04. 05. 22

Lake Erie Committee Sets Yellow Perch and Walleye Allowable Catches for 2022

Posted in: Fishing Reports, Lake Erie, News, Perch, Walleye

Ann Arbor, MI— Lake Erie fishery managers from Michigan, New York, Ohio, Ontario and
Pennsylvania—meeting as the binational Lake Erie Committee (LEC)—agreed to a total
allowable catch (TAC) for 2022 of 14.533 million walleye and 7.185 million pounds of yellow
perch. Walleye are allocated by number of fish and yellow perch are allocated in pounds.
These TACs represent an increase in walleye from 12.284 million fish last year and an
increase for yellow perch from 6.238 million pounds of fish. Specific allocations of both
species are presented below by jurisdiction.
The LEC makes TAC decisions by consensus of the members. The LEC’s TAC
recommendations are produced after extensive, lakewide biological assessments, analyses,
discussions, and consultations with stakeholders. The recommendations are consistent with the
status of Lake Erie’s fish populations, taking into the account the goal of stable harvest. The
individual state and provincial governments implement the TACs in their jurisdiction in
accordance with their respective regulations and management objectives.

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WALLEYE: Guided by the Walleye Management Plan, which was developed in consultation
with the Lake Erie Percid Management Advisory Group (LEPMAG), the LEC set a 2022
lakewide walleye TAC of 14.533 million fish, an 18% increase over the 2021 TAC of 12.284
million fish. The increased TAC reflects continued strong recruitment and high population
levels over the last several years. The Province of Ontario and the states of Ohio and Michigan
share the TAC based on a formula of walleye habitat within each jurisdiction in the western
and central basins of the lake. Under the 2022 TAC, Ohio will be entitled to 7.428 million fish,
Ontario 6.258 million fish, and Michigan 0.847 million fish. Jurisdictions in eastern Lake Erie
are outside of the TAC area, but harvest limits are set consistent with lakewide objectives.

YELLOW PERCH: The yellow perch fishery is divided into four management units (MU), which
generally correspond to the western, west-central, east-central, and eastern basins of Lake Erie. The
LEC has strived to maintain sustainable harvest while responding to changing abundance. The
proposed TAC represents differences among the management units in abundance and biomass.
Guided by the Yellow Perch Management Plan (YPMP), the LEC has finalized TAC decisions
for each management unit as follows: The TAC in MU 1 will increase to 3.038 million

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pounds. The TAC in MU 2 will decrease to 0.537 million pounds. The TAC in MU 3 will
increase to 3.082 million pounds. The TAC in MU 4 will increase to 0.528 million pounds.
In making these recommendations, the LEC relied on the YPMP, which was also developed in
consultation with the LEPMAG, and provided the technical foundation for the LEC’s
decisions. The plan established harvest policies aimed at maintaining population and fishery
sustainability for each MU using a stakeholder driven process. Each harvest policy was
extensively evaluated using simulation modeling with data inputs from fishery-dependent and
fishery-independent sources. The YPMP was designed to ensure fishery sustainability and
quality to satisfy conservation and maintain socio-economic benefits.

08. 22. 19

Fishing Report Lake Erie Michigan 08-22-2019

Posted in: Fishing Reports

Perch fishing is still very very slow. I’ve fished from Turtle Island to Fermi and many points in between, with very poor results. The best was last Friday when 3 us us caught 90 perch and about 100 white perch. Most of my catches have averaged around 30 perch. I’m marking them but just can’t get them to go with any consistency. 

Walleye fishing has been decent, not quite as good as June and July. The walleye are spread out from “S” buoy to #1 buoy off the Raisin River. Spots North of Fermi in 24 ft of water have produced anywhere from 12 to 20 walleye. Bandits seem to be the ticket 70 and 80 ft back. Trolling speed was 2.5 to 2.8 mph – color didn’t seem to matter

03. 22. 19

Share your thoughts with the DNR at upcoming meetings

Posted in: Just for Fun, Perch, Walleye

March 21, 2019

Share your thoughts with the DNR at upcoming meetings

The Department of Natural Resources is committed to providing Michigan citizens the opportunity to share input and ideas on policy decisions, programs and other aspects of natural resource management and outdoor recreation opportunities. One important avenue for this input is at meetings of the public bodies that advise the DNR and, in some cases, also set policies for natural resource management

Conversations and Coffee fisheries meetings

In addition, the public is invited to join DNR Fisheries Division staff at Conversations & Coffee events this spring for an informal opportunity to discuss local issues and management activities, and to get specific questions answered. More information is available at www.Michigan.gov/Fishing or by contacting Elyse Walter at 517-284-5839.

  • April 2, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Tahquamenon Area Public Library, Newberry
  • April 4, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Holiday Inn Express Munising-Lakeview, Munising
  • April 8, 6 to 8 p.m., Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery Visitor Center, Mattawan
  • April 9, 2 to 3 p.m., webinar for those interested in southern Lake Huron waters, register online
  • April 9, 6:30 p.m., Bay City State Park Visitor Center, Bay City
  • April 10, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Waterford Fisheries Station, Waterford
  • April 16, 6 p.m., Lake Superior State University, Sault Ste. Marie
  • April 23, 6 to 8 p.m. (CDT), Gogebic Community College, Ironwood
  • April 24, 7 to 9 p.m., Ishpeming Township Hall, Ishpeming
  • April 25, 7 to 9 p.m., Portage Lake District Library, Houghton

April meetings

read more

07. 21. 17

Perch Fishing Report Lake Erie Michigan 07-21-2017

Posted in: Fishing Reports, Lake Erie, Perch

Perch fishing is starting to pick up in Michigan waters. W buoy out in front of Toledo Beach Marina has produced limit catches but it’s on again off again. E buoy area is producing some sizable perch to, but it’s hit or miss. Out towards the end of the Raisin River buoys in 20 feet of water  holds perch but you have to move around til you find a sizable school to fish. The bite seems to start off slow then pick up, give it a half hour in one spot. If the bite doesn’t improve move, sometimes it only takes moving 200 yards or so. Some walleye are being caught but be sure they are over 15″ if you keep them. There have been a lot of tickets passed out for “15” walleye this season on both the Michigan and Ohio side of the lake!! So far Ohio waters have produced the most consistent catches of yellow perch. Either side of the shipping channel north of the Toledo Lighthouse all the way to Sputnik. 

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Lake Erie Perch Fishing Charter

 

07. 29. 16

Perch Fishing Report Lake Erie Michigan 07-29-2016

Posted in: Fishing Reports, Lake Erie, News, Perch

Strarted perch fishing this week, dispite the hot weather and light North East wind fishing was good.

Up off #1 buoy on the Raisin River produced 150 perch that weighted 36 lbs. (live weight) Yesterday just off the North East corner of the Michigan dump produced 120 perch that weighted 32 pounds

We used a mix of emerald and sand shiners with no difference on what the fish preferred 

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Perch fishing charter trip on Lake Erie Michigan Stray Cat Charters

08. 27. 15

Fishing Report Lake Erie, Monroe Michigan 8/27/2015

Posted in: Fishing Reports, Lake Erie, Perch, Walleye

Walleye fishing has been very slow this past week. A captain friend has been fishing the North end of the Michigan dump. Tuesday he took 18 walleye, Wednesday 4, and Thursday 16 all on wiggle warts 80 back (Superman, Green Spec, orange Spec and Gold w/black back and red bill) – low divers set at 1 1/2 with any gold colored Jr. Streaks.

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Ben’s first double Lake Erie perch

Perch fishing has been very good all week. I’ve been fishing between the Michigan and Ohio dump earlier in the week and had limit catches each day with 5 to 6 people on board. Wednesday I fished between “S” buoy and the Toledo lighthouse and took 180 perch in about 4 hours, we had to weed through lots of small 5 to 6 inch perch. I burned up a lot of bait, so make sure your purchase about a third more than you would normally purchase. Today (Thursday 8/27) I had 3 guests and took the largest catch of the week size wise  near Mineikes Marina and the lighthouse. I moved around a few times and ended up near the marina in 14 feet of water. The light North East wind didn’t seem to bother the perch bite. I did get checked by the Ohio DNR, make sure you have your Ohio fishing license with you- it’s 30 per person and 2 rods per person. One of the guests on a charter boat out of our marina forgot his license and was ticketed today. Another captain fished on the line between “E” buoy and the second set of cans North of the lighthouse they caught 150 perch between 7 and 10 inches, he also burned lots of bait up on small perch. North of Stoney Point in 24 to 26 feet of water has produced a mixed bag of perch yellow perch and white perch.
07. 30. 15

