Walleye and Perch Bite On in Cleveland, Late Afternoon Hotspots to Target

Winds are light out of the south this morning and Lake Erie off Cleveland is laying down to 1 to 3 feet, with surface temps around the mid‑40s, so it’s cold but very fishable if you dress for it. Air temps are sitting just above freezing and climbing a bit through the day under mostly cloudy skies, with only a slight chance of light snow or drizzle later. Sunrise is right around 7:40 a.m. with sunset near 4:55 p.m., so that first and last hour of light will be your best window.

Walleye are still the main story along the Cleveland shoreline, with anglers pulling good numbers after dark off the breakwalls and in 25 to 40 feet of water just outside the harbor mouths. Most of the fish have been solid eaters in the 18 to 24 inch range, with a few bigger girls mixed in for folks willing to grind in the cold. Yellow perch catches have been spotty but there are still pockets of fish hanging near structure when you can locate them tight to the bottom.

For lures, stick with what’s been working for late‑season Erie: deep‑diving crankbaits like Bandits and similar stickbaits run off planer boards at 1.0 to 1.5 mph will get bit, especially in darker patterns with a touch of chrome or purple. Vertical guys are doing well with 3/4 to 1 ounce blade baits and jigging spoons in gold, silver, and firetiger, snapped just off bottom. If you’re more of a bait angler, emerald shiners on crappie rigs or spreaders are still the go‑to for perch, and shiners or fatheads on plain hooks or small jigs will take the bonus walleye or white perch nosing around the schools.

Fish activity is very temperature‑driven now, so think tight groups of fish hugging breaks and rock. Walleye are stacking along the shipping channel edges and off the points, and once you mark them you’re better off working that pod than running and gunning. Midday can be slow, but that late‑afternoon push into dusk has turned on some fast flurries of bites the last few evenings, especially when a little chop darkens the surface.

A couple hot spots to put on your list: first, the Cleveland breakwall and harbor edges from the mouth of the Cuyahoga west toward Edgewater have been giving up steady walleye to shore casters and small boats working crankbaits and jigging blades after sunset. Second, the 30‑ to 40‑foot flats just west of Edgewater out toward the old Cleveland Crib have been holding mixed schools of walleye and perch for trollers and drifters willing to move around until they find them. If those are crowded or blown out, sliding east toward Wildwood and working the nearshore contours can quietly save your day.

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