Port Clinton Walleye Cottage: Fish Station, Boat Parking, Sleeps 8

Port Clinton calls itself the Walleye Capital of the World, and Zeemon Cottage is set up for the anglers who come for it. Back your boat and caravan into the stone driveway, clean the day's catch at the fish-cleaning station, and come inside to central heat, a full kitchen and a washing machine and dryer. It's an easy base for the late-fall walleye bite, duck season, holiday visits and longer winter stays. It sleeps 8.



Sleeping arrangements:

- Bedroom 1 (main floor): queen bed, blackout curtains and a TV

- Bedroom 2 (main floor): queen bed, blackout curtains and a TV

- Bedroom 3 (upstairs): an open sleeping loft with two double beds and two twin beds



Please read before booking: the loft is reached through the main-floor bathroom by a steep, narrow stair, the ceiling is low and angled near the roofline, and the loft's half bath is open to the room with no door. These are original features of an older cottage. Groups who'd rather not share that way, or anyone who needs a standard staircase, can sleep four in the two main-floor queen rooms. The full bathroom, with a walk-in shower, is on the main floor.



Inside:

- Full kitchen: stove, oven, microwave, drip coffee maker and Keurig, cookware and dishes

- Stacked washing machine and dryer for wet gear and longer stays

- Central heat from a forced-air furnace keeps the whole cottage warm, loft included

- Living room with a Smart TV, and Wi-Fi throughout



Outside and boat parking:

- Stone driveway fits up to three vehicles, or vehicles plus a boat and caravan. The street is a narrow dead end, so allow a minute to turn a caravan.

- Fish-cleaning station with a cutting board, sink and hose at the end of the driveway. The water is shut off and the table put away once it starts to snow.

- Gas grill, a covered back deck with peek-a-boo Lake Erie views through the trees, and an enclosed front porch that doubles as gear storage



Fishing, hunting and boating:

- Late-fall walleye: from late October through November, big walleye move towards the shoreline and reefs off Port Clinton, and the bite usually runs until the lake freezes

- Portage River public launch (Ohio Division of Wildlife, two lanes): about 2 minutes away. It's about 2 river miles to Lake Erie, under the Monroe Street drawbridge (9 ft clearance closed; it opens on the hour and half hour in season, and with 24 hours' notice Dec 1 to Apr 30)

- Catawba Island State Park: four free boat ramps straight onto Lake Erie, with caravan parking, about 20 minutes

- The Lake Erie marshes draw duck hunters in late fall and early winter

- Ice fishing when the western basin freezes safely (never guaranteed; check conditions)



Autumn and winter in Port Clinton:

- City centre Port Clinton, about 4 minutes: holiday events in early December and the free New Year's Eve Walleye Drop on December 31

- Kalahari indoor waterpark in Sandusky, about 30 minutes, open all year

- Camp Perry, about 10 minutes

- Weekly and monthly stays are welcome

- In season: the island ferries (May through October) and Cedar Point (about 30 minutes; open spring through Halloweekends, which ends Nov 1)



Getting around:

You'll want a car: nothing is walkable from the cottage, there's no public transit, and rideshare is limited. Toledo Express Airport is under an hour and Cleveland Hopkins roughly 1 hour 20 minutes.



Good to know:

- Bath towels, washcloths, hand soap, linens, and a starter supply of toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap and trash bags are provided. Please bring your own shampoo, conditioner, body wash, beach towels, and coffee or K-cups.

- Fish carcasses can't go in the trash loose: take them to a marina, or bag and freeze them and put them in the outdoor bins no earlier than the night before trash day.

- Ring doorbell cameras at the front and side doors record the front parking area and the driveway.

- Propane for the gas grill isn't monitored between stays; check the level when you arrive.

- Lake Erie mayflies appear for a few weeks in late spring and early summer.

- Self check-in with a smart lock. No pets, no parties, no smoking. Quiet hours 10 PM to 8 AM.