Lake Erie is one of the most popular of North America’s Great Lakes. Mid Atlantic anglers gain access to Lake Erie via Pennsylvania and New York. The lake is also bordered by the states of Michigan and Ohio well as Ontario Canada.
Lake Erie sustains an incredible variety of native and introduced fish species. Native species include yellow perch, walleye, lake trout, smallmouth bass, musky, northern pike, and others.
The lake also sustains a wide range of introduced species such as Pacific salmon, steelhead, brown trout, largemouth bass, rainbow smelt, common carp, and white perch.
Lake Erie’s smallmouth bass fishery is one of the best in the nation. Smallmouths are found among rocky structure and drop-offs in 15-35 feet of water. The best smallmouth bass fishing usually occurs in the spring, primarily around nearshore rocks, harbors, and tributary streams.
Lake Erie is one of the most popular destinations in the northeast for catching lake trout. Native to the Great Lakes, lake trout were decimated by sea lamprey predation and other factors.
Lamprey control measures and stocking programs by New York, Pennsylvania, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources have been successful. In 2021, scientists confirmed natural reproduction of lake trout in Lake Erie.
Lake Erie has an exceptional steelhead fishery. Some of the best fishing occurs in creeks and tributaries along the shores of New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Lake Erie’s southern tributaries are known collectively as “Steelhead Alley.” In some tributaries, steelhead reproduce successfully. In others, state wildlife agencies stock fish to sustain fisheries.