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Fall Walleye Bite Heats Up on Lake Erie's Detroit River Stretch
Artificial Lure here with your Lake Erie-Detroit area fishing report for Saturday, October 4th, 2025. Sunrise rolled in at 7:32 AM with sunset set for 7:12 PM, giving us a nice fall day on the water with plenty of daylight for the bite. This morning starts out brisk and crisp—temps in the upper 40s rising to mid-50s by afternoon, light west winds around 8-10 mph, and water clarity is moderate after a few calm days, so expect some chop but nothing that’ll keep you at the dock. No tides to worry about here on Erie, just keep an eye on that westerly breeze as the day goes on, especially outside the river mouth.
Fish are definitely on the move now that fall patterns are kicking in. According to yesterday’s Lake Erie, Detroit Daily Fishing Report, folks have seen hot action along the mouth of the Detroit River and the usual haunts near the dumping grounds east of Wyandotte. Walleye are the main target as always, and the bite has picked up again after a slower late summer. Limits have been reported through the week—anglers trolling near the shipping channel edges in 16-22 feet picked up solid numbers, with most slots in the 15-21" range and enough 24-inchers to make things interesting. The water temp’s sitting in the mid-60s, so fish are active but not scattered.
Best lures this week have been chartreuse and purple deep-diving Bandits and Flicker Minnows, and traditional gold- or firetiger-bladed crawler harnesses. If you’re vertical jigging, try silver or blue ice blade baits tipped with a bit of worm—the jig bite has definitely switched on at first light. For bait, nightcrawlers on harnesses and minnows under slip bobbers are both getting it done, especially off the points and deeper rock piles. Local reports on the Michigan Sportsman Forum mention a split ring on your crankbait will allow for looser action—sometimes that’s the edge you need, just keep the hooks sticky sharp.
Perch action’s solid too, with mixed-size catches along the Ecorse can and north to Stony Point. Spreaders and small emerald shiners are pulling up some fat 11-inchers. White bass and the odd smallmouth have been bycatch in the deeper current seams, particularly around Fighting Island and the mouth of the Trenton Channel.
A couple of proven hot spots for today:
- The Trenton Channel dropoffs near Horse Island—especially early morning if you’re chasing walleye.
- The "three mile line" out from the mouth, especially near where shipping channel markers 23 and 24 line up. That’s where a lot of bigger marks are stacking up right now.
Remember, amendments to Fisheries Order 219.26 allow most open-water fishing here all year, but keep in mind you can’t use underwater spears for walleye, pike, or lake trout in these waters, and always check daily limits.
If you’re shorebound, try the Wyandotte boat launch wall or Elizabeth Park. Both have produced perch and the odd bonus walleye this week, especially in the evening.
To wrap up, Lake Erie’s Detroit stretch is firing on all cylinders for early October. The walleye run is strong, perch are biting, and the weather looks set to hold for another day or two—perfect time to hit the water before those true fall storms blow in.
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Published on 2 months, 2 weeks ago