For anyone who loves chasing walleye, Lake Erie has long been the place to go. Year after year, anglers pull in limits of thick, golden fish that fight hard and taste even better. But the latest news from the lake suggests the fishing is about to get even stronger, thanks to one of the biggest hatches of young walleye in decades.
Every August, biologists from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources head out on the water to conduct bottom trawl surveys in the western basin of Lake Erie. They drag nets along the bottom to count young-of-the-year walleye—those tiny fingerlings that hatched the previous spring. These little fish, usually three to four inches long by late summer, give experts a clear picture of how successful the spawn was that year.
According to Travis Hartman, who runs the Lake Erie fisheries program for Ohio and has spent more than two decades studying the lake, the numbers from this year's survey are impressive. “This year’s hatch is the 6th largest we’ve recorded in the 38 years that we’ve run the trawl survey,” he said.
The survey found 128 fingerling walleye for every 2.5 acres of water in the western basin. That is more than twice the long-term average of 57 fish per the same area. When you consider that these young fish will reach the minimum keepable size of 15 inches in roughly two years, it is easy to see why the future looks bright for anyone planning trips to Erie.
Hartman points out that the lake has been on a remarkable run. “Eight of the last 11 years Erie has had great walleye hatches during the spring spawn,” he noted. “Every year there seems to be more fish and they get bigger, too.” Those consistent strong year classes mean more walleye moving through the system, and many of them are growing into the heavy, shoulder-backed fish that seasoned anglers dream about.
A big part of the success comes down to food. Lake Erie has a healthy base of zooplankton that the newly hatched walleye larvae and fry feed on right away. As they grow, the lake offers plenty of baitfish—emerald shiners, rainbow smelt, and gizzard shad—for the young walleye to chase. With all that forage available and good water quality across much of the lake, the fish put on weight quickly.
While the western basin has always been the main spawning ground where walleye head to rivers and reefs in March and April, things are changing in a positive way. Spawning success in the central basin has improved in recent years, spreading the strong hatches across more of the lake. By summertime, walleye from the west move eastward anyway, so the entire fishery benefits from these big year classes.
The survey also turned up good news for yellow perch fans. The trawl netted solid numbers of young perch, which means the jumbo perch bites that Erie is famous for should stay strong down the road.
Hartman sums it up plainly: the lake is in great shape right now. There are plenty of walleye, plenty of food for them, and the stocks are building across the whole fishery. “It’s a great time for walleyes in Lake Erie,” he said, “and the lake has well-earned its title of ‘Walleye Fishing Capital of the World’.”
For anglers who have spent years working the reefs, drifting worm harnesses over mud bottoms, or casting crankbaits along the shoreline breaks, this kind of report hits home. It means more fish on the end of the line in the coming seasons, bigger average sizes, and the chance to land true trophies. Those solid hatches from recent years are already showing up as heavier fish in coolers and livewells, and this latest monster class will only add to the action.
Anyone planning trips in the next few years can look forward to strong numbers of eater-size walleye mixed with a solid shot at fish pushing 8, 9, or even 10 pounds. The lake keeps proving why so many boats launch from ports in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York every season. When conditions line up like they have lately, Lake Erie delivers the kind of consistent, high-quality walleye fishing that is hard to match anywhere else.
The bottom line is simple: if you enjoy walleye fishing, keep Lake Erie high on your list. The lake is firing on all cylinders, and the best days might still be ahead.
