8/4/26 Lake Erie Walleye Fishing Report — Central Basin out of Lorain
August 4, 2026
Walleye fishing in the Central Basin out of Lorain has remained very strong! Limits are being caught well within the time frame of our Lake Erie walleye fishing charters. Lake Erie has been angry a couple of days with huge waves and north winds, but the cold water that has been blown in has really helped the fish stay close and active. Walleye — or any fish, for that matter — like cooler water, not because they feel comfortable but because they can breathe better: denser water holds more oxygen. Skies have been partly cloudy with periods of rain, and seas have been all over the place, everything from no chop at all to 12 feet. On the huge-seas days we did not fish — safety is always our first and foremost concern. Air temperatures have been in the mid to upper 70s, tapping into the 80s a few days. Water temperature is 76 degrees on the surface and 72 with 40 feet of downrigger cable out.
Our program has not changed much at all: Jr Thundersticks on 200 feet of #12 American Fishing Wire, still working that 50 to 52 feet of water. On Thursday of last week I did have to get the 300-foot wire rods out of the cabin to get down to the fish — after the north blow they had sunk to about 2 feet off the bottom for a day. Hot colors have been Black and Chrome, Green Specks, Blue and Chrome, and Mojo. The Dipsy program is same old, same old, targeting between 30 and 35 feet down in the water column with shallow Jr Thundersticks in the same color patterns, and the deep Jr's have been hot. I have also put shallow Jr's on the downrigger rods, dropping the ball to between 35 and 40 feet down.
Speed has stayed what some would call fast at the lure on the Fish Hawk — I have been looking for 2.8 to 3.1 MPH at the lure. Honestly, I do not even look at my GPS speed much anymore after adding the Fish Hawk. But I did pay a little more attention this week, and boy, was I stunned at how much current there is and how hard it runs. Most days, going with the current, I was down to 3.4 MPH GPS to get 2.8 MPH at the lure. Some may say that does not matter — well, I'm here to tell you speed is a huge factor in trolling for any fish species. The ones who say it does not matter are the ones who won't spend the money for the proper equipment to measure with.
Call (574) 253-8314 to book your Lake Erie walleye charter with Sir Walleye Charters — open dates are limited and the Central Basin bite is on.
Mustad Pro Tips:
- Get down to the fish. Every day is different — just because it worked seven days in a row does not mean it will work today.
- Spend the money to set up for success. If a piece of equipment will make you a better fisherman with more hookups, BUY IT!!
- Watch the currents. If you don't have a Fish Hawk, read how your rods pull when you're catching fish, and match that bend in them when you're not!
Until Next Time,
Gotta Go, Fish ON 🎣 Get The Net‼️,
Captain Kris
Sir Walleye Charters