16 foot Crestliner on Erie

Congrats on the new boat! Now, to answer your question it would depend on a few things, your level of boating experience and the way the boat handles water...
Many people fish Erie in small boats, but it is definitely risky business and takes attention to detail to pull it off. To begin with, make sure you have all of your safety gear in order before you go out on Erie... flares, audible alert, PFDs, etc... there are complete lists available online for what is required on Erie. My preference would be to also have a marine radio on board to listen to other boats and wave reports and such, plus the added security of being able to call for help from nearby boaters if a problem happens.
If you are new to the boat and are new to boating in general I wouldn't suggest going very far from harbor at all till you are comfortable in your new ride. If you are new to Erie and 'big water' boating altogether I would suggest a trip out with someone who has been out before for your first trip unless you are staying in Presque Isle Bay.
Learn how wind direction affects the lake, do some searching through this site on wave/wind info, there are numerous threads about it.
Pay very close attention to the up to date forecast before getting on the water, (especially the wind speed/direction) yesterday's forecast doesn't seem to mean much on Erie, even 'todays' can be iffy but more than 2 days out isn't much use at all.
2-3 ft waves don't sound like a lot, but this lake changes VERY quick, and it can go from 2's to 4s or 5s in no time, so if out, don't push your luck.
Good luck... and remember, always check that you put the plug in!!

Good to hear you have the time on the water, that is good. I know with our smaller boat (16.5ft deep V) it is a much rougher ride even in 2 ft waves. For your maiden voyage in this one I'd suggest launching in Presque Isle or if the water is supposed to be pretty flat then maybe at Walnut... but the problem with Walnut, if weather or waves kick up, it is a mad scramble and sometimes you can't get into the harbor area right away and it can be pretty rough waiting to get into there when you are being pounded by waves coming into your boat from behind.
Presque Isle for your first trip would allow you to have some space to find out how the boat handles and how the motor behaves and what kind of push it gives you...and if the main lake is rough you can stay in the bay to find fish.
another option is Conneaut Harbor, if you have an Ohio license... it's a well protected large harbor and you wouldn't have to travel very far to find perch, smallmouth or walleye at this time of year...
Good luck! and welcome to the madness of having a boat... my great uncle used to build them for a living in Southern Maryland... and called the 'holes in the water'! I hate to admit it but he was probably pretty right!

Sorry, can't help about Hammermill... have never been there.

spend some time idling at low speed when you go out Friday, even if you aren't actually trolling for eyes. Do it as a test to see how the motor handles the trolling speeds and you'll be able to judge if you want to use your main motor or a kicker or the electric trolling motor. Also, make sure you have a very specific amount of fuel in your tank, so you can judge your fuel consumption at trolling speed and normal run speed. Knowing your approx fuel use/range is essential for planning full days out on Erie, always plan on needing a couple extra gallons just in case you end up travelling back in heavy water, which sucks fuel economy to the basement!
Our 80lb thrust 24v trolling motor will push our 16 about all day at 1.5 to 2 mph if the water is calm, if choppy the time drops quite a bit, so see how yours does for speed and boat control and longevity of battery so you know if you need to carry an extra battery if your engine doesn't have a charging system in it.

Additioanl Spark Plugs ...Check have 3 additional with the spark plug wrench. Have 2ea 6 gallon tanks, have an additional battery for the trolling motor. I think I have everything but the experience and the fish. Still need help on the fish.

I did help launch a 30+/- boat @ Walnut. Good friend has nice big "walleye slayer". We go 18 miles out of Wallnut into 70fow and troll with 7 lines. As I said I am 2nd mate there are usually 3 or 4 total.

100 ft. of anchor rope? Not enough rope in my opinion. On a choppy day you might need 3 times the rope of the depth you are fishing in. EX. 60 ft. of water, you might need up to 180 ft. of rope! Not that I'd be out in that boat on a choppy day. I think cruisin around hammermill for the smallmouth would be a good test for you. You wont be out very far and wont be fishin too deep. Another thing to consider is Lakeshore towing service package. It's relatively cheap considering what they will do for you if you get jambed up. Think I paid $65 last year, for PA, lake Erie waters. I learned the hard way about 5 years ago, and paid $40 a gallon for gas to be delivered. I needed 10 gals! With the service the gas would have been $3 a gal. They also offer their service in NY and OH, or you can get the whole enchilada package. Good Luck! Boat Smart.

Hey Ducky...... Allz you have to do is keep an eye on the weather a day in advance. As said before it changes hourly sometimes and getting caught out on the big pond way out there can be dangerous. as you should know since youve been way out there before.

You can find fish this time of year everywhere within 1/2 mi. from shore. From perch , bass and walleye.

I have a 16' aluminum boat , lightweight and not a deep v and I fish it out as far as 4 mi. But like said , Wind direction and strength dictates how far out you can go and how long you feel you can take a beating in 2'-3' waves. Dont get caught out that far when things change you will be sorry. I am not trying to scare you just reminding you to be safe and have yer thinking cap on when deciding if you go or not. Many times I had wished I had not gone out and came right back. Even a south wind blowing from 10 - 15 can kick up a few miles out and be capping bad enough to make things tough. If ya dont mind getting a bit wet and beat up.

Good luck stay safe.

easier to launch at lampe marina. just sayin'

i have been out 10mile in my 16ft, but at least 100 ft its 3times the depth ruel and average perch is around 30 to 40 ft depth should be 120ft of rode with a chain connecting to anchor and i mean a anchor not a mush room a plow or danforth style!! you would be shocked of what a good plow will hold i have a small anchor weight around 6lb plow type it holds my 29ft in 3ft waves not a everyday use but great back up and a gps for the cost cant beat it and if you have a newer phone it may have gps already i use my trucks gps in my boat it workes great as well as a chart plotter cost around 80bucks so its a no brainer just writ down corrs and if gps has track back you can retrace over a school

Unless you're me. Hit that area 3 diff. times sat, couldnt buy a bite !

Yes, you will still need an anchor...
The fancy trolling motor "anchor" thingy only works as long as you have battery to run it...

Suppose you have an electrical failure, it's windy...and you're drifting...
A real anchor is a safety device!