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Water temperatures throughout Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania are slowly dropping after peaking in the mid-to-upper-80s a few weeks ago, which is a good sign for anglers yearning for the autumn uptick in fish activity.
Several days ago, I was seeing lake water temperatures ranging from 74 to 76 degrees, around 10 degrees lower than what I observed in late July.
Whether you are chasing largemouth or smallmouth bass, walleyes or crappies, cooling water brings high hopes for anglers. Dips in temperature trigger increased feeding behavior, making it more likely that fish will react to our lures.
As the fish get more aggressive, anglers can do likewise. With bass, walleyes and other game species more willing to chase baits, we can break out the crankbaits, spinnerbaits and bladed jigs to fancast flats and bottom structure. The more water we can cover, the more likely we will encounter hungry fish.
Baitfish also respond to the cooldown. Shad and shiners roam in large schools out on main lake points and begin to migrate to shallow water. On reservoirs like Berlin, West Branch, Shenango and Pymatuning, the big schools of baitfish head toward the creek arms where the water is cooling faster than the main lake.
It's still summer, of course, so the transition is still a few weeks from really getting started, but savvy anglers nonetheless are adjusting their tactics to take advantage of more opportunities.
My favorite late-summer lakes include Mosquito, Pymatuning, Shenango and West Branch.
Anglers are reporting mixed catches of walleyes and largemouths at Mosquito, with smallmouth bass joining the action at Pymatuning. Shallow flats with vegetation are loaded with shad, yellow perch and young-of-the-year panfish.
West Branch's lush vegetation is holding lots of muskies and bass. Milton continues to produce nice muskies, too.
Largemouths and smallies are increasingly active at Shenango, where anglers drag jigs on points and ledges and pitch creature baits to shoreline cover. The topwater bite is also improving there as we head toward Labor Day, especially at sunrise as the predator fish take advantage of low-light conditions to feast on the abundant baitfish.
Shenango anglers can expect to encounter hybrid striped bass. From late spring through autumn, the stripers feed heavily on shad and will strike topwaters, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and other fast and flashy lures.
The Ohio River and Lake Erie are also on my list of favorite waters this time of year. Smallmouth bass gather in wolf packs to pick off shad and emerald shiners in the current seams of the Ohio. Anglers find smallies around jetties, docked barges, bridge piers and other structure.
Erie has been good all summer for anglers casting near-shore waters for walleyes and smallmouths. Tube jigs, Ned rigs and drop-shot rigs are the hot tickets for anglers working breakwaters and offshore humps, boulders and ledges.
Soon, of course, the cool water will attract Erie's autumn acrobats, steelhead trout, to feast on the abundant shad and shiners that congregate in the harbors and move into the rivers.
Cooler weather is good for anglers, too, as we put the sweaty days in the rearview mirror and enjoy the promise of hot fishing in the weeks ahead.
Jack Wollitz writes about fishing weekly for readers of the Tribune Chronicle and Vindicator. Contact him at jackbbaass@gmail.com