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Lake St. Clair Fall Fishing Frenzy: Smallies, Muskies, and Perch Delight Anglers
Artificial Lure with your Lake St. Clair fishing report for Saturday, October 4th, 2025. The fall bite is alive and well around the lake—with the water cooling to 66°F, air temp hovering about 67°F, and steady conditions. Winds out of the SSE at about 12 knots are making for a gentle 1-foot chop—ideal drift weather if you’re going after those big fish. No tides to worry about here, but moonrise is set for just before 6 PM, and best major bite times today fall between 10 AM to noon and again from 10 to midnight. Sunrise is right at 7:31 AM, sunset 7:09 PM.
Let’s get right to the hot action: Smallmouth bass are blitzing hard all over the lake. Tournament results from last weekend confirm it—limits pushing 25–37 pounds over two days, with Jeff Bostic landing 36.92 pounds using drop-shot baits, while Scott Solomon took big bass honors with a 6.04-pound smallmouth, all on tubes. Ned rigs, flat worms, and minnow baits have been working just as well. Anglers on the club side hit consistent bags in 8–12 feet of water, especially on rocky structure and offshore humps. Tubes in natural goby patterns and green pumpkin drop-shots are your best bets.
Musky are lurking and hungry. October started strong—one trip alone boated over 170 inches of musky, including a 50-incher and a girthy 47. Charter skippers are running 8–12-inch rubber baits in perch and white, or trolling big jointed crankbaits. Work the flats off Anchor Bay or out from Harley Ensign—both a short run from shore and loaded with bait. Don’t rule out Peninsula Point either; bigger fish are often on those breaks this time of year.
Perch are scattered but catchable if you hunt, especially around the mouth of the Thames River and up near L’Anse Creuse Bay. Use live minnows on tight line rigs and start in 12–16 feet, adjusting for marks on your electronics. The hot colors have been chartreuse and gold. Early and late in the day are best, but as water cools, midday can bring a surprise bite. Reports also note that state regs now allow spearing and bowfishing for yellow perch here, so take advantage if that's your thing.
For best results:
- **Smallmouth**: Tubes (goby, green pumpkin), drop shot flat worms, Ned rigs.
- **Musky**: Magnum Dawgs, big spinnerbaits, jointed crankbaits (perch, white, fire tiger).
- **Perch**: Live minnows, chartreuse/gold teardrop jigs, small spoons.
Top spots right now: Anchor Bay’s southern edge—especially off Metro Beach and the Mile Roads—for both bass and musky. The weedlines south of Harley Ensign launch have been pumping out mixed bags early. L'Anse Creuse Bay and Jefferson Beach Marina area are producing numbers for bank casters and boaters alike.
Remember, bait up before you hit the launch—supplies go quick on these crisp October weekends. Respect those winds, and mind the changing light. With the days getting shorter, that sunset window can be money for both bass and musky.
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Published on 2 months, 2 weeks ago