. Once on the water, drifting or trolling is usually a surefire way to catch walleye. For perch, just anchor down. Many anglers anchor down and jig by the artificial reefs to catch smallmouth bass. For crappie, bluegill, perch, and bass, a favorite fishing method is to fish off of the rocks. You can also catch steelhead, northern pike, and carp on the lake.
If you don’t have a boat, or if you just want a guide who knows the Lake well, there are plenty of fishing charters available as well, including two in Vermilion, four in Lorain, and one in Huron. There are also a few marinas around, such as Beaver Park North in Lorain, Copper Kettle Marina in Lorain, and Romp’s Marina in Vermilion. Looking for gear, need some bait, or just trying to find someone knowledgeable to talk to about how the fishing is for a particular day? Check out some of the local bait shops, such as Bad Boy Bait, Tackle, & More, Erie Outfitters, Grumpy’s Bait Bucket, or Molnar Outdoor.
Don’t forget about the AIM Pro Walleye Series, which takes place from June 28th through June 30th of this year. You can sign up as a pro and take your shot against the biggest names in pro walleye fishing or sign up as a co-angler and have the big-water fishing experience of a lifetime, fishing alongside a pro! It is a Catch-Record-Release (CRR) tournament, wherein the anglers competing will photograph a caught fish on an official ruler, record that length on an official scorecard, and immediately release the fish safely back to the water. The seven longest fish for each day will be the ones “turned in” for the competition. Check out their website for more information and to register!
Now for places that aren’t Lake Erie. First up is Findley Lake, in Findley State Park. Spend the day fishing for bass, bluegill, crappie, and northern pike. If you want to use a boat at Findley, keep in mind that only electric motors are allowed. Next on the list of places to check out is the
Duck Pond, at Carlisle Reservation of the Metro Parks. Here you can find smallmouth bass, catfish, carp, and sometimes some northern pike. The Duck Pond also has a
Raptor Center if you want to check out some birds of prey. You’ve also got the Vermilion River in Mill Hollow, with excellent
fishing for smallmouth bass, catfish, crappie, bluegill, and occasionally
steelhead. Keep an eye out for the bald eagles that nest there!Elyria, too, gets in on the public fishing action. One popular place for carp, smallmouth, and catfish is the Black River, often via Cascade Park. One very important thing to keep in mind with fishing from the Black River is the Fish Consumption Warnings that the EPA has put out for the main stem of the river, both the East and West Branches, and Findley Lake.
Oberlin Reservoir is another public fishing area in the county. Catch bluegill, crappie, catfish, walleye, perch, and bass there, just by fishing off of the shore, as long as you don’t mind navigating the rocks. You can use a boat here as well, but only if you have an electric motor. Also keep in mind their special rules and regulations, some of which--not all--can be found here.
The Grafton area has a few areas to publicly fish as well. One is the Grafton Reservoir, across the street from Willow Park. While there are special regulations there, it is also home to many bluegill, bass, perch, and crappie. The Black River also runs near Grafton, by Parsons Road. It can be fished for smallmouth bass, catfish, and the occasional northern pike.
Lastly, Wellington has both an Upground and a South Reservoir. Catch bluegill, crappie, catfish, and bass in abundance here, either from the shores or from a boat with an electric motor. One difference is that the Upground Reservoir is more likely to have walleye and perch as well. The Upground Reservoir also has a rockier coast to fish off while the South Reservoir is much greener and has a lot of brush. Again, keep in mind that there are often special regulations for the reservoirs regarding what you can and can’t keep.
