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Lake St. Clair Fishing Report: Bass, Musky, and Panfish Bites Firing Up for Late Summer Action
September mornings on Lake St. Clair remind us why we love this water—mild air, glassy coves, and a real taste of late summer action. Sunrise broke this morning at 7:10 a.m., with temps around the mid-60s at dawn and a gentle southwest breeze moving at 6–8 mph. Expect partly cloudy skies most of the day, high topping out near 75, and a gorgeous sunset tonight at 7:47 p.m.
No big tides here, but water levels remain healthy and stable—recent Metroparks updates say that local renovations are complete and boat access is better than ever. Water is clear to lightly stained along the southern shoreline with just the right chop for predatory fish to be out hunting. The current and slight wind have been pushing schools up into the shallows, especially around metropark points and weedlines.
Bass fishing is firing on all cylinders—anglers working the Mile Roads and the Harley Ensign pier report a mix of quality largemouth and smallmouth, some topping 5 pounds. Folks tossing green pumpkin tubes, dark Ned rigs, and white spinnerbaits right along the edges are getting consistent bites. Early morning is when the topwater action is prime—those using poppers and black frogs have drawn aggressive strikes before the sun fully breaks through.
Believe it or not, the musky bite is just as good. Around Anchor Bay and the St. Clair Light, trollers are seeing two to four decent fish per trip, some stretching into the upper 40-inch range. Best success has come on 8–10 inch jointed crankbaits in fire tiger, as well as rubber swim baits in white and perch patterns. Slow rolling over deeper weed beds and ledges is key.
As for panfish, perch are starting to school up off the Metropark pier and down near Grosse Pointe. Anglers with live minnows on small drop-shot rigs or perch spreaders are putting 20–40 keepers in the cooler, most in the 8–11 inch bracket. Bluegill are still active off the docks, hitting on waxworms and small pieces of nightcrawler.
Walleye reports this week at the mouth of the Detroit River are solid for late season—trollers pulling crawler harnesses and mini crankbaits in purple or gold are picking up a mixed bag, especially under low-light conditions. A few nice slot walleyes, 17–21 inches, have come from the shipping channel near Peche Island and the South Channel.
For bait, nothing beats lively golden shiners or emerald shiners for perch and walleye. Soft plastics and big bucktails are catching most of the predatory fish, but if you can find suckers or larger minnows, musky hunters will want some on hand as a trailer.
If you’re hunting for the hottest spots, roll over to 9 Mile and 400 Club for both bass and perch, or venture out to Strawberry Island for mixed bags and steady action all day.
Thanks for tuning in to today’s Lake St. Clair fishing report—may the bite be hot and your lines tight. Don’t forget to subscribe for the freshest on-water updates and angling insight every week. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
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Published on 3 months, 1 week ago