Lake Erie, Detroit Fishing Report

This is Artificial Lure coming at you with your September 12th, 2025 fishing report for Lake Erie and the Detroit River. We’ve got a calm, picture-perfect late summer morning out here: water temps are hovering around 70 degrees, lake conditions are smooth as glass with waves less than a foot, and the sunrise crested right at 7:05 AM. Sunset’s due around 7:46 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to hit your favorite holes. No tides for these freshwater lakes, but as always, watch those river currents especially near outflows and dams.

Folks heading out today can expect mid-70s with mostly sunny skies and gentle variable winds—ideal for both boat and shore anglers according to the National Weather Service Cleveland’s marine forecast. With this stable weather, fish should remain active throughout the day, but early morning and dusk are still primetime.

Walleye remain the star around Detroit—recent reports from Michigan-Sportsman locals say limits are coming fast drift-jigging the river mouth and up around Wyandotte. One angler had a dozen ‘eyes in just a couple of passes; most were chunky eaters. The go-to presentation continues to be ½ oz. chartreuse or purple jigs tipped with a live emerald shiner, or a Gulp! minnow if you’re rocking artificials. Troll crankbaits like Flicker Minnows in orange, wonderbread, or clown UV patterns when you move out toward the open Lake Erie humps.

Smallmouth bass action’s been hot near the Grosse Ile bridges and off the rocky points by Belle Isle. Tube baits and drop-shotting with goby imitations are getting the job done—stick with watermelon or smoke fleck for visibility. Don’t sleep on the Detroit River side channels either, especially near pilings and eddies. For panfish, bluegill and perch are tight to weed edges at Elizabeth Park and Trenton Channel; try a slip bobber with red worms or fatheads.

If you’re looking for multi-species action, the mouth of the Huron River near the Flat Rock Dam is worth a visit (according to the Metroparks and DNR, this is a major transit point for walleye, white bass, and some sturgeon looking to move upstream). With ongoing restoration and fish passage projects, these corridors should only improve as the season rolls along.

Hot spots to check out today:

- **Wyandotte Boat Launch:** Drift the channel edges for walleye, especially early.

- **Grosse Ile Bridge Piers and Belle Isle Rocky Points:** Smallmouth are bustin’ bait.

- **Elizabeth Park Marina and the Trenton Channel:** Steady panfish bite, easy access for shore anglers.

Best baits for today?

- **Walleye:** ½ oz. jigs with emerald shiner, Gulp! minnow, or blade baits.

- **Bass:** Green pumpkin tubes, drop-shot with goby plastics.

- **Perch/panfish:** Small minnows or waxies under a float.

Lake Erie continues to yield solid baskets of yellow perch as well, mostly from deeper flats in 18-24 feet. If you’re venturing out, double drop-perch rigs tipped with shiners or soft plastics should keep you busy.

Clean, safe fish are t

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Artificial Lure here with your Lake Erie–Detroit fishing report for Wednesday September 10, 2025.

Weather’s shaping up near perfect for fall fishing: sunny skies and a little chill in the air, with high pressure rolling out and the faintest hint of a cold front brushing through late tonight. National Weather Service Cleveland says winds today are light, south switching to north as the sun climbs, and waves are running steady at one foot or less. Water temps are comfortable—about 67°F off Toledo, 70°F off Cleveland, 68°F off Erie—which means active fish all through the shallows and deeper holes.

You’re looking at sunrise at 7:09 AM and sunset at 7:51 PM, giving almost 13 hours of daylight. With these clear, calm conditions and good visibility, morning and evening bites are definitely strongest. Midday slows, but if you’re targeting deeper humps or river mouths you’ll still find feeding schools.

In the Detroit River and just inside Erie’s western basin, walleye are biting well. Michigan Sportsman folks are reporting solid catches spring into early September, especially trolling crawler harnesses and flicker shads in 18-25 feet along the Ford Channel and up near Fighting Island. Trollers have boated plenty of 3–6 pound walleye and a handful tipping near 8 pounds this week—no monsters, but solid eaters and steady action. Jigging with emerald shiner tipped jigs works best early and late in the day when current picks up, while casting crankbaits or slow-rolling plastics is drawing bonus bites off the deeper banks.

Bass action is hot right now, too. According to the recent MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League tournament wrap from Kimball’s Mandel out of the Detroit River, largemouth and smallmouth are moving shallow on rocky points and submerged weedbeds. Nolan Mandel hauled in ten bass totaling 47 pounds and change in two days just off the river mouth—spinnerbaits in chartreuse/white and tubes rigged natural goby style seemed to be the ticket. If you’re pounding shoreline structure, toss chatterbaits or soft jerkbaits early, then switch to drop-shot rigs as the sun climbs higher.

Yellow perch schools are tight in 12–18 feet all along the north side of Erie Metropark and near the mouth of the Detroit River. Locals report mixed bags, but plenty of hand-sized keepers with a few slabs for frying. Minnow rigs set a foot off bottom are the proven method, especially with the light northeast wind swinging south mid-morning. Best bite is from 8 AM to noon before boat traffic ramps up.

For northern pike and the occasional muskie, hit the weed edges and stumpy back bays off Gibraltar and near Pointe Mouillee. Big spoons, white or fire tiger spinnerbaits, and large soft plastics will draw strikes, particularly at first light or right before dusk. If you’re after panfish, smallmouth, or urban carp in the riverside marinas, try worms below floats along pilings—a steady bite almost all day as long as the boat noise stays low.

Best lures and baits today:

- Walleye

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Artificial Lure here with your Lake Erie and Detroit fishing report for Sunday, September 7, 2025. The sun’s just cracked the horizon at 7:07 AM this morning, and you’ve got a good window—sunset will run until 7:53 PM—so there’s plenty of daylight to chase those fish today.

Let’s talk conditions: Today on Lake Erie and the Detroit River, we’re seeing a lingering surface trough, making for a breezy morning with west winds 10 to 15 knots, calming down later. Waves will start around 2 to 4 feet, subsiding to a much friendlier 1 to 3 feet as the day goes on. There’s a slight chance of spotty showers, especially early, but skies should be clear much of the day according to the National Weather Service marine forecast. Temps are hovering cool, keeping fish active in those transitional shallows—great news for fall anglers.

On the Detroit side up into Erie, smallmouth bass are still holding strong on the flats and around the islands. Topwater lures—think poppers and walking baits in the morning—have triggered some impressive strikes, especially when thrown right along weedlines and rocky points. As the sun climbs, switch over to drop shot rigs, tubes, or finesse worms for bass that take cover in deeper structure. According to the Lake Erie, Detroit Daily Fishing Report, catches of smallmouth have been steady, with many anglers reporting 2- to 4-pound fish, and the occasional kicker pushing 5 pounds.

Yellow perch are starting to creep closer to shore, but most catches are still scattered between 12 and 20 feet of water off the metro beaches and down to Brest Bay. Try emerald shiners on spreaders or perch rigs—live bait’s still the ticket with these fish, but if you prefer artificial, a small gold or firetiger jigging spoon can do work, particularly if the bite slows midday.

For walleye, late summer patterns are hanging on. Troll crankbaits or crawler harnesses near the shipping channel edges at the mouth of the Detroit River and out toward Luna Pier. Recent reports have shown solid numbers in the 16 to 20-inch class, with an occasional trophy stretching past 25 inches. Early morning and dusk edges have been best for these toothy critters.

If you’re targeting panfish or looking for some family fun, bluegills and crappie are active in the backwaters and marinas, tucked into dense weed mats. Wax worms or small plastics fished under a float are the go-to.

A couple of hot spots to circle