Lake Erie best time?

[Cwuest34]

I'm looking to make my first trip to Erie (western part)this spring with my boat. When is the best time to go?!?

Thanks!

[Juls]

April, May for trophy walleye on the west end. As the water warms they start moving back to the east and the north towards deeper/cooler water for the summer.

[Jimbow 11]

We typically make the voyage from WI the first weekend of May as that seems to be about when the fish get to the area around the islands making them "easier" to get to and those areas offer some cover in rough conditions. It's also the first weekend the limit goes back to six fish after being 4 through March and April. By that weekend we are usually having better luck on harnesses than crankbaits but still try Reef Runners and Rapala DHJ12's to be sure we are feeding them what they want.

This year there wasn't ice so we may try and take a mid-late March trip to try and get on some trophies before they loose their bellies up in the river. Purely a wall hanger trip trying to beat my largest that is 32.5". I'm trying to talk another boat into making the trip because I think in cold water and volatile weather that time of year traveling in pairs is the safest. I've been working on my collection of Bandits, Bombers, and Smithwick Perfect 10's I've heard are better that time of year in hopes the trip pans out.

[James Morris]

Agree with everything said so far - Late March/Early April is the time to go if you're looking for that fish of a lifetime , but you'll need to be mentally prepared to scrap the trip at a moment's notice, as the weather is pretty volatile that time of year.

Late April usually offers access to post-spawn females between the firing range and the islands, and there are some males hitting the reefs areas still too.

May seems to be the most consistent #'s fishing, and the odds of landing a beast seem to decrease, but still exist.

Water clarity is key in the early season. Too muddy makes for a tough bite, and too clean also can be an issue as that water can be colder. In my limited experience, when the water is stained but you can look over the stern and just make out the cav plate on your big motor, that's a good start.

Early on, it's DHJ12s and RR800s slow (1.2ish) and then it transitions to spinners as mentioned.

If I had to pick 3 colors for DHJs, I'd bring Glass Purple Perch, Pink Lemonade (custom color), and glass pink clown. Pay attention to the color of the belly on the baits getting bites.

[Cwuest34]

This is great info!!