This very well could be it — our final regular Lake Erie fishing report for the 2025 season. Thinking about that feels crazy. Another season already in the books. If this is truly the last one, I can’t complain. It’s been an awesome run from the moment we hit open water back in March on Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie.
We got to meet and fish with great folks from Florida, Texas, California, Colorado, Indiana, Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, North Carolina, New Mexico, Minnesota, Michigan, New Jersey, China, and probably more I’m forgetting. It’s amazing how strong the draw is for Lake Erie trophy smallmouth — and for walleye, lake trout, and perch, too.
The 2026 season is right around the corner, and March and April will be here before we know it. Before we dive back into trophy smallmouth season, we’ll be kicking things off in March with some jumbolina early-season perch trips. These outings are a blast — we target them mostly with artificial baits and use many of the same techniques (just scaled down) that we use for smallmouth. It’s a fun way to shake the rust off, bend the rods early, and load up on those big early spring perch before the bass program kicks into full gear.
If you want to get on the schedule, or you’re looking to book a trip for that special someone this holiday season, we’re doing a special giveaway from Douglas Rods. One early booker (before January 1st) will win a Douglas ERA rod of their choice. Every day you book equals one entry. These are the rods we use on trips — along with the LRS and XMatrix series — and clients have really liked them. Lightweight, sensitive, and a great price point. Huge thanks to Douglas for getting behind this, and we’ve got another year-long giveaway cooking for next season that I think you’ll like. Stay tuned.
My goal is to create a great experience for you — on the water and off it — with solid communication, sponsor discounts, and chances to win quality gear.
Now onto the fishing report.
November is always a trophy month on Lake Erie. The weather can absolutely disrupt plans (which is why I always suggest booking multiple fall days), but when the lake cooperates, November can produce some of the most incredible bass, walleye, lake trout, and perch fishing of the year. This back half of November was no different. We had a 30.51 lb bag of smallmouth with Rob and his daughter Taylor, plus a pile of heavy lake trout caught by jigging or casting. And we had plenty of bonus fish mixed in too — walleye and steelhead kept things exciting. Light-tackle casting makes every one of them a blast.
Water temps in the low 50s early in the month dropped quickly, and most of our mid–late November fishing happened in 40–49 degree water. For bass, my favorite range is usually mid 40s to mid 55s, but for lake trout, the colder it gets, the better they like it. Don’t get it twisted though — I’ve had some of my best days on Erie in December when the water was 35–40 degrees, including the 180-bass day in Buffalo with Jeff Hippert and Bailey Eigbrett on New Year’s Eve.
As the water cools, slower or vertical presentations really shine for smallmouth. Many of these techniques also translate to lake trout and walleye. Ned rigs, tubes, grubs, and swimbaits are fantastic cold-water dragging options. For vertical jigging, it’s hard to beat a blade bait — especially a 1/2 oz Fish Sense Binsky. Match the hatch and match the water color. Silver and gold are tough to beat, and lake trout hammer them.
With November and December come strong winds and precipitation that often stain or muddy productive areas. Baitfish love slight color, but there’s a fine line between perfect stain and too much mud. Pay attention to visibility and adjust lure colors accordingly. Maybe that translucent, realistic swimbait was perfect at 2+ feet of visibility — but now the water dirtied up and they won’t touch it. That’s when solid or bright colors can be the move. Smallmouth are visual feeders. When they can’t see, the strike zone shrinks fast. Vertical jigging can solve that by making it easier for them to locate your bait and helping you stay efficient.
We had a great Thanksgiving this year — thankfully without the five feet of lake-effect snow we got last season. A few inches feels like a blessing now (laughs). I’m holding out hope for a weather window to get out at least a couple more times, but the Phoenix war bird is serviced and ready for a hopefully short winter nap if not. Big thanks to Jeff, Joe, and Trevor at FC Marine for squeezing me in before the snow hit.
We’ll continue putting out content over the winter — tips, reports, gear breakdowns, or anything you want to see. If you’ve got ideas, shoot them my way and I’ll do my best to deliver value during the cold months. I’ll probably spend some time chasing steelhead on the streams with my buddy Andy Full of Full Fishing Guide Service, and maybe even sneak onto the ice if conditions allow. I hope to see you out there!
Tight lines,
Captain Destin DeMarion
724-790-4232 (4BFB)
Big Fat Bass Guide Service
DestinDeMarion.com
Gear Discounts for Clients & Blog Readers:
Doc’s Tackle: Contact me directly for exclusive discounts on rods, reels, and terminal tackle.
Douglas Rods: Ask me about deep discounts on any rod in the lineup.
ShredFin Apparel: Use code “DEMARION15” at ShredFin.com
Amphibia Eyewear: 20% off with code “Destin” at amphibiaeyegear.com
