Erie May Wrap Up and June Report
May 20, 2025 Erie 5 photos
Bass (Smallmouth)
Bass (Smallmouth)
Bass (Largemouth)
Bass (Largemouth)
Perch (Yellow)
Perch (Yellow)
Walleye
Walleye
Lake Trout
Lake Trout

Trip Summary

As May winds down and June rolls in, Lake Erie smallmouth bass are finally getting that signature spunk back. After a brief cooldown, we’re seeing water temps in the mid-to-upper 50s on the main lake and low 60s in Presque Isle Bay—perfect for active bass. Right now, we’ve got fish in all three phases of the spawn. In the Bay, postspawners are showing up in offshore areas, but prespawn and spawning fish are still around. Out on the main lake, the spawn is going in some areas, with many fish still waiting to go—especially in the cooler zones away from the Bay. When fish are spread across all phases, it opens the playbook. Look for them shallow, mid-depth, or deep—on beds, guarding fry, fattening up before or after the spawn. Forage is plentiful right now, too: emerald shiners, baby perch, gobies, shad, craws, and more. Pay attention to what they’re eating. Feel their bellies—if they’re soft, they’re feeding on baitfish; if they’re crunchy, it’s craws. Match the hatch with size and color. Hard baits like jerkbaits, spy baits, A-rigs, cranks, and hair jigs are excellent. For soft plastics, try drop shots, tubes, Neds, swimbaits, grubs, or Senkos. Watch the weather and moon phases—a warming trend during a full or new moon often triggers a new push of spawners. That said, full moons can make for tougher daytime bites, as non-spawning fish feed more at night with the extra light. Other Species Updates: Walleye – Evening bite is still best around creek mouths. Expect walleye bite to to heat up as the migration from the west continues. Lake Trout – Anglers are still doing well trolling near “The Mountain” around the NY line in 100’+ depths. Perch – We are getting sporadic catches of postspawn perch in the Bay while bass fishing. Most big schools have moved back to the lake, so focus there. Memorial Day Special & June Availability We just had Memorial Day and May 27th open up due to a client’s knee surgery. I’m offering a 2-day, 8-hour guided trip special for just $1200 — a $100 savings! June is filling up fast in the past couple of weeks, with limited dates remaining: June **hidden content** If you want to get in on the summer deep bite (July–early September) or secure a prime fall trophy smallmouth spot (October–November) or lake trout jigging/scoping big fall walleye, now’s the time to get on the books, as many of my prime fall dates are already filling. Tight lines, Captain Destin DeMarion Big Fat Bass Guide Service
Destin DeMarion
Erie, Pennsylvania, United States
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Looking for a serious Lake Erie fishing experience guided by a true professional? Climb aboard with Big Fat Bass Guide Service, led by Captain Destin DeMarion — a former Bassmaster Elite Series pro with over a decade of experience guiding on Lake Er...

Other reports from this charter

August Lake Erie Report
August Lake Erie Report
August 10, 2025
Lake Erie is such a fascinating place. The fishing alone is world-class, but the ecosystem as a whole is an ever-changing, dynamic environment. Every season brings its own shifts in weather, water, and wildlife, and sometimes we get to witness one of its more dramatic events firsthand — something we call “the turnover.” What Is the Lake Erie Turnover? In short, turnover happens about once a summer here on Erie (not the full fall turnover). As the lake warms, it naturally separates into layers — with warmer water on top and colder, denser water beneath. When we get a sustained hard wind, especially from the north (as we just did), it disrupts that layering. Cold water from the depths is pushed up and mixed into the upper layer, sending temperatures in certain areas plunging almost overnight. While most species handle this sudden change just fine, some, like freshwater drum (a.k.a. “sheepshead”), can’t cope as well. After these events, it’s common to see dead sheepshead floating on the surface. The good news is this doesn’t significantly impact their population — they’re extremely abundant — and the majority of other fish species are unaffected. How Turnover Impacts Fishing Although a die-off isn’t pleasant to see, turnover often improves our fishing. The sudden infusion of cooler water pushes gamefish toward prime structure and temperature zones, creating feeding opportunities that simply don’t exist during the stagnant “dog days” of summer. This recent turnover was a perfect example. Summertime bass fishing can be challenging, but almost overnight, concentrations of bass moved back into key areas. As a bonus, we also found big walleye and even some perch taking advantage of the same cooler zones. There are still fish holding in their usual deep summertime haunts, but turnover has opened up more areas to target — and more ways to catch them. Current Fishing Report Walleye: The bite has stayed strong both shallow and deep. We’ve been catching them in 10–30 feet and also in 50–100 feet. Blade baits, jigging raps, and traditional jigheads have done the bulk of the work, though some walleye have even fallen for bass presentations. Productive areas include the mountain region near North East and west around the Peninsula. Smallmouth Bass: Focus on the coolest water you can find, whether shallow or deep near the thermocline. The full fall turnover is still about a month away, but these early shifts are already pulling fish into more aggressive feeding patterns. Drop shots, ned rigs, and jighead minnow presentations continue to lead the way. Tightlines, Captain Destin DeMarion
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Late July Erie Fishing Report
Late July Erie Fishing Report
July 30, 2025
The dog days are approaching on Lake Erie… or maybe they’ve already come and gone—hard to say with this weather. It’s been a hot one, and not just temperature-wise. The walleye bite has stayed red-hot all summer, and the smallmouth bass are kicking into gear again, thanks to some cooler mornings and more stable conditions. We've even seen a few bonus perch show up around the walleye grounds. Clients have been boating a mixed bag of species lately—walleye, smallmouth and largemouth bass, perch, lake trout, white bass, rock bass, and the occasional sheepshead. It’s been an action-packed summer. Bass Bite: Early and Late Are Key Right now, smallmouth are most active during the early morning and evening hours, with some midday windows when conditions line up. We’re still fishing in that 20–40' zone, targeting rock structures like humps and flats with the right mix of substrate. Ned rigs, tubes, drop shots, and jighead minnows continue to put fish in the boat. We also had a great time fishing the biggest tournament of the year out of Erie, PA—Kings of Bass. It was a cool mixed format with Day 1 focused on smallmouth and Day 2 on largemouth. We were fortunate to boat over 25 solid smallmouth on the first day—some pushing the 5 lb mark—and back it up with quality largemouth up to 4 lbs. Hats off to Frank Malek and the FishUSA crew for organizing the biggest turnout in years. It’s a fun, competitive event on a world-class fishery. Walleye: Full Coolers and Quality Fish Walleye fishing has stayed excellent, with most anglers limiting out in a variety of areas. We've had good success from the dumping grounds to Shades Beach in 50–80', casting and jigging with ⅜ oz jigheads and a mix of hard baits. The Mountain and the New York line have also been productive. Guys that are trolling continue to do well with worm harnesses and hard baits, but our casting and jigging clients are loving the interactive approach—actively hunting down fish and working them into biting. Coolers have been full, and we’ve seen some chunky 25–28" fish on recent trips. What to Expect in August As we head into August, expect to find fish hugging that 50–55' depth zone as the thermocline sets in. Walleye will often suspend over deeper water but hold tight to that range. The bass pattern should stay consistent, with key feeding windows continuing in the mornings and evenings. Thinking About a Fall Trip? We’re already hearing from lots of folks planning their fall fishing getaways. If you're looking to chase trophy smallmouth, lake trout, Fall Brawl walleye, or those famous “jumbolina” yellow perch, now’s the time to lock in your dates. Our calendar is filling up fast for prime fall windows. We'll fish as deep into the fall as conditions allow. Tight lines, Captain Destin DeMarion
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