Midges and mayflies may be bothersome, but both are important fish food on Lake Erie

Each spring and summer, those living or visiting the Lake Erie shoreline may need to deal with large numbers of annoying “bugs,” depending upon the time of year.
When aquatic insects exit the lake, it is often erroneously called a “hatch,” when in fact, it is properly defined as an “emergence.” The hatch occurs when a larva or naiad first exits its egg. On the lake itself, the insects in question are rarely mosquitoes, which require calmer water than Lake Erie normally provides.