8/11/26 Lake Erie Walleye Fishing Report — Central Basin out of Lorain
August 11, 2026
This week has been nothing short of what we’ve been reporting all season — the walleye bite remains amazing for August. Some folks think Lake Erie walleye don’t bite in August, and while that may be true out in the Western Basin, the Central Basin is still going strong with limits daily for our clients. We’ve been blessed lately with an abundance of charters, great clients, great fishing, and a lot of memories made. Skies have been mostly partly cloudy with a few brief rain showers while fishing — and yes, the fish still bite in the rain, they’re already wet! (A little captain humor for you.) Air temps have been in the low 80s most days; surface water is around 76 degrees, and 74 with 45 feet of downrigger cable out. That tells me the north winds have kept the water mixing and haven’t let it build enough heat for a thermocline to set up. Seas have run 1 to 3 feet — a couple mornings the forecast called for big NE seas and we woke up to light SW winds instead. We’ll take it.
Now for the meat and potatoes of why you all read these reports. The program has changed a little from last week — not much, but a little. I upgraded the transducer on the Humminbird to a true shoot-through-the-hull model built to mark fish at speed, and man, has it impressed me. Running at speed with a few tweaks to contrast and sensitivity, the screen looks like we’re sitting still fishing. What that’s done is let me dial in the best program before we ever set lines — I’m no longer just starting where we left off yesterday. Total game changer. First thing in the morning we deploy the 200 wire rods with Jr. Thundersticks on one side for the higher off-the-bottom marks, and the 300s on the other for when they drop to the bottom. Top colors haven’t changed much: Mojo, Black and Chrome, and Green Specks. Dipsy divers have been fishing the 30-to-40-foot range on one side and 40 to 45 on the other — all with shallow-diving Jr Thundersticks.
I’m running these small stick baits because of the bait fish that are in the Central Basin right now — and it helps keep some of the super-small walleye off the lines. I won’t say we never catch one, but it’s drastically fewer on a stick bait than a spoon. Water depth we’re fishing is 51 to 54 feet; having to run a little further offshore this time of year is normal — it’s all bait-fish related, and the walleye follow the bait. Speed at the Fish Hawk probe has stayed in the 2.8 to 3.0 MPH range, and squaring up with the current daily — getting everything pulling straight — helps the most. If you’ve seen me out there trolling crossways to the waves in “the ditch” and wondered what in the world Sir Walleye is doing — that’s the angle where everything pulls true, because the current doesn’t always match the wave direction. I don’t even look at GPS speed over ground anymore. Fish Hawk all the way — trust those electronics, it always pays off in the long run.
Call (574) 253-8314 to book your Lake Erie walleye charter with Sir Walleye Charters — the Central Basin bite is on and open dates are limited.
Mustad Pro Tips:
- Match the bait profile to the water you’re fishing.
- Upgrade your electronics — you don’t always need a whole new unit; sometimes one upgraded component makes all the difference.
- Always carry the proper tools for the job. Check out the Mustad Fishing website for quality boat tools — use code SIRWALLEYE20 at checkout for 20% off the entire site.
Until Next Time,
Gotta Go, Fish ON 🎣 Get The Net‼️,
Captain Kris
Sir Walleye Charters