Lakeborn Co. Lake Erie Reports - WEEK OF MAY 5 - 13

Cold Front? The Walleye Didn’t Care

Mother Nature threw a curveball at us this week again with another strong cold front sweeping across the Lake Erie region. Dropping temps, shifting winds, and unsettled skies- the kind of conditions that make you second-guess leaving the ramp. But here’s the thing about Lake Erie Walleye: they’re tough, they're plentiful, and when they’re in a feeding mood, very little slows them down. We stayed the course, headed out to our western basin spots each morning battling the wind and waves, and were rewarded with some of the hottest walleye action we’ve had all season. Sometimes the fish just want to eat, and this was absolutely one of those times.

Post-Spawn Walleye Transition in Full Swing

The Lake Erie walleye spawn is just about wrapped up now, and the post-spawn transition period continues to be one of our favorite times to be on the water. Once the spawn winds down, those fish shift into a full-on recovery and feeding mode. They’re dispersing off the shallower spawning areas and moving into that prime mid-depth range, and we’ve been right there waiting for them- fishing between 20 and 35 feet of water throughout the western basin. That depth band has been loaded all week. If you want to find Lake Erie walleye right now, that’s where they’re living.

Crankbaits, Spoons, Harnesses and & Hair Jigs- Here’s the Breakdown

Let’s talk about what’s been putting fish in the boat. Crankbaits are leading the charge right now- plain and simple, they’ve been our most consistent walleye producers all week on Lake Erie. Dialing in the right running depth and speed has been key, and when you get it dialed, it's game on. Spoons have been right there with them, covering water beautifully and drawing some aggressive strikes from walleye that are in a chain mood.

Worm Harnesses have been a steady option as well, especially for clients who love that classic Lake Erie walleye trolling presentation. There’s a reason harnesses have been catching fish on this lake for generations- they flat-out work. We’ve also been mixing in hair jigs, which have been generating plenty of bites. The jig bites do require a bit of patience and sorting through fish, but this just tells you there are walleye absolutely everywhere right now. It’s a good problem!

Here’s what it looked like on the water this week: every single charter trip out of Lakeborn Co. came back with full 42- fish boat limits. Every. Single. Day. And we’re not grinding all morning to get there- most days we were wrapped up and heading back to the dock in under two hours. There is truly nothing better than watching a full boat of happy anglers holding up limits of beautiful Lake Erie walleye before most people have finished their morning coffee. The western basin is on fire right now, and our charter fleet has been right in the thick of it all week long!

See you out there!

Captain Matt