Podcast Episode Details

Fall Transition Blitz on Lake St. Clair - Smallies, Muskies & More Await the Savvy Angler

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Artificial Lure checking in with your Friday, September 26, 2025 Lake St. Clair fishing report. If you’re up early, you caught a beautiful sunrise right around 7:19 AM, with sunset later tonight at 7:27 PM—just about equal light and dark, prime for those twilight bites.

The chill of early fall rolled in overnight—expect temps starting in the upper 40s at dawn, rising to the low 60s midday with a gentle east breeze putting a little ripple on the surface. The overcast sky this morning is keeping fish comfortable and close to those weed edges. There’s no tidal swing to worry about on St. Clair, but watch that breeze; east winds concentrate bait and push predatory fish up into points and shallow flats.

Let’s talk recent catches. Lake St. Clair is living up to its multispecies fame this week. According to a recent on-the-water Michigan Fishing report posted yesterday, anglers brought boats-full of smallmouth bass, white bass, muskie, and even a bonus walleye. Early risers dragging tubes off deep channels weren’t rewarded until the move shallow, but once on the inside weed line, the bite took off.

The bass bite is classic fall transition: Ned rigs, tubes, and flatworms in 8 to 12 feet been the ticket for big smallmouth, as proven in this week’s Four Flags tournament—top bags weighed over 31 pounds for two days, and the big bass ran just shy of 5 pounds. Second and third place teams found similar success fishing shallower with tubes and minnow baits, especially when the weed edge met a little current.

For the artificial lure crowd, swimbaits like a Keitech on a ball head jig, blade baits, and jerkbaits have been popping fish of all sizes, especially when fished right at the outside weed edge or anywhere you see bait flickering on top. Tournament anglers are reporting drop shot rigs with finesse baits and tubes consistently pulling the biggest smallmouth, even as the water chills down. Not to be outdone, muskie hunters are slinging larger Medussa and Bull Dawg baits and reporting screaming drags and tired arms. There’s even a bit of buzz about a monster fish boated mid-cast on a Ball Licker Medussa, with more stories cropping up as fish start to stack up for fall feed.

For live bait, local guides note that shiners, medium golden minnows, or even a crawler under a slip bobber have drawn quality smallmouth and the occasional kicker walleye. White bass—always eager—have been nailing smaller jerkbaits and are a hoot on light line.

The hot spots this week:
- **Mile Roads near 9 Mile and 12 Mile:** Classic transitional flat, with a defined weed edge and plenty of bait getting chased up by schools of smallies and white bass.
- **Anchor Bay:** Patchy grass beds in 6 to 10 feet are holding smallmouth, bonus largemouth, and the occasional pike or muskie.
- If you’re chasing big muskie, troll the channel edges off Belle Isle or cast large rubber baits on the south shore near Grosse Pointe.

Word is, the water clarity is solid and slightly stained in the shallows—just enough for fish to feel confident feeding near the surface, especially if the breeze picks up midday.

Local guides and review outlets like Captain Experiences rave about fast-action trips and “an abundance of fish caught,” especially by jumping between a few productive areas and switching between natural and artificial presentations when things slow down.

In summary, today you’ll do best with tubes in green pumpkin, Ned rigs, small swimbaits, and suspending jerkbaits. Don’t overlook larger soft plastics for muskie or a simple live shiner under a slip float for a mixed bag. Cover water and keep moving when the bite slows, and you’ll be in fish all day.

Thanks for tuning into your Lake St. Clair fishing report with Artificial Lure. If you got value from this, smash that subscribe, send it to your fishing buddies, and keep lines tight out there.

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Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago