Lake Erie hatch results

By Dan Armitage, OCJ outdoors writer

The most recent Lake Erie fish surveys revealed that walleye hatches lake-wide were below average and yellow perch hatches were above average in two of the three management zones, according to the Ohio Division of Wildlife (ODOW). That said, perch and walleye anglers should be able to enjoy many more years of good fishing thanks to robust hatches from 2018 to 2023. Based on the 2024 survey results, anglers can expect good yellow perch fishing in the western half of Lake Erie and enjoy an excellent population of walleye in both basins, thanks to an unprecedented run of six straight above-average walleye hatches from 2018-2023.

Data from annual trawl surveys conducted by the ODOW are combined with those collected by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to indicate the success of spawning and early life survival of walleye and yellow perch in the western basin.… Continue reading