Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your Lake Erie angling buddy out of Cleveland, comin' at ya with today's fishin' report for January 12th, 8:25 AM. Winter's grip is tight on our waters, but the bite's hangin' in there.

National Weather Service Cleveland says southwest winds 15-20 knots today off Cleveland, waves 2-4 feet in nearshore spots like Vermilion to Avon Point—Small Craft Advisory till 3 PM, so watch it if you're headin' out. Water temp's chillin' at 34 degrees off Cleveland. No tides on Erie, but that cold snap like early January's kept things movin'. Sunrise was 'round 7:50 AM, sunset 'bout 5:10 PM—short days, fish school tight.

Fish activity's solid post-cold front per Lake Erie Detroit Fishing Report: walleye, perch, and smallmouth bass fired up. Recent catches mirror that—walleye perchin' deep, smallies smashin' structure, perch schools thick. Limits comin' steady, nothin' huge but consistent 2-5 pounders.

Best lures? Jigheads with minnow imitations rule—3.5-inch Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ in electric shad on 1/4-3/8 oz tungsten heads, or Rapala CrushCity Mooch Minnow on VMC swimbait jigs. Twitch 'em slow over bait balls. Live bait? Emerald shinies or fathead minnows on jigheads; nightcrawlers for perch and drum.

Hot spots: Edgewater Park breakwalls for smallies if ice-free, or Fairport Harbor piers trollin' 10-20 feet for walleye. Stay safe, bundle up.

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This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Erie–Cleveland fishing report.

We’re solidly in mid‑winter mode on the central basin. The National Weather Service Cleveland marine forecast has south to southwest winds 10–20 knots over Lake Erie, and they’re still calling the lake “mostly ice covered,” which means nearshore ice sheets with open pockets and some rough, shifting edges. The Cleveland nearshore zone is seeing 1–3 footers where it’s open, but a lot of that is locked up in ice, so respect the conditions.

Sunrise around Cleveland is right about 7:55 AM with sunset near 5:20 PM, so your money windows are that first hour after daybreak and the last 90 minutes before dark, when the low light gets the walleyes sliding up off the deep edges to feed.

Lake Erie doesn’t really have tide, but we do get seiche. With these south and southwest winds, you’ll see just a little water pushed toward the western and central shorelines. It’s not dramatic, but even a half‑foot bump is enough to shift current and tuck baitfish along the first and second breaks outside the harbors.

Reports this week from local charters and Cleveland regulars say the bite’s been classic winter: fewer boats, but the ones going are still putting together respectable boxes of **walleye** with some bonus **yellow perch** and the odd **lake trout** out deeper. Most ’eyes are eater‑size, 16–22 inches, with the occasional bigger fish in the mid‑20s.

Out of Cleveland, guys sneaking out on the soft days have been working 30–45 feet of water off the harbor and along the edges toward Edgewater and Wildwood. Slow‑trolled deep‑diving crankbaits—Bandits, Husky Jerks, and Reef Runners—run 1.0–1.3 mph just off bottom have been the main program. Purples, chromes, and natural shad patterns are leading in this cold, fairly clear water. A lot of crews are pulling them on shorter leads because the fish are glued to that lower third of the column.

If you’re vertical jigging when you can get over open pockets, think heavy and subtle: 3/4‑ to 1‑ounce jig heads tipped with emerald shiners, or minnow‑style plastics in chartreuse, purple, and glow. Keep the line straight up and down and just quiver the rod tip—these mid‑winter fish nip more than they smash.

Perch are a pick‑bite right now, but when you find them on your electronics in 35–45 feet off Cleveland and east toward Euclid, a simple spreader rig or drop‑shot with lake shiners just off bottom will still put some keepers in the cooler. Small hooks, light taps.

Best baits and lures today:
- For walleye trolling: Bandits, Husky Jerks, and deep Reef Runners in purple, chrome, and natural baitfish, 1.0–1.3 mph.
- For vertical: 3/4–1 oz jig heads with emerald shiners, or blade baits in gold or nickel yo‑yoed slowly along rock and breaklines.
- For perch: lake shiners on spreaders or drop‑shot, just ticking bottom.

A couple of hot spots if the wind and ice let you:
- Off the **Cleveland breakwalls and Edgewater** in 30–40 feet: classic winter walleye stretch, especially late afternoon into dark.
- **Wildwood to Euclid** in that 35–45 foot band: roaming schools of ’eyes and scattered perch—watch your graph and stay on marks, not waypoints.

Ice around the harbors and marinas is still sketchy—pressure cracks, refrozen slush, and shifting plates—so treat everything as unsafe unless the local bait shop and a spud bar tell you otherwise. Dress for a swim even if you don’t plan on taking one: float suit or PFD, dry clothes in a dry bag, and let someone know your plan before you roll.

That’s the word from the Lake Erie–Cleveland shoreline. Thanks for tuning in, and make sure you subscribe so you never miss a report.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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