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Lake St. Clair Fall Fishing Report - Bass, Walleye, Pike, and Perch Biting Strong
This is Artificial Lure coming to you with your Lake St. Clair fishing report for Friday, October 17, 2025. Conditions this morning are cool and crisp as overnight lows dipped toward the low 40s, with a high today expected in the upper 50s under partly cloudy skies. Winds are light from the southwest, about 8-10 knots, which should keep the main basin pretty fishable and help those drifts along the edges. Sunrise was at 7:45 AM, with sunset tonight at 6:48 PM, so get those early lines in for the best shot at a bite.
We don’t get tidal swings up here on Lake St. Clair since we’re a freshwater system, but water temps have dropped into the mid-50s—prime time for those fall patterns to kick in, and the bite has matched up just right. According to this week’s Michigan DNR fishing report, bass, walleye, and northern pike have all been active, with most catches coming from both shore spots and while trolling the robust weed beds that edge the main lake and canals. If you’re thinking panfish, perch are picking up as well along the Macomb shoreline, especially early in the day.
Best lures? Jerkbaits and spinnerbaits in white, perch, or fire tiger colors have been money for both smallmouth and largemouth. For pike, big inline spinners and flashy spoons are hard to beat in this cooling water, especially as these fish fatten up before winter. If you’re trolling for walleye, try crankbaits just outside the weedlines, especially in 8-12 feet of water. Natural bait—like lively minnows—work wonders on perch off docks and seawalls, especially under a slip float, and night crawlers are always a go-to if you’re looking to fill the cooler with mixed catches.
Recent reports have anglers catching strong numbers of bass, both largemouth and smallmouth, with several folks posting up to 20-fish days (catch and release) working rocky points around Harsens Island and the Mile Roads. Pike are showing up steady in the spillways and at the mouths of the major creeks. Walleye numbers are respectable for this time of year, with some real slabs coming on trolled cranks near the St. Clair Light and up toward the South Channel. Yellow perch limits aren’t a guarantee, but action has been picking up—especially for those bouncing perch rigs along the weed pockets near Metro Beach.
If you’re looking for a couple of hot spots, don’t skip the Goose Bay weed beds just east of Anchor Bay—it’s been lights out for bass in the early and late daylight hours. Another spot worth trying is the Clinton River Cutoff, where perch and pike are both cruising and responding to both artificials and live bait.
The best bite windows are still those first couple of daylight hours and just before dusk, so plan to make the most of those times. With this steady, cool-air pattern, the fall migration is just getting started, and these fish are putting on the feed bag.
Thanks for tuning in to your Lake St. Clair fishing report with Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an update or a hot tip. This has been a Quiet Please production—for more, check out quietplease dot ai.
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Published on 2 months ago