Catawba Fishing Brief - 2026-07-05
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. 7/5 is a CAUTION day for WEATHER, not heat: 80-86% thunderstorm chance basin-wide and a NE wind (the bad quadrant) building from 5-15 kt this morning to 15-20 kt / 2-4 ft tonight and Monday. Sunrise-only, close-to-the-ramp loop if at all. Keep it south and tight (Mouse Island Reef, Marblehead seam), skip the open WNW run to Niagara. Off the water at the first cloud tower or lightning. Water 78.8F, full summer scatter.
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. At 78.8F troll the perimeter to find scattered pods, jig back through them. Closest reef and the best pick on a stay-close storm-threat day.
Fishing

Marblehead Current
APPROXIMATE. Just E of Marblehead Lighthouse in current break. High-current walleye zone named in lakeeriefish. Tucked under the south shore where the NE wind has less fetch - the smart second stop today. Reef Runner / Husky Jerk 18-28 FOW @ 1.5 mph, bottom third. Verify exact current break with fish finder.
Fishing

Niagara Reef (buoy 5)
VERIFIED. Lighted buoy 5 marks the reef. ~6 nm WNW of launch. Best structure in range but an open-water run and a long ride home into a building NE wind - ONLY if the radar is clean and you commit early. Troll 18-22 ft edges, jig rocky outskirts 12-16 FOW.
Fishing

Round Reef
VERIFIED (Coe Vanna). Named in lakeeriefish for jigging, 10-16 FOW. ~5 nm WNW of launch, part of the Niagara/Round reef complex. Same open-water storm-window caveat as Niagara today.

Toussaint Reef
VERIFIED. Named in lakeeriefish for jigging. ~9 nm W of launch. A long open-water haul - not the day for it with storms building.

Crib Reef (buoy 7)
VERIFIED. Buoy 7 marks it. ~10 nm NE of launch. Longest run on the list and straight into the NE wind - skip it today.