Catawba Fishing Brief - 2026-07-20
Western Basin Lake Erie waypoints. Verified against Coe Vanna Charters + Natural Atlas. Mouse Island Reef is the structure ~0.94 nm N of the island itself. 7/20 is a GO and the best window of the week: S wind 10 kt or less becoming SE, waves 1 ft or less all day, no advisories, no fog, no daylight storms. South is the lee quadrant for Catawba so the shallow north reefs are flat - this is the first genuine run-anywhere day since July 8. Hard expiration: showers and thunderstorms after dark tonight with SW wind jumping to 15-20 kt, and Tuesday is a NO-GO (SW 15-25 kt, 2-4 ft, 70 percent storms). Use the flat water for the WNW run to Niagara/Round and the stretch to Toussaint. Water 77.4F. Expectation note: the mid-June mayfly hatch pushed a chunk of the walleye east out of the Western Basin, so the bite is thinner - work current seams, troll to find pods, and pivot to smallmouth or perch without hesitation. Flat water is also the day to learn in-line boards solo.
Reel Quest

Catawba Pt Assoc Launch
APPROXIMATE. Private community ramp at the tip of Catawba near Mouse Island. Verify exact location.
Launch

Mouse Island REEF
VERIFIED. Actual fishing reef, NOT the island. ~1.2 nm NNE of launch. Limestone shoal, 0.33 sq mi, least depth 9 ft. On today's S wind nothing here is blocked, so fish the full perimeter instead of hunting a lee edge. Troll 14-22 ft at 1.6 mph to find scattered pods, jig back through with a 3/8 oz hair jig. Good shakeout - give it 30-40 min, then move west. Don't spend a rare flat day on the closest rock.
Fishing

Niagara Reef (buoy 5)
VERIFIED. Lighted buoy 5 marks the reef. ~6 nm WNW of launch. Best structure in range and fully open today - this is the run the NE weeks take away. Make it early while the water is flattest. Troll 18-22 ft edges at 1.4-1.8 mph, jig rocky outskirts 10-16 FOW. Best spot on the list to put the in-line boards out: open water, no chop, room to spread.
Fishing

Round Reef
VERIFIED (Coe Vanna). Named in lakeeriefish for jigging, 10-16 FOW. ~5 nm WNW of launch, right next to Niagara. Fish the two as a single complex on one trip out.
Fishing

Toussaint Reef
VERIFIED. Named in lakeeriefish for jigging the rocky outskirts. ~9 nm W of launch. THE GLASS-DAY STRETCH - sees a fraction of Niagara's pressure. Nine miles is a real commitment on a PWC: check the buoy before committing, watch fuel, turn back if the wind is climbing. Snap-jig or vertical-jig 10-16 FOW, or troll the outside edges at 1.5 mph.

Marblehead Current
APPROXIMATE. Just E of Marblehead Lighthouse in the current break. High-current walleye zone named in lakeeriefish, and one of the spots still holding fish now that the population has thinned. Good stop on the way home. Reef Runner / Husky Jerk 18-28 FOW @ 1.5 mph, bottom third. Verify exact current break with fish finder. Quick bail to Catawba or Port Clinton.

Crib Reef (buoy 7)
VERIFIED. Buoy 7 marks it. ~10 nm NE of launch. Less crowded than Niagara and genuinely reachable on today's flat water, but the longest haul on the list. A fine alternative to Toussaint if you'd rather run northeast than west.