Rattlesnake Island and Sugar Reef
Ranked plans are not available for Lake Erie (western basin) yet: in the backtest on 8 tournament events the winner's area was in the top 3 in 2, and the gate needs 6. The map shows the areas without a ranking; water conditions and the forecast are current.
WaterOhio
Depth8-20 ft
BottomRock shoals and ledges; rock with sand and mud (GLAHF)
CurrentNo
River plumeNo
Well-known spotNo
Position41.709, -82.843 (approximate center)
ENC lists 10 rocks within 1 km of the point
Run from each launch
| Launch | Run | Open water | Crossing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cullen Park (Ohio) | 32.8 mi | 25.2 mi | Yes |
| Lucas County Cooley Canal boat ramp (Ohio) | 23.3 mi | 20.3 mi | Yes |
| Catawba Island State Park (Ohio) | 9.4 mi | 1.2 mi | No |
| West Harbor public boat launching ramp (Ohio) | 10.8 mi | 0.6 mi | No |
| East Harbor State Park (Ohio) | 11.4 mi | 0.9 mi | No |
| Mazurik Access Area (Ohio) | 12.3 mi | 5.7 mi | No |
| Dempsey State Fishing Access (Ohio) | 14.6 mi | 4.8 mi | No |
| Shelby Street public boat launch (Ohio) | 18.7 mi | 5.3 mi | No |
| Put-in-Bay Village public launch (Ohio) | 4.1 mi | 0.0 mi | No |
| Middle Bass Island State Park (Ohio) | 3.0 mi | 0.0 mi | No |
| Kelleys Island State Park (Ohio) | 9.6 mi | 3.0 mi | No |
| William C. Sterling State Park boat launch (Michigan) | 29.2 mi | 28.4 mi | Yes |
| Bolles Harbor boating access site (Michigan) | 29.9 mi | 28.4 mi | Yes |
| Lake Erie Metropark boat launch (Michigan) crosses the U.S.-Canada boundary | 31.3 mi | 26.5 mi | Yes |
| Colchester Harbour (Ontario) crosses the U.S.-Canada boundary | 19.7 mi | 16.7 mi | Yes |
| Cedar Island Marina boat launch, Kingsville (Ontario) crosses the U.S.-Canada boundary | 21.3 mi | 18.6 mi | Yes |
| Leamington Marina boat launch (Ontario) crosses the U.S.-Canada boundary | 25.3 mi | 21.4 mi | Yes |
| Scudder Marina, Pelee Island (Ontario) crosses the U.S.-Canada boundary | 12.1 mi | 6.2 mi | Yes |
Run: the distance along the water route. A crossing (the open lake, the border or a long stretch of open water) needs over-water wind under your crossing wind limit (default 15 mph), waves on the route within your wave limit and no small craft advisory.
Evidence
- NOAA U.S. Coast Pilot 6, chapter 6 (Lake Erie), edition of 27 Sep 2026, paragraphs 714-715 Sugar Island joined to Middle Bass Island by a rocky ledge covered 1 ft, a 10 ft spot 0.5 mi north-east of it; Rattlesnake Island shoals 0.15-0.3 mi off its endsSource
- GLAHF spawning and nursery sites after Goodyear et al. (1982), smallmouth bass records in western Lake Erie Ohio records: Bass Islands spawning mid May-June at 59-60 F on gravel and rubble at 1 m; Gull Island Shoal spawning ground of 30 acres on bedrock; Kelleys Island spawning May-June on bedrock (season context only, no spawning water targeted)Source