As May winds down and June rolls in, Lake Erie smallmouth bass are finally getting that signature spunk back. After a brief cooldown, we’re seeing water temps in the mid-to-upper 50s on the main lake and low 60s in Presque Isle Bay—perfect for active bass.
Right now, we’ve got fish in all three phases of the spawn. In the Bay, postspawners are showing up in offshore areas, but prespawn and spawning fish are still around. Out on the main lake, the spawn is going in some areas, with many fish still waiting to go—especially in the cooler zones away from the Bay.
When fish are spread across all phases, it opens the playbook. Look for them shallow, mid-depth, or deep—on beds, guarding fry, fattening up before or after the spawn. Forage is plentiful right now, too: emerald shiners, baby perch, gobies, shad, craws, and more.
Pay attention to what they’re eating. Feel their bellies—if they’re soft, they’re feeding on baitfish; if they’re crunchy, it’s craws. Match the hatch with size and color. Hard baits like jerkbaits, spy baits, A-rigs, cranks, and hair jigs are excellent. For soft plastics, try drop shots, tubes, Neds, swimbaits, grubs, or Senkos.
Watch the weather and moon phases—a warming trend during a full or new moon often triggers a new push of spawners. That said, full moons can make for tougher daytime bites, as non-spawning fish feed more at night with the extra light.
Other Species Updates:
- Walleye – Evening bite is still best around creek mouths. Expect walleye bite to to heat up as the migration from the west continues.
- Lake Trout – Anglers are still doing well trolling near “The Mountain” around the NY line in 100’+ depths.
- Perch – We are getting sporadic catches of postspawn perch in the Bay while bass fishing. Most big schools have moved back to the lake, so focus there.
🔥 Memorial Day Special & June Availability
We just had Memorial Day and May 27th open up due to a client’s knee surgery. I’m offering a 2-day, 8-hour guided trip special for just $1200 — a $100 savings!
June is filling up fast in the past couple of weeks, with limited dates remaining:
🗓️ June 2, 5–7, 9, 13, 16–17, 19–20, 23–24, 27–28, 30
If you want to get in on the summer deep bite (July–early September) or secure a prime fall trophy smallmouth spot (October–November) or lake trout jigging/scoping big fall walleye, now’s the time to get on the books, as many of my prime fall dates are already filling.
Tight lines,
Captain Destin DeMarion
Big Fat Bass Guide Service
Want to save on great ShredFin apparel? Use code “DEMARION15” here.