Fishing Report Lake Erie, Monroe MI 07/30/2015

Posted in: Fishing Reports, Lake Erie, Perch, Walleye

Lake Erie walleye fishing charter trip near Monroe MichiganDespite the hotter temperatures a fair amount of walleye are sticking around North of “E” buoy to the Raisin River and along the Michigan / Ohio boarder. I’ve been fishing with wiggle warts 70 and 80 feet back. Seems like everyone I’ve talked to has a favorite wart color. Green and orange speck seem to produce on my boat. Some of the guy’s are still running spoons and divers with great success but they are catching more white perch and small walleye. I’ve run small salmon spoons on my high and low divers and that helped keep off some of the smaller fish and it’s also taken my larger walleye. Silver Streak mini spoons in Malibu Barbie, Mixed Veggies. You’ll have to keep checking the divers frequently for small fish your your wasting your time running them.

Perch fishing has also been good around “W” buoy and “C” buoy inside the Michigan dump. Off the #1 buoy of the Raisin River and out in front of Bolles Harbor in 20 plus feet of water. Remember if you don’t start getting bites within a 10 minutes or so move a little. Sometimes you only have to move 100 yards. If you see someone catching perch resist the urge to anchor up by them. Experience has shown you will never pull the fish from the other boat, Better off to find your own school of perch.

07. 10. 15

Fishing Report Lake Erie Monroe, Michigan 07/09/2015

Posted in: Fishing Reports, Lake Erie, News, Perch, Walleye

Once again the weather is playing a big roll in the fishing on Lake Erie in the Western Basin near Monroe, Michigan. The wind seems to switch everyday and sometimes during my trips, shutting the walleye down.  Walleye fishing has been very good in the morning from 6am till about 10am. The afternoon bite has been spotty. I caught all 20 inch plus fish between Sputnik and West Sister Island in 26 to 30 feet of water Wednesday morning. I went back out on my afternoon trip and it looked like a desert, fishing was painfully slow. The walleye were deep, I fished mini disc’s from 100 to 110 feet back. I also tried 30 jet divers 90 back, both seemed to produce. The fish seemed to prefer Silver Streak spoons with copper backs.  Shrimp, puff’s, UV mango, Blueberry Muffin on the high divers 55 to 62 back and mixed Veggies on the low divers 38 to 42 back.  The North water from The Raisin River up to Stoney Point and the Fermi plant have been producing very good catchs of walleye if your drifting. Trolling has been out of the question due to massaive amouts of weeds! 

The good news is, the perch have been on the bite! limit catchs around “C” and “W” can using emerald shiners in 12 to 17 feet of water. the water looks a little muddy but the perch are there. 

A word of caution – there are still lots of floating timber in the water, so keep a sharp look out for logs.

09. 05. 14

Lake Erie perch fishing report 9/4/2014

Posted in: Fishing Reports, Lake Erie, Perch

Perch fishing is finally getting back on track this past week after the Labor day weekend blow.

Perch are being caught from the Raisin River south and west. I looked for perch for two days to the North and found a a few but not enough for a good meal. Caught lots of junk fish or nothing. E-buoy area proved to have fish but I had to weed through small ones. Turtle Island to the Lighthouse has some good sized perch but the bite seemed a little slow. If you wait them out, you will end up with a few good meals. Be careful fishing around Turtle Island and the Lighthouse – remember the Michigan / Ohio boarder runs right through the middle of the island, then runs North to the Detroit River. If you see a pack of boats it doesn’t necessarily mean the pack is sitting on a school of hungry perch – boats attract boats! I still have guy’s see us catching fish and pull within yards of me and anchor up. Thinking they might catch the same school under my boat. It usually takes them anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to figure out they’re not going to pull fish from under my boat and go find their own fish. Most of the local bait stores had a mix of emerald and sand shiners. Like the sand shiners because they are more hardy and the perfect size, but I’ll take an emerald shiner because I believe they are the best perch bait. Burn an hour or two and try some areas you’ve never fished or stop in a spot you drive over to get to that pack of boats on the horizon.

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Perch fishing on Lake Erie