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Autumn Bass Bounty on Lake St. Clair
Artificial Lure reporting in from Lake St. Clair, Michigan, for Saturday, October 25th, 2025.
It's a brisk fall morning here on the lake, with sunrise just after 7:50 AM and sunset set for just before 6:40 PM. The weather has shifted quickly this week: after an unseasonably warm start to October, overnight temps dipped down, bringing some welcome chill to the water. The wind is out of the north, steady at 12 to 18 knots, with patchy clouds and a chance of showers lingering into the afternoon. Folks, keep an eye on those gusts if you're heading out in a smaller rig.
There’s no tidal swing on our Great Lakes, but local conditions are definitely in flux as we move deeper into fall. Water temps are finally making their descent; readings yesterday hovered around 63 to 65°F, meaning that autumn patterns are in full gear. Shallow flats are cooling off, and smallmouth are tucking down deeper near breaks and current edges, especially once the wind picks up.
Recent tournament catches prove the bite is on. According to the latest Tackle Shack Report, teams fishing Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River put up some serious numbers. Jonathan Brock and Christopher Martin weighed a 25.29-pound bag, landing most of their haul in the first hour with Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits in water 2 to 5 feet deep. Their big bass—a whopping 6.6-lb smallmouth—came off mid-lake structure, while other winners worked finesse swimbaits like the BAFA F8 jighead paired with 2.8-inch Keitech, Crush City Mayor, and Spark Shad. With winds high, anglers targeted the lake's south side; north bay was a no-go for most.
Bill Mathews and Kris Iodice grabbed second with a 23.66-pound limit, focusing on finesse jigs and swimbaits in deeper water, bouncing between waypoints until that magic strike. 50 bass landed during their practice run—that’s no exaggeration, St. Clair is loaded right now. The Detroit River also coughed up some giants, including a tournament-record 7.45-lb smallmouth caught late morning on a crankbait near current seams.
Most folks I talked to yesterday described the topwater bite as slow, especially with cooler mornings and windy afternoons. Instead, jerkbaits and bluegill-hued spinnerbaits have shined, especially in mid-depth flats and along weedy drop-offs. Tubes and crankbaits are also pulling their weight when worked through rocky transitions on the river and in ten to twelve feet.
If you’re chasing numbers, finesse swimbaits—Keitech and Spark Shad—rigged on light jigheads are tough to beat, especially for working schools of cruising smallies and perch. For snagging the biggest bite, don’t ignore a bright Chatterbait in shallow weedlines on a warming afternoon. Tubes, especially browns and greens, are a must-have on rocky points.
For bait, minnows and nightcrawlers are racking up the panfish and bonus walleye, but artificials are outpacing live bait for bass this week. If you’ve got kids aboard or are new to the game, focus on drifting shiners or smaller plastics around the Metropark or Anchor Bay—the perch and even crappie are on a tear.
Top hot spots:
- The Mile Roads (9, 10.5, and 12 Mile): Consistent smallmouth action, especially mid-morning after the wind settles.
- South Shore near Metropark launch: Spinnerbaits and tubes do damage here, especially where shallow breaks meet deeper flats.
Fishing pressure is decent, with tournaments keeping folks honest, but there’s plenty of space to spread out. Remember, wind can make runs across the lake dicey—stick close to launch if you’re not in a deep-V.
Deer season hits stride in St. Clair, but this week the local talk is all about big bass and mixed bags of perch and walleye in the river.
Thanks for tuning in to the report—be sure to subscribe for weekly updates and swing back for more local tips and tricks. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietp
Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago