Five words sum up the Lake Erie port of Erieau: awesome deep-water trolling bite. One of the premier walleye and steelhead fisheries in the Great Lakes region, Erieau is a unique fishery in many ways.

Located on the Canadian side of Lake Erie almost directly across the lake from Cleveland, Erieau offers deep water within an easy run from shore. Seldom is it necessary to run more than 10 miles to find excellent fishing, as compared to 20 or 30 miles in other Lake Erie ports.

A relatively unknown port, Erieau receives only moderate pressure even during the peak of the fishing season. Plenty of fish-holding water and moderate fishing pressure adds up to some awesome catches of trophy-class walleye. When the steelhead are in, mixed catches of walleye and "bows," as the locals call them, are quite common.

The best fishing begins in July and heats up for August and stays good well into September. When a distinct thermocline develops in the lake, walleye stack up just on top of this temperature barrier and steelhead just below in the cooler water. Depending on air temperature, wave conditions and other factors the thermocline normally forms from 30-40 feet below the surface.

Most of the walleye at Erieau lay well out of the diving range for most crankbaits, a handful of super-deep diving plugs produce the lion's share of the walleye taken. Productive crankbaits include the Luhr Jensen 3/4-ounce Power Dive Minnow, 1/2- and 3/4-ounce Hot Lips Express, and the one-ounce Fingerling Hi-Catch. Each of these deep-diving lures has no trouble reaching walleye suspended 20-40 feet below the surface when fished on 10- to 15-pound test monofilament.

Lead lengths from 150-250 feet are required to achieve the maximum diving potential from these lures. Many anglers add in-line weights to gain a few extra feet of diving depth. Trolling flatlines is effective, but more fish are taken with the help of catamaran or in-line-style planer boards that spread out lures and increase trolling coverage.

Trolling diving planers such as the famed Dipsy Diver is another effective walleye trolling technique. Both the size O and 1 Dipsy Divers are productive trolling aids. Anglers should use the appropriate-sized "O" rings for maximum diving depth and use leaders ranging from six to 10 feet.

These diving planers also feature a multi-directional setting that allows them to track straight, to the port, or to starboard. Maximum diving depth is achieved when the "O" ring is used and the diver is set in the straight position.

Spoons are the most common lures used in combination with Dipsy Divers. A moderately heavy spoon such as Luhr Jensen's Diamond King in the No. 4 size is ideal for walleye trolling. The hammered finish and genuine silver plate of the Diamond King make this a deadly Great Lakes trolling spoon.

Dipsy Divers also produce most of the bonus steelhead taken at Erieau. Other productive spoon choices include the Original Flutter Spoon, Loco, and Alpena Diamond in the small to medium sizes. Small shallow-diving crankbaits can also be fished in combination with Dipsy Divers. The Speed Trap and Jensen Minnow are excellent choices.

Downriggers are a common sight on boats trolling for walleye and steelhead. Downriggers offer uncompromised depth control and allow anglers to fish thermoclines with deadly precision.

Spoons and crankbaits are both fished from downriggers. Spoons including the Loco, Flutter Spoon, Alpena Diamond, and Diamond King should be fished from 10-50 feet behind the downrigger weight. The lighter the spoon, the shorter the lead that's required to achieve maximum action.

For example, the very light Flutter Spoon performs best with a short 10-foot lead, while the heavy Loco spoon can be fished effectively on leads up to 50 feet or more.

When fishing crankbaits on downriggers, both shallow-diving and deep-diving models can be used effectively. Trolling leads ranging from 50-100 feet produce best.

The ultimate trolling pattern for fishing Erieau incorporates all three trolling techniques. Planer boards are used to fish deep-diving crankbaits at depths from 20-40 feet, while Dipsy Divers armed with spoons cover the 30-50 foot range. Spoons and crankbaits set on downriggers fish the top and bottom edges of the thermocline.

This trolling pattern offers a variety of baits at different depth ranges. Normally diving crankbaits are the most productive walleye lures and Dipsy/spoon or downrigger/spoon combinations the best for steelhead. However, diving planers and downriggers also produce a significant number of walleye and some of the biggest fish are taken using these deep-water fishing methods.

Walleye average over four pounds at Erieau and many fish from five to 10 pounds are taken each summer. Steelhead average eight pounds with the occasional larger fish sprinkled in.

A brief reminder, anglers are allowed only one line when fishing in Canada. Less than a two-hour drive from Detroit, Michigan. A growing number of U.S. anglers are making the trek to Erieau. If you go, make sure to take along a good assortment of Power Dive Minnow, Hot Lip Express, and Fingerling Hi-Catch crankbaits.