CLEVELAND, OHIO — With showers in the forecast for late Saturday, look for a small surge of spawning steelhead trout to head up the Northeast Ohio rivers and streams from Lake Erie.

Anglers casting or trolling the harbors from Cleveland to Fairport Harbor and Conneaut are catching trout as they stage for their cold-weather spawning runs.

Keep your fingers crossed, steelheaders. Cool temperatures and a lot of rain are needed to kick off the steelhead trout run in the Northeast Ohio rivers and streams.

A surprise in recent days has been the muskie fishing around Cleveland Harbor. Anglers are trolling big lures for the muskies, and a few trophy walleye have been caught on the larger baits, as well.

The Fall Brawl Walleye Derby has begun on Lake Erie, and trophy walleye are making an appearance this week at Erie Outfitters in Sheffield Lake, the check-in station. A whopping 7,953 walleye fans have entered this year’s Fall Brawl, which runs through Dec. 1.

Topping this week’s entries is David Dominico’s 9.215-pound, a 28-inch walleye, with Richard J. Barnes (8.762, 28.50) and Kirk Warren (8.620, 27.75) right behind.

Yellow perch were biting around Cranberry Creek and Huron this week, as well as around the Catawba Peninsula, Port Clinton shoreline and Kelleys Island.

Boaters beware: The southwest winds this week have Lake Erie water levels at one of their lowest points this year. Be wary of the breakwalls and reefs when heading out, especially after dark for the walleye night bite.

Central Lake Erie: Lake Erie’s walleye are heading west, and moving closer to shore this week. Walleye are migrating toward their Western Basin spawning grounds, and moving to near-shore waters in search of forage, such as gizzard shad and emerald shiner minnows. There is a very nice school of walleye reported in about 35 feet of water between Lorain’s Beaver Park and Vermilion.

Good reports have also come offshore from the Cleveland, Fairport Harbor and Ashtabula areas, with diving planers and spoons the top trolling combo. There has been a mix of walleye and steelhead trout in deeper waters.

The yellow perch bite has had a flotilla of small boat fishermen anchoring in the 30- to 34-foot waters around Cranberry Creek, and reporting fair to good catches. The waters north of The Castle have been productive. The yellow perch fishing to the east is generally very slow.

Night walleye bite improving: Lake Erie’s pier and breakwall anglers are lurking around the shoreline hot spots for the after-dark walleye fishing. Fishermen are casting minnow-style plugs and lipless rattle baits, such as the Rat-L-Trap and Cordell Spot. Dark colors, including black and purple, have been productive. Look for the sparkle of lanterns after the sun goes down around Marblehead, Sandusky, Lorain, Cleveland and Fairport Harbor.

Western Lake Erie perch, walleye: The rock pile fishing for walleye is heating up aground the islands, although most are still trolling off Cedar Point and east of Kelleys Island. Trolling fishermen all along the Lake Erie shoreline should work lures close to the surface right now, with aggressive walleye reported feeding just 5 to 12 feet below the surface in 25- to 40-foot depths.

Gull and Kelleys Island shoals are both giving up walleye, as well as smallmouth bass. Work mayfly rigs and weight-forward spinners for walleye, and tube jigs, drop-shot rugs and crankbaits for bass.

Inland lakes and reservoirs: The fall crappie season is warming up at Mosquito and Pymatuning reservoirs, and Turkeyfoot and East reservoirs in the Portage Lakes. Crappie are gathering around brush and sunken trees in 6 to 15 feet of water. LaDue and East Branch water levels are too low for launching a boat.