Lake Erie and tributaries (Erie County) Heavy rain brought blow-out conditions early in the week. By Thursday waters were dropping to fishable levels, but low temperatures in the high teens kept many anglers off the water and skim ice was expected to form. While chasing steelhead with flies on a Lake Erie tributary, Don Ayers of Baden, Beaver County, caught and released some big browns. Patches of shelf ice were seen in the bay and a freeze-over could occur during the weekend, but it was not expected to be safe for ice fishing.