LIMESTONE
DRIFT
KENTUCKY WATER, TOLD STRAIGHT
FIELD CARD
Level & Access · No. 27-3
Western basin · Ohio waters · Erie and Ottawa counties · the east end
Lake Erie
The east end of Ohio's western basin: Shelby Street on Sandusky Bay, the Huron River ramp, and the island ramps on South Bass, Middle Bass and Kelleys Island. The islands are drawn as plain ovals; the ramps are at ODNR's coordinates.
SANDUSKY BAY · HURON RIVER · THE BASS ISLANDS · KELLEYS
Ramps at ODNR coordinates · schematic
Three things to get right
| What you hear | What the primary sources actually say |
|---|---|
| "Thirty white bass, like the inland lakes." | No limit on the lake. The statewide thirty is written "except Pymatuning lake and the lake Erie sport fishing district" (OAC 1501:31-13-08); Ohio's 2025-26 regulations list white bass at "None". |
| "Huron's in the central zone." | Not by the rule. Perch unit one runs east to "the eighty-two degree, thirty minute meridian", which falls between Huron and Vermilion (OAC 1501:31-1-02). |
| "My kayak needs no papers." | Ask ODNR first. Ohio's watercraft include "A canoe, kayak, pedalboat, or rowboat" (ORC 1546.01); the visitor exemption is written for a boat carrying another state's number (ORC 1547.53). |
Small Craft Advisories. The NWS lists Lake Erie in its Eastern group: "Sustained winds or frequent gusts ranging between 25 and 33 knots" and/or "seas or waves 5 to 7 feet and greater, area dependent". Its Central group (Minnesota through Ohio) reads 22 to 33 knots, waves over 4 feet. The pages disagree; read the advisory in force at weather.gov/cle.
Blooms and cold. NOAA forecasts Lake Erie's cyanobacteria blooms "typically from July to October", and "The size of a HAB is not necessarily an indication of how toxic it is." The NWS: "Gasping for a breath or rapid breathing from sudden immersion can be triggered by water as warm as 77 F (25 C)." "Always wear a life jacket in and around the water."