361 reports for Ohio — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
On The Water's podcast this week features Captain Joe Fonzi breaking down Lake Erie's trophy smallmouth and booming walleye fishery — crediting goby-driven forage as the engine behind Erie's outsized fish growth and pairing that with forward-looking sonar strategy. That direct on-water intelligence is the sharpest signal available this cycle, as USGS gauge 03271601 returned no water temperature or flow readings at report time. By the calendar, early May typically marks the close of walleye spawn staging and the start of aggressive post-spawn feeding across Erie's central and eastern basins. Smallmouth are staging near rocky structure, with the goby forage base producing noticeably larger fish than historical averages, per Fonzi. On the Ohio River, white bass and channel catfish are entering their most active spring window as river temps climb. Tonight's full moon can compress feeding windows — expect the most aggressive bites at first light and last light over the next 48 hours.
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