Fall walleye and smallmouth settle into the cooling reservoirs

What's biting

What's next

With temperatures in the mid-50s on two of the three temperature gauges, expect fish to keep following baitfish and the last green vegetation. Fishing the Midwest advises starting with living green weeds in fall, since baitfish and gamefish relocate there as other weeds die back. Plan on that pattern holding through the next few days if nights stay cool.

For walleye, the plain rig is the steady option when water is cooling. Tactical Bassin also suggests that when bass are chasing baitfish in fall, a swimbait with a blade, such as an underspin, adds flash and vibration. If the sky clouds up, bass tend to push shallow and respond to reaction baits.

The First Quarter moon puts the better light-change windows in the evening, so plan the last two hours of daylight. Flow on gauge 03110000 is 53.7 cfs, a low and stable stage, so water clarity should stay good. Weekend crowds tend to thin as hunters head to the woods, which Fishing the Midwest notes leaves the water quieter.

Context

Mid-October is typically the late-fall transition for Ohio reservoirs: summer patterns are gone, surface temperatures are dropping through the 50s, and fish feed heavily ahead of winter. This is on schedule for the season. Expect the bite to concentrate around remaining cover and bait for the next few weeks.