7/21/26 Lake Erie Central Basin Fishing Report
July 21, 2026
Lake Erie walleye fishing has been fast and furious with limits in a short amount of time, and the grade of fish has been outstanding! Weather once again has been all over the board. Mostly, we have seen more wind and larger seas over the past week. 3 to 5 ft has been the normal wave height, with a few days at 1 ft or less. Air temperature has been in the high 80s to low 90s with mostly sunny skies and a brief rain shower or two. Water temperature is 76 degrees on the surface, with the thermocline starting to set up at about 35 feet down. Below the 35-ft mark, water temperature is around 66 to 68 degrees. Another week and we should see the thermocline fully set up.
Now for the good stuff you have all been waiting for! With the thermocline starting to set, walleyes have moved up on the top side in the warmer water. I have been working a little deeper, in 50 to 56 feet of water. Most of the marks are from 27 to 35 feet down, making them much easier to target. I have made a switch on the board line rods back to 200’ of 12# wire to get Jr Thundersticks and Rapala TDD9 Taildancers at or just below the 30-foot mark. I like trolling the small smelt-shaped crankbaits this time of year as the baitfish profile in the summer months is much smaller. Top-producing colors in Jr Thundersticks have been Mojo, Green Specks, and Blue Chrome. Top Rapala TDD9’s are Black Light, Rainbow Trout Flash, and Purpledescent. Same dipsy diver program with 3 per side — 3 setting, 2 setting, and 1 setting — targeting the 30 to 35 feet mark in the water column with standard-size Silver Streak spoons. Hot colors have been Blue Chilly Willy, Orange Crush, and Chicken Wing. Speed on the Fish Hawk has been higher than I would call normal at 3.0–3.4 MPH.
Join us for some Lake Erie walleye fishing charters here at Sir Walleye Charters, where women and children are always welcome! We have availability to take you Lake Erie fishing.
Mustad Pro Tips:
- Match the bait profile for the time of year with your lure presentation.
- If the fish are not biting, give it some gas and speed up.
- Sometimes Old School is better than New School lures. The fish have not gone to school to get smarter.
Until Next Time,
Gotta Go, Fish ON 🎣 Get The Net‼️,
Captain Kris