Podcast Episode Details

Late Fall Bite Strong on Lake St. Clair - Smallmouth, Walleye, and Perch Biting Despite Chilly Conditions

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Fishing conditions are staying classic fall here on Lake St. Clair this Wednesday, November 5th. The morning’s brought in a stiff breeze from the southwest, with overcast skies and air temperatures in the low 50s—might reach the upper 50s by afternoon, but don’t hang your hopes on sunshine. According to the National Weather Service, we’re expecting winds near 12 to 15 knots, keeping a moderate chop across most of the lake. If you’re heading out, dress warm and watch that wind gusting up on open water.

Sunrise hit at 7:12 AM, with sunset coming early now at 5:22 PM as we slide into November. No worry about tides here—Lake St. Clair’s a freshwater inland lake—but if you’re in from out of town and used to coastal fishing, don’t expect any tidal swings to help you. Water temps have dipped to around 48 to 50 degrees near the channels and just a touch warmer in protected shallows.

Fishing action’s been lively for those braving chillier conditions. The Michigan DNR and recent charter reports say the **smallmouth bass bite is still rock-solid** if you work mainlake structures and rocky flats, especially up near Grassy Island and out in Anchor Bay. Most bass are being caught between two and four pounds, with the occasional football over five showing up now and then. Local anglers have also reported a nice mix of **walleye** working the mouth of the Detroit River, plus **yellow perch** showing up in the shallower, weedy cuts around the Metropark and the Mile Roads.

Folks are doing best with **blade baits** like Damiki and Steel Shad for bass, bounced slow on the bottom—the vibration is key in this cold water. Swimbaits rigged on heavy jigs, and old school suspending jerkbaits like a Pointer 100 or Shadow Rap work well when fished with long pauses. For walleye, firetiger and perch-colored Rapala Shad Raps or jigging Raps are winners, and slip bobbers tipped with emerald shiners are putting perch in many coolers. If you poke around the nearshore weed beds with small minnows or waxworms, you’ll get into a mess of bluegill and the occasional crappie too.

A couple **hot spots** worth trying right now:

- **Mile Roads:** Both 9 Mile and 12 Mile outflows are holding bass and some surprisingly big perch, especially when the wind blows bait in tight.
- **Belle River Hump:** This classic spot is producing nice smallies on blade baits and underspins, especially from late morning to early afternoon—just watch your graphs for schooling fish off the drops.

Don’t forget, the water’s cold and can get rough quick—always wear your life jacket in November. Michigan DNR reminds all anglers to have their 2025 licenses squared away, and the perch limit’s 25 per day so keep an eye on your count.

Thanks for checking in with Artificial Lure for your Lake St. Clair fishing report! Hook one up for me and if you want more tips, hit subscribe so you don’t miss a bite. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

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Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago