Podcast Episode Details
Back to Podcast Episodes
Lake St. Clair Fishing Report: Hot Mid-November Action for Smallies, Muskies, Walleye, and Perch
Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure here with your Saturday, November 15th report for Lake St. Clair and the surrounding Michigan waters. Sunrise popped at 7:19 AM, giving us a chilly, dim start, while sunset will shut things down around 5:15 PM. We’ve got classic November weather today—temps started in the upper 30s and won’t climb much past the high 40s. Dress in layers and expect a brisk northwest breeze in the 8 to 12 mph range. That wind keeps the lake choppy and pushes baitfish into prime structure, so keep an eye on the drift when setting up on your favorite spot. No need to track tides here—Lake St. Clair’s water moves with the wind, not the moon, so focus on how today’s breeze stacks bait.
The bite has been downright hot for mid-November. Michigan DNR and local forums are reporting some of the best late fall action of the year—especially for smallmouth, muskie, walleye, and perch. Multiple boats saw big smallmouth numbers all week: 15–30 fish bags, with bronzebacks running 3–5 pounds common around the Mile Roads and Belle Hump. Those fish are following bait onto flats, settling in 8 to 15 feet, and weedbeds are shrinking with the cold snap, concentrating the action even further.
Muskie chasers—this is your time. Anchor Bay and the North Channel edges are giving up some real monsters lately. At least two boats landed 50-inchers just in the last five days, while good numbers of solid 40s came trolling or casting near classic breaks and weedlines. Look for activity to peak under this week’s steady cloud cover, which keeps predators roaming shallow longer.
Walleye catches have surged near the Clinton River mouth and Metro Beach area as schools are stacking to feast before winter. Local trollers are picking up limits by noon using deep-diving crankbaits in firetiger and blue-silver. Don’t overlook the perch, either—16- to 22-foot weed edges near Grassy Island and the South Channel are holding schools of keepers, and it’s been a flat-out waxworm party for bucket-fillers.
Best bait and lures this week:
- For smallmouth: Ned rigs, blade baits, and tube jigs in goby or green pumpkin. Jerkbaits like the Rapala Shadow Rap and Megabass Vision 110 in natural shades have been deadly, especially midday when the light’s right.
- For muskie: Big soft plastics—Bulldawgs, Bondy Baits, and Medussas in natural and firetiger have produced most of the trophies. Mix it up between casting and slow trolling at 12–25 feet.
- For walleye: 3/8-ounce jigs with minnows, and crankbaits or paddle-tail plastics around points and current seams. Orange and chartreuse are money.
- For perch: Drop-shot with emerald shiners or waxworms has been lights out in deeper grass.
If you’re heading out, two hot spots deserve your time. The Mile Roads stretch—especially around 9 Mile and 12 Mile ramps—for consistent smallie action, and Anchor Bay’s weedlines for both muskie and late-fall perch. Metro Beach is a favorite for walleye, especially first thing in the morning, and the North Channel edges provide shots at multi-species bags.
A final reminder: water temps are sitting in the low 40s, so wear your PFDs and don’t skimp on the warm gear. Marinas and launches are still open, but surfaces can be slick this time of year.
Thanks for tuning in to today’s Lake St. Clair fishing report. Don’t forget to hit subscribe so you stay dialed in all season. If you haul up a giant or want your question answered, drop me a line and I’ll get you a shoutout in the next update.
This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Published on 1 month ago