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Lake St. Clair Fishing Report: Smallies, Perch, and Fall Patterns for Anglers
Artificial Lure here with your Lake St. Clair fishing report for Thursday, October 23, 2025.
Sunrise hit at 7:53 AM, with sunset expected at 6:43 PM—plenty of time to get on the water, though the bite should peak late morning and early afternoon given stable barometric pressure and continued autumn cooling. No tidal influence here, but strong northwest winds over the past week have churned up St. Clair, keeping some of the best action closer to protected areas.
Weather-wise, we’re waking up to mid-40s, climbing into the low 50s under partly cloudy skies with moderate winds expected through the afternoon. These conditions point to active smallmouth and walleye in shallower zones and near current breaks.
It’s been a big week for bass, with local tournaments last weekend showing off Lake St. Clair’s reputation as a smallmouth powerhouse. According to Michiana Outdoors News, Jonathan Brock and Christopher Martin weighed in just over 25 pounds in the latest Tackle Shack competition, anchored by a 6.6-pound smallmouth. Bill Mathews and Kris Iodice followed close behind with 23.66, finding their success between 2 and 10 feet of water. Forty-fifty bass a day weren’t uncommon during practice.
Standouts for lures have been Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits in shallow, muddier stretches. In slightly clearer sections, finesse presentations on a BAFA F8 jighead paired with a 2.8-inch Keitech swimbait or a Rapala Crush City Mayor are drawing both numbers and big bites. Tube jigs are hitting well near current seams and rock piles, especially when bounced just off the bottom—crankbaits have fired up the bigger fish along deeper weed lines.
A monster 7.45-pound smallie was reported this week out of the Detroit River, caught late morning on a crankbait and fought all the way to the net—so don’t be afraid to throw a moving bait in stained or choppy water.
For multispecies, perch have fired up again as water temps settle. The Outdoor Conquest’s most recent Lake St. Clair fall perch round-up reveals big “hogs” showing around the mile roads and south channel. Vertically jigging minnows or small plastics does the trick, especially in 8-14 feet where you mark scattered bait.
Hot spots right now are the southern end around the Metropark launch—protected from most wind, stacked with bait, and holding both bass and perch. The mile roads are always a mid-fall favorite, but don’t ignore the Belle River Hump for mixed bags, especially early or on windier days.
If you want the best chance at a trophy, focus on rocky points and breaks adjacent to current, particularly where weedbeds are dying back and concentrating forage. Swimbaits, tubes, and Chatterbaits are your top three for big smallmouth, with natural shad or green pumpkin colors proving deadly.
Bait-wise, if fishing live, fathead minnows or small shiners remain king for perch and walleye.
Thanks for tuning in to the Lake St. Clair fishing update. Subscribe so you don’t miss the next bite window, and as always, tight lines!
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Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago