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Late October Lakeshore Lunkers - Fishing Report for Lake St. Clair, Michigan
Artificial Lure here with your Friday, October 24, 2025, fishing report for Lake St. Clair, Michigan—and folks, autumn’s in full throat on the big lake. Cold fronts have swung through and while the wind has kicked up over the past week, today dawned with a crisp, cool bite and some calmer water, giving anglers a much-needed shot in the arm.
Sunrise is at 7:51 a.m. and sunset rolls in at 6:37 p.m. Plenty of daylight to work both the morning and evening bites. Weather this morning came up 44°F with scattered clouds and a steady west-northwest breeze, but the wind should die down as we head into late morning according to the latest from NOAA buoy 45147. Water clarity’s looking good in most areas, with temperatures sliding just under 59°F—classic late October.
There’s no official tidal swing to speak of on Lake St. Clair, but the barometer’s stable, and the bite has caught fire around the weed edges and on deep structure. According to Lake St. Clair, Michigan Daily Fishing Report from Spreaker, perch schools have bunched up on inside turns, while smallies and walleyes are chasing bait off the deeper breaks. The pike bite’s also kicked into gear, showing up heavy at the mouths of feeder creeks and along rocky points.
Just last weekend, the Tackle Shack tournament boys had tough sledding with Saturday’s high wind, but still managed some big bags: Jonathan Brock and Christopher Martin sacked up 25.29 pounds of smallmouth, anchored by a 6.6-pound brute, all working Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits shallow, 2-5 feet, during a short window of early morning action. Bill Mathews and Kris Iodice ran second with another solid bag over 23 pounds, their best fish falling to 2.8" Keitech swimbaits and finesse rigs on light jigheads. The key was targeting wind-blown shorelines on the south side of the lake and then shifting to sheltered deep spots once the clouds broke.
In the last couple days, panfish anglers have found jumbo perch stacked up near Metro Beach and between the Belle River Hump and the old shipping channel. Best baits have been emerald shiners on drop-shot rigs or small jigging spoons in 14 to 18 feet. For muskies, trolling big rubber baits like Pounders and oversized jerkbaits still pays off—especially at the mouth of Anchor Bay and the South Channel edges.
Hot spots to try right now:
- The mile roads and the mile long weed beds just west of St. Clair Shores—the perch play is electric if you can find the live schools.
- The Belle River Hump and Strawberry Island—producing big smallmouth, especially if you slow roll a swimbait or pop a Ned rig off the gravel patches.
- Anchor Bay and the South Channel for musky—troll long and cover water, staying just outside the weed line.
Best lures this week: Chatterbaits, spinnerbaits in white or chartreuse, 2.8-inch Keitech swimbaits on finesse jigheads, Ned rigs, and spoons for perch. Live emerald shiners stand out for panfish, while musky chasers are crushing it with big rubber and glide baits.
Activity window peaks late morning and again just before dusk, according to solunar data for St. Clair Shores. For those hunting something rare, there’s been word of incidental channel darter sightings along the nearshore gravel between the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers, but keep in mind these are protected, and keep that bycatch safe and quick back in the water.
Smallmouth are the major headliner, but healthy numbers of largemouth, perch, pike, and a mixed bag of walleye and musky make for an action-packed lineup. Most guys are reporting plenty of 3s and 4s, and a handful of 5- and 6-pounders in the mix. The tournament boys turned over 50 bass a day last week during pre-fishing—so you better believe the numbers are here.
That’s the word from the water. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for up-to-date, boots-on-the-dock action every morning.
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Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago