7/28/26 Lake Erie Central Basin Fishing Report
July 28, 2026
Lake Erie walleye fishing has absolutely been on fire over the last week! Limits have been the norm in a short amount of time — if you’re looking for fast-paced Lake Erie walleye fishing at its finest, right now is the time of year for you. Skies have been mostly sunny with air temperatures in the mid to upper 70s, occasionally bumping the low 80s. Winds have been calm all the way around the compass with prevailing westerlies, and seas have run 1 to 4 feet at the maximum. Surface water temperature is 76–78 degrees. With 32 feet of downrigger cable out, the thermocline that had started to set up has disappeared after a couple of days of heavier northeast winds — I expect it to start setting back up soon. I’ve had one Fish Ohio this past week: a 28½-inch walleye caught this last Saturday, along with a 27- and a 25-inch fish. All three were caught by the same angler on an afternoon charter, headed to the taxidermist back home in Minnesota.
The program we’ve been running is the same old, same old as last week: 200 feet of wire, with Junior Thundersticks predominant. Best colors haven’t changed — any green specks, blue and chrome, and black and chrome — on the Dipsy Divers at the 3, 2, and 1 settings. I’ve been running short-lipped Challenger crankbaits behind the 3 and 2 Dipsys on the outside, a Junior Thunderstick on the middle Dipsy, and a large standard-size Silver Streak spoon on the number-one downrigger. Standard-size Silver Streak spoons have dominated; hot colors have been Blue Chili Willy, Orange Crush, and Green Chili Willy. I’m targeting just below the 30-foot mark in the water column. A good bit of speed at the lure hasn’t changed — 2.7 to 3.1 MPH. Water depths we’ve been fishing have been between 44 and 51 feet. We’ve seen a better grade of Lake Erie walleye since the changeover to mostly trolling crankbaits, but I can’t give up those four spoons yet.
Now is a great time to visit Lake Erie for a family vacation before back-to-school. Cedar Point is just a short drive west of the Sir Walleye Charters boat. August 9, 2026, is the last weekend date available for morning walleye fishing charters — weekday mornings are open, or weekend afternoons upon request. Here at Sir Walleye Charters, women and children are always welcome!
Mustad Pro Tips:
- Fish the lure colors you have the most confidence in.
- Don’t be afraid to be different than everyone else — fish your program.
- Speed is crucial. If the fish are not biting, give it some gas and speed up!
Until Next Time,
Gotta Go, Fish ON 🎣 Get The Net‼️,
Captain Kris