Lake Erie Walleye Fishing 2024
Strong Walleye Numbers Port Clinton
Walleye numbers have exceed the walleye hay day of the 70’s and 80’s
2024 | walleye 20 to 24 inches and 26 inch will be common!
According to Travis Hartman, Ohio Division of Wildlife’s Lake Erie Program Administrator, Lake Erie’s walleye population for 2020 began at 116 million catchable fish.
A staggering 151 million fish are expected to enter the fishery in 2021 as legal 15-inch quarry from the 2019 year-class.
While the outstanding walleye hatches in 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 will sustain the fishery for years to come, other modest to good hatches in 2014, 2017 and 2016 add to the stockpile of older fish which provide numerous trophy opportunities.
An abundant but dwindling 2003 year-class may yet produce a record fish to replace the current Ohio record of 16.19 pounds which has been in place since 1999. State of the art aging techniques using the otoliths (ear bones) instead of scale rings have revealed that Lake Erie walleyes sometimes reach 25 years of age.
2014 walleye hatch was well above average. Followed in 2015 with a walleye hatch that is right there with 2003 which was the biggest walleye hatch on record for Lake Erie followed with average, above average to near record hatches of walleye every year since! Fantastic news for Lake Erie’s walleye stock and walleye fisherman.
Fish in the 2 to 4-pound class are common, trophies 5 to 8 pounds are no surprise. They not only offers a challenge to the beginner or pro – it’s some of the finest table -fare anywhere. The season begins in April and runs through October with June and July being prime. In late August we move the boat to the central basin following the large fish. The last few years the fall and late summer (September-October) has been spectacular! This is also a great time for Smallmouth Bass. If you want to try for big fall fish, or maybe a combo trip, give us a call.
Thousands are awarded yearly.
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Trophy Walleye
