Water visibilty in western basin

[Dr.Ed]

I just got back from an outdoor show in Niles Ohio and several charter boat captains told me the lake was muddy all the way to Canada. Is this true? I wanted to go up Monday or Tuesday but it is a 2 1/2 hour tow for me and I need to know there is fishable water somewhere before I hook up the Holly Lucas and drag my butt and some of my friends to the lake. Has anyone gone out of Catawba and had success finding water and fish?

[always trolling]

just looked at todays satalite photos doesn't look to bad to me .....

[Dr.Ed]

I thought the same thing but I wanted to hear from someone who actually put a boat in western Lake Erie recently and could see his lures in 2 feet or more of stained water.

[kwall]

3ft vis. Reefs area going tomorrow

[West Basin]

I certainly am not an expert, but I don't think stained or even fairly muddy water is a killer for catching walleye. Walleye are caught in the Maumee and Sandusky rivers during the spring spawning run and that water visibility is often 2 or 3 inches, 5 or 6 max, chocolate milk. I'd love to hear some comments on this from the experienced walleye fisherman. Just how much does water clarity typically effect walleye fishing? I know I've caught walleye over the years in Lake Erie in water clarity from crystal clear to severely 'stained'. I know you avoid the real muddy waters, but just how low can the visibility go before it ruins the walleye fishing?

There are also times when the surface is pretty clear but the bottom is murky. I've seen this scuba diving in the Lake. We'd dive a spot because the surface showed 6-8 feet of visibility and when we got down to the bottom 6 or 8 feet the visibility was 2-3 feet. I've even seen the opposite (though rarely). So I know there are times when fisherman think the visibility is pretty good judging by the surface but the depth they are catching walleye at is much more murky or 'stained'.

[skipper9]

I had some buddies that caught there fish today trolling just outside the firing range. So I would say it is definitely fishable.

[fishin2]

I believe if a fella would anchor on the edge of the reef and vertical jig, it would be game on, just like ice feeshin !!