Catawba Fishing Brief - 2026-07-06
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. 7/6 is a NO-GO day: Small Craft Advisory through the evening, waves 3-5 ft (buoy already 5.2 ft) building to 6 ft, NE 15-20 kt (the bad quadrant), 80% thunderstorms, plus a Flood Watch to 6 PM and a Beach Hazards Statement to 10 PM. Do not launch. Recovery is Tuesday: N-NE 5-15 kt, waves dropping to 1-3 ft then 2 ft or less at night. These waypoints are targets for the Tuesday window, once the swell lies down. Water 75.4F, deep 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 75.4F troll the perimeter to find scattered pods, jig back through them. Closest reef and the right first stop once it lays down Tuesday.
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 a lingering NE swell has less fetch - it settles first after a blow, the smart second stop. 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 - the last spot to open up after a blow. ONLY once the water is genuinely flat. 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 caveat as Niagara - only once it's flat.

Toussaint Reef
VERIFIED. Named in lakeeriefish for jigging. ~9 nm W of launch. A long open-water haul - save it for a settled day.

Crib Reef (buoy 7)
VERIFIED. Buoy 7 marks it. ~10 nm NE of launch. Longest run on the list and straight into the NE swell - the last one to fish after a blow.