Pick your hunt. Duck and goose seasons run September through early February. Walleye runs year-round. Same captains, same standard, same lake — you choose the trip.
Waterfowl in the cold months, walleye through the warm. Standard duck hunts target the migration — whatever's flying that day. Hunt 41 is the species specific collector hunt for hardcore waterfowlers. Goose runs late season when the rest of the area is shut down. And walleye is open the rest of the year on one of North America's most productive fisheries.
Standard non-specific species hunt. Mixed bag of mallards, gadwall, teal, wood duck, wigeon, pintails, divers, and mergansers depending on the migration. AM 6–11 or PM 1:00–5:00.
Duck hunt details
The species specific collector hunt. Pick your target drakes — we plan the trip around your list. Delivered by the 3-captain team. November–December only.
Hunt 41 details
Boat-based Canada goose hunts from a fully concealed boat blind when the rest of the area is shut down. Huge migration, little pressure on Lake Erie.
Goose hunt details
Year-round on one of North America's most productive fisheries. Port Clinton in spring, Lorain in summer and fall. Walleye are kept — bring a cooler.
Walleye trip detailsCaptain Matt Huckaby has spent 25 years chasing waterfowl and fish across Lake Erie, and he still gets the same rush watching a flock cup wings into the decoys that he did the very first season he picked up a shotgun. What started as a personal obsession with this lake turned into a calling — and in 2018, Matt took the leap and went commercial, founding Huckeye Charters LLC to share that obsession with others.
Matt holds a USCG 25-Ton Merchant Mariner Credential, so you can trust you're in capable, professionally credentialed hands every time you step on the boat.
For Matt, it's never just been about the birds or the bite. It's about putting people on the water he fell in love with and giving them a day they'll be talking about for years — the kind of trip that turns into the story you tell your buddies, your kids, and anyone who'll listen long after the boat's back on the trailer.
Today, Matt runs a fleet out of Port Clinton and Lorain, putting in the miles every single day — scouting from Maumee Bay to Cleveland — so his clients get the best shot at quality hunts and fish, no matter the conditions. Fully licensed and insured, with a crew of guides who share his work ethic, Matt's built Huckeye Charters around one simple goal: get you on the water, get you into the action, and send you home with a story worth telling.
The Lake Erie Island and Maumee Bay regions have a very deep history in waterfowl hunting. This region sits right in the middle of the Mississippi and Atlantic flyways making it a prime area for many ducks to rest on the migration south. The oldest still operating duck hunting club in existence (Winous Point Shooting Club) is located just east of Toledo on the Sandusky Bay.
We're proud to operate on the waters that built this tradition — and to carry it forward for the next generation of waterfowlers.
Lake Erie's western basin sits at the convergence of the Mississippi and Atlantic flyways. Tap any species to see the hunt it belongs to.
Standard duck hunt species (non-specific mix) · Hunt 41 species specific target
Mallard
Black Duck
Pintail
Wigeon
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Flagship
Red-Breasted Merganser
Common Merganser
Common Goldeneye
Bufflehead
Greater Bluebill
Lesser Bluebill
Standard duck hunts are non-specific: we hunt what's in front of us on the day. The exact mix changes with migration and weather. To target a specific drake species for a collector mount, see Hunt 41. Plus Canada geese (late-season specialty) and the seasonal mix of green wing teal, widgeon, gadwall, hooded mergansers, spoonbills, ringnecks, wood ducks, long tails, and scoters as the migration brings them through.
Most Huckeye clients travel from out of state. Here's the playbook so you don't have to call Matt to figure it out.
The most common arrival airport for our clients. Direct flights from most major U.S. cities.
~45 minutes to Port Clinton
Smaller airport, fewer direct flights, but the closest commercial airport to the western basin.
~30 minutes to Port Clinton
Recommended hotels: Country Inn & Suites and Sleep Inn. Both are walkable to launch areas.
Most clients stay 1–3 nights
We confirm the exact launch ramp the day before based on weather, wind, and where the birds or fish were the night before.
Sent via text or email the day before
Heads up: Lake Erie's western basin runs from Toledo to Cleveland. Our daily departure point varies depending on conditions and bite. Don't lock in a hotel right next to a specific ramp — the launch can change. Port Clinton is the safe central stay for the standard waterfowl + walleye trip windows.
Both — equally. Waterfowl in the cold months, walleye through the warm. Duck and goose seasons run September through early February. Walleye runs year-round out of Port Clinton in spring and Lorain in summer and fall. Same captains, same standard.
No. Standard duck hunts are non-specific species hunts — we hunt what's in front of us on the day. The mix changes with weather and migration. If you want to target a specific drake species for a collector mount, see Hunt 41 — that is the species specific hunt, and it is structured differently for that reason.
AM trip: 6:00 AM – 11:00 AM, or until limit reached — whichever comes first. PM trip: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM, or until limit reached. Five hours AM, four hours PM.
The trip ends when the limit is reached. Daily bag limits are set by Ohio DNR and federal regulations and are non-negotiable. You'll be back at the dock with your birds or fish, ready for the rest of your day.
No. Fish brought up from depth on Lake Erie experience barotrauma and cannot survive release back into the lake. We keep what we catch — that's the responsible call for the ecosystem. Bring a cooler.
Cleveland Hopkins International (CLE) is the most common — about a 45-minute drive to Port Clinton. Toledo Express (TOL) is also accessible at roughly 30 minutes. Most clients stay in Port Clinton, Ohio — Country Inn & Suites or Sleep Inn are walkable to launch areas. See the Plan Your Trip section above for the full breakdown.
1–4 guys: $1,500. 5 guys: $1,875. 6 guys: $2,250 per boat. Minimum of 4 people, max of 6 per boat. Larger groups can be accommodated up to 16, split across our three vessels. $500 deposit per hunt day, non-refundable (so a 2-day hunt = $1,000 deposit). If the trip is cancelled due to weather, a new date will be selected.
Our 25' Duckwater with a full blind, our 24' custom-built Gatortrax with a blind, and our 32' AAD custom with a full boat blind. Every boat is rigged the same way.
We make all weather cancellations the morning of the trip. If we cancel your trip we will reschedule you for the following season or you may choose from available dates for the current season. It is the captain's right to cancel for weather or safety concerns at any time during the trip — client safety is our number one priority.
We scout from Maumee Bay in Toledo Ohio to Cleveland daily. Some locations are rock walls on the shores of Lake Erie; others are island complexes up to 15 miles offshore. The exact launch is conveyed the day prior as it changes for wind and where we found birds or fish the night before.
Yes — bring a Resident or non-resident Ohio hunting license (and fishing license if you're doing a cast and blast trip), Ohio wetland stamp, HIP completed on the license, and a Federal duck stamp. Clients are responsible for their birds/fish and being properly licensed upon showing up for the trip.
We're now booking for 2026 and slots fill up fast. Call Captain Matt directly at 937-470-3517 or email huckeyecharters@gmail.com to check availability.
Year-round guided trips on one of North America's most productive fisheries. Small groups, experienced captains, and the gear to put you on fish. Captain Matt posts weekly updates straight from the water — check back often.
Walleye still stacked in 50–60 ft out of Lorain. Running larger spoons behind Tru-Trips and dipsy divers is getting hammered — full boat limits in 2 to 3 hours.
Read full reportCentral basin walleye out of Lorain is on fire — massive volume in 50–60 ft, full limits in 2 to 3 hours on spoons behind Tru-Trips and dipsy divers.
Read full reportHeavy NE winds early in the week, then quick walleye limits on spoons and rattle tots.
Read full reportHunters and anglers travel from all over the country to fish and hunt Lake Erie with Captain Matt. Read what they had to say about their day on the water.
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