Catawba Fishing Brief - 2026-07-22
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. 7/22 is a CAUTION early, GO late: the Small Craft Advisory has expired and NOTHING is posted on the marine zone or the Ottawa County point forecast, but yesterday's blow left 2.6 ft on the open lake at noon with NNW wind at 9.7 kt. NNW is the wave-building quadrant for the shallow north reefs. Marine zone has waves 1-3 ft subsiding to 1 ft or less through the day. Fish close and tucked before mid-afternoon (Mouse Island Reef, then the Marblehead seam under the south shore), then re-read the buoy before committing to the 6 nm WNW push to Niagara and Round. THURSDAY IS THE RUN-ANYWHERE DAY - N 10 kt or less becoming E, waves 1 ft or less, sunny - with one asterisk: NWS has a slight waterspout chance overnight and again before 9 AM Thursday as cold air moves over 75-degree water, so let the morning develop instead of launching at first light. Water 75.4F, down 1.6F in a day from front mixing. Post-front walleye slide deeper and chase less, so troll the slow end (1.3-1.6 mph) and put something on the bottom. Expectation note: the mid-June mayfly hatch pushed a chunk of the walleye east out of the Western Basin, so work current seams, troll to find pods, and pivot to smallmouth or perch without hesitation.
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. START HERE TODAY. At 1.2 nm you can turn for the ramp the moment the lake tells you to, which is exactly what you want while the leftover 2.6 ft chop is still laying down. At 75.4F the reef-top bite is gone: troll the 14-22 ft perimeter at 1.4 mph to find scattered pods, then jig back through with a 3/8 oz hair jig. Give it 30-40 min before deciding whether to push west or slide east to Marblehead.
Fishing

Marblehead Current
APPROXIMATE. Just E of Marblehead Lighthouse in the current break. TODAY'S SHELTERED PLAY. On a NNW breeze this water sits tucked under the south shore and is the calmest fishable structure on the list, which makes it the right second stop while the open lake is still bumpy. High-current walleye zone named in lakeeriefish and one of the spots still holding fish now that the population has thinned. Reef Runner / Husky Jerk 18-28 FOW @ 1.3-1.5 mph, bottom third. Verify exact current break with fish finder. Quick bail to Catawba or Port Clinton.
Fishing

Niagara Reef (buoy 5)
VERIFIED. Lighted buoy 5 marks the reef. ~6 nm WNW of launch. Best structure in range. NOT a midday move today - hit REFRESH on the brief and read the actual buoy first. If waves are at or under 1.5 ft it is on for late afternoon, otherwise save it for Thursday. Troll 18-22 ft edges at 1.3-1.6 mph, jig rocky outskirts 10-16 FOW. Best spot on the list to put the in-line boards out: open water, 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. Same timing gate as Niagara: late today only if the buoy confirms, otherwise Thursday.

Toussaint Reef
VERIFIED. Named in lakeeriefish for jigging the rocky outskirts. ~9 nm W of launch. THE FLAT-DAY STRETCH - sees a fraction of Niagara's pressure. Thursday only, not today. 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 1.4 mph.

Crib Reef (buoy 7)
VERIFIED. Buoy 7 marks it. ~10 nm NE of launch. Less crowded than Niagara but the longest haul on the list, and it sits straight into today's NNW chop. Thursday only, and even then only if you would rather run northeast than west.