Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

[JAL51974]

I am planning a weekend trip to Erie, picking up relatives at the Cleveland airport. We want to combine a one day fishing/boating trip with seeing the rock n roll hall of fame in the evening. any suggestions on how to plan out the trip, motel accomodations, ramp access, should I leave the boat overnite at the motel or try to find dockage at a marina, etc. Thanks for any ideas.<br /><br />I have never had this boat on Erie but did use it on Lake Ontario, in any event we would stay n the bays I would imagine.

 

[kozman01]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

Hey Joe,<br /><br />I asked for some feedback in an earlier post about the Sandusky Bay area as I want to take my boat up to Erie/Sandusky as well. I didn't get any responses. I don't think there are many people on this forum who are from northern Ohio. This suprises me as there are a few of us from central Ohio. I hope somebody chimes in for you because I'd like to see their recommendations as well. I'm a littel intimidated about going up on the lake because I don't know where to launch/dock etc. Anyways, I hope you get some feedback. Take care and have fun on the trip.

 

[JAL51974]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

kozman,<br /><br />Its hard to believe nobody on this forum goes on Erie! Like you I am intimidated about this trip and need some advice about docking, etc. I feel confident I can boat safely on the big lake, but will in any case stay in close to bays, etc. I am not that adventurous! where are you in Ohio?

 

[bomar76]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

I boat on Erie almost exclusively now...tired of the idiota at Alum and the other inland lakes...but never in the Cleveland area, so no help here.<br />We head to Kellys and Pelee from Catawbwa.

 

[bomar76]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

lake-erie.com/launchramps.shtml<br /><br />I don't normally ever use this ramp, but it's nice:<br />Mazurik Access, off St Rt 163 on Northshore Blvd, 8 miles east of Port Clinton in Marblehead. Managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Hard surface boat ramp, lighted for night use, open 24 hours a day.<br /><br /><br />Be forewarned the water between the Islands and the Ohio mainland is normally rough as hell late in the day due to the HEAVY boat traffic, shallow water, and prevailing winds.

 

[kozman01]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

Thanks Bomar76. I'm sure we both appreciate the info. I as well try not to boat at Alum and the other surrounding lakes unless it's the middle of the week. I am going to Salt Fork and Seneca Lake next Monday. All the weekend crowd will be leaving and I'm hoping to have most of the lake to myself and the local fisherman!! Joe, I'm down here on the east side of COlumbus but work takes me to Cleveland/Sandusky/Toledo all the time. Bomar76, I am VERY interested in boating to Kellys Island. Any input on that? Thanks again guys.

 

[bomar76]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

First and foremost, buy a good chart of the Island area of Erie and study it...there are a lot of shoals and it's not that hard to run agound if you don't know where they are.<br />Sandusky bay is so shallow I wouldn't take a canoe out there.<br />Kelleys is a nice place, different than PIB - fewer college students and a little slower. <br />If you launch at the ramp I named above, it's just straight across and a realy short run. PIB can be a wild scene downtown, whereas Kelleys doesn't really have much of a downtown. We used go to the Casino quite a bit - head straight for the water tower on Kellys -(NOT a Casino, just a bar with docks and a mostly performance boat crowd) but there have been some changes there and we have drifted away. Dockage space is iffy at best. If you don't want to overnight on your boat the Island is full of bed and breakfast type places.<br />Around the corner on the West side of Kelleys just north of the gravel loading pier is West Bay, with free dockage (but no overnight). Fun bar/restraunt there with bands, a LONG walk to "town" though. We are there quite a bit.<br /><br />Travel on North to Pelee (WATCH THE F'n FISH NETS IN CANADIAN WATERS ALONG THE WEST SHORE) head along the west shoreline past the ferry dock (that thing is huge) and round the tip to the east. The waters are much calmer and clearer up here. <br />There to the south is Scudder Marina, a nice place with reasonable dockage (overnight too), a nice bar/restaraunt a short walk to the west, a bake shop and restraunt further down.There is also a ferry that stops here, but much smaller. Pelee is a very large island and mostly farmland, but there are wineries and B&B's all over. Most have a shuttle, or take a taxi "downtown" to where the big ferry docks. There is NO dockage at the ferry dock, if you tru to tie up to that miserable freaking concrete pier you will destroy your boat. If you insist on landing here, anchor offshore and wade in. Trust me on this. The "downtow" jsut consists of a couple more bars, post office, and a closed grocery store (ok, a few other places too).<br /><br />All the Islands have extensive websites.

 

[solidwaste]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

Heres what I would do get youre hotel close to the hallofame park youre boat there and go out and use the public ramp. I dont live there any more so memorys little shady but I grew up on lake erie. The hall o fame I belive is right next to the stadium and the road that skirts lake erie is called lakeshore dr, anyway there is a big public ramp right off lakeshore you can miss it. I belive it would be east of the hof. Hope this helps

 

[JAL51974]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

thanks solid for that idea.<br /><br />any idea how safe that neighborhood is near the hof to park the boat there overnight?

 

[swist]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

Wish I could help you a little closer to Erie PA - have done a fair amount of boating (power and sail) a little farther East - SW New York State. I have a lot of respect for Lake Erie - most of my experience is on the Atlantic Coast from Mass to Maine so when I first hit Lake Erie (relatives live there) I thought I was a big deal ocean boater and how hard could a lake be? For one thing it's the shallowest of the Great Lakes which makes for breakers very close together - and the Eastern end of the lake has a pretty exposed shore - not a lot of bays, inlets, or other places to hide - not to mention the constant lee shore from the prevailing W/SW winds in the Summer. Do your homework and don't take anything for granted.

 

[bomar76]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

One thing I never mentioned...I personally would never go out on Erie in a 19' openbow boat, not even on days like this past weekend when the winds were light and the waves were pretty calm...it can (and will) change in a flash.<br />There really aren't any bays to stay in. As I said above, Sandusky Bay (which is no where near your proposed area) is way to shallow to consider.

 

[DTS1290]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

The ODNR Watercraft Division puts together a map of every launch in the state, might be on the website, I picked mine up from a state park marina. Cleveland Lakefront State Park is a public, free launch east of the downtown Cleveland area close to Bratenahl, not far at all from downtown. The other ones in the area are on the Rocky River or Chagrin River which are considerably farther from downtown.

 

[JAL51974]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

thanks Dave I will check out that publication.

 

[geersp1962]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

I lived in the Cleveland area for 5 years. I would not worry about your 19 ft.boat unless there are storms or high winds forcasted for the day you plan to head out on the lake. I have been out on the lake when it was like a sheet of glass and 20 mins. later your fighting 6 ft. swells. I always put in at the public ramp on the east side of Cleveland, I think it was called east 55th st. ramp but don't quote me I haven't been there in 7 years. Never crowded, easy in, easy out. Good perching and walley fishing about 2 miles straight out from ramp. If you want perch look for alot of boats in one area and setup on the outside. Captain Denny's rig and minnows. <br /><br />Good luck and be careful,alway watch the sky!

 

[geersp1962]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

Heres a link:www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/parks/pdf/clevelandlakefront1005.pdf

 

[JAL51974]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

thanks for that link it was really a big help.

 

[Shamfarlango]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

One thing I never mentioned...I personally would never go out on Erie in a 19' openbow boat, not even on days like this past weekend when the winds were light and the waves were pretty calm...it can (and will) change in a flash.<br />There really aren't any bays to stay in. As I said above, Sandusky Bay (which is no where near your proposed area) is way to shallow to consider.

Bomar, I couldnt agree with this statement more! I boat exclusively on western erie (Canadian side). The weather picks up without warning, waves are inconsistent in direction and size when they jump up. If you aren't close to shore or sheltered, I wouldn't do it.

My son in law wants to do a PIB trip with us, he's got a 20 footer and i warned him that he may end up living in PIB for a bit if the water doesn't behave for the trip back

Re: fishing nets....good note, they aren't marked the greatest, if the map says net posts in the area...pay attention, it's an ugly surprise.

 

[donaldpeter58]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

I hope somebody chimes in for you because I'd like to see their recommendations as well. I'm a littel intimidated about going up on the lake because I don't know where to launch/dock etc. Anyways, I hope you get some feedback.

 

[tswiczko]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

I can't recommend any one place to stay since I haven't been up that way for a few years but this site will help you find a few places on the maps for fuel lodging supplies etc.

http://activecaptain.com




Oops........ Just realized how old this post is.... Please Disregard

 

[PBarrett]

Re: Suggestions needed for Lake Erie/Cleveland trip

Guys, this thread is over 5 years old. I'm sure by now the OP took his trip.


PB