West Reef (North Bass Island west bank)
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
Depth8-18 ft
BottomShallow rock bank (5-12 ft) west of North Bass Island; rock (GLAHF)
CurrentNo
River plumeNo
Well-known spotNo
Position41.714, -82.853 (approximate center)
NOAA ENC names the bank West Reef
Run from each launch
| Launch | Run | Open water | Crossing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cullen Park (Ohio) | 32.3 mi | 24.8 mi | Yes |
| Lucas County Cooley Canal boat ramp (Ohio) | 22.9 mi | 20.5 mi | Yes |
| Catawba Island State Park (Ohio) | 9.7 mi | 2.2 mi | No |
| West Harbor public boat launching ramp (Ohio) | 11.2 mi | 1.1 mi | No |
| East Harbor State Park (Ohio) | 11.8 mi | 0.9 mi | No |
| Mazurik Access Area (Ohio) | 12.8 mi | 5.6 mi | No |
| Dempsey State Fishing Access (Ohio) | 15.0 mi | 4.6 mi | No |
| Shelby Street public boat launch (Ohio) | 19.2 mi | 5.4 mi | No |
| Put-in-Bay Village public launch (Ohio) | 4.6 mi | 0.0 mi | No |
| Middle Bass Island State Park (Ohio) | 3.5 mi | 0.0 mi | No |
| Kelleys Island State Park (Ohio) | 10.2 mi | 3.1 mi | No |
| William C. Sterling State Park boat launch (Michigan) | 28.6 mi | 27.1 mi | Yes |
| Bolles Harbor boating access site (Michigan) | 29.4 mi | 27.9 mi | Yes |
| Lake Erie Metropark boat launch (Michigan) crosses the U.S.-Canada boundary | 30.8 mi | 25.3 mi | Yes |
| Colchester Harbour (Ontario) crosses the U.S.-Canada boundary | 19.3 mi | 18.3 mi | Yes |
| Cedar Island Marina boat launch, Kingsville (Ontario) crosses the U.S.-Canada boundary | 21.0 mi | 19.9 mi | Yes |
| Leamington Marina boat launch (Ontario) crosses the U.S.-Canada boundary | 25.2 mi | 20.7 mi | Yes |
| Scudder Marina, Pelee Island (Ontario) crosses the U.S.-Canada boundary | 12.3 mi | 6.3 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, paragraph 716; NOAA ENC named area "West Reef" Broad bank with depths of 5-12 ft extending 1.2 mi off the west side of North Bass Island, buoy at its south-west endSource
- 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