Lake Erie

The Ottawa County mainland: Magee Marsh's Turtle Creek access, the Portage River ramps, Catawba Island, the harbor ramps, Mazurik and Dempsey. Two closed waters sit on this shore, and the card starts with them.

TURTLE CREEK · PORTAGE RIVER · THE HARBORS Ramps at ODNR coordinates · schematic

Schematic map of the Ottawa County shore of Lake Erie from Magee Marsh to Marblehead: nine ramps at ODNR's coordinates, the NOAA Marblehead gauge, the Davis-Besse security zone from 33 CFR 165.915 and the Camp Perry danger-zone centre, the shore drawn as a schematic line

Three things to get right

What you hear	What the primary sources actually say
"The range only fires on weekdays."	Area I's hours are daily. Small arms "6 a.m. to 6 p.m., e.s.t./e.d.t., daily"; Area II "8 a.m. to 5 p.m." except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. "No person or vessel shall enter or remain in a danger zone during a scheduled firing period" (33 CFR 334.850).
"You can run past the plant."	Not without permission. At Davis-Besse "entry into this zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Coast Guard Captain of the Port Detroit": (419) 418-6050 or VHF 16 (33 CFR 165.915).
"The state ramps are all free."	Not East Harbor. ODNR marks a ramp fee at both East Harbor State Park ramps; amount not published. Its other ramps here read no fee.

Signals. For Area I "red flags will be flown from the safety tower at Camp Perry"; Area II adds patrol boats. Outside firing periods the areas "shall be open to the public for navigation, fishing and other public use". Today's firing schedule: status pending, not read.

Open water, in the NWS's words. "Drowning threat goes up significantly when waves are over 3 feet (when whitewater is present)." "Cold shock can be just as severe and dangerous from water temperatures of 50-60 F (10-15 C)." "Steer Clear of the Pier! Swim at least 100 yards away from pier structures." Forecast zones LEZ143 "Reno Beach to The Islands OH" and LEZ144 "The Islands to Vermilion OH".

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LAKE ERIE · OTTAWA COUNTY Access and limits

Nine ramps on ODNR's records, west to east

Ramp	Lanes	ODNR coastal GIS, read 2 Nov 2026
Turtle Creek, Magee Marsh	1, asphalt	ODNR Wildlife; no fee; via Turtle Creek; no restrooms at the access
Little Portage	1, gravel	No fee; via the Portage River
Portage River	2, concrete	No fee; a fishing dock at the same point
Catawba Island SP	4, concrete	ODNR Parks; no fee; on the lake; fishing pier
West Harbor	4, concrete	Catawba Island Township; no fee; no restrooms
East Harbor SP, marina	1, concrete	ODNR Parks; ramp fee Yes; via West Harbor
East Harbor SP, campground	2, concrete	Ramp fee Yes; via East Harbor; the park has fuel and camping
Mazurik	4, concrete	ODNR Wildlife; no fee; on the lake; fishing pier
Dempsey	5, concrete	ODNR Wildlife; no fee; Sandusky Bay; fishing pier

Limits — Ohio's Lake Erie rules

Species	Size	Daily limit
Walleye, sauger, saugeye	15 in minimum	Posted each 1 May at wildohio.gov; combined
Yellow perch	None in the length rule	Unit one's posted figure; never over 30 a day
Black bass	18 in from 1 May until the 4th Sat of June; 14 in from then	1 in that window; 5 after
Trout, salmon	12 in	2, 1 Sep to 15 May; 5 otherwise

Rule text: OAC 1501:31-13-08, -09 and -14 (codes.ohio.gov, read 2 Nov 2026). Spring river rule, 1 Mar to 30 Apr: the Portage River from the SR 19 bridge "upstream to the dam at Elmore" is sunrise to sunset only, and the line may carry one single hook at most: no double or treble hook, one lure, no hook larger than one-half inch from shank to point (31-13-01). Hours, fee amounts and closures: status pending.

Sources: ODNR Office of Coastal Management GIS. 33 CFR 334.850 and 165.915 (Cornell LII copies). Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-13-01, -08, -09, -14. NOAA CO-OPS 9063079; NWS Cleveland marine forecast; NWS Great Lakes and cold-water safety pages.
Conditions change. Verify level, access and regulations before you travel. Revised November 2026.

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Water alerts. We email when something on this water actually changes — a closure, a new limit, a rule. limestonedrift.com/alerts/?w=lake-erie-western-basin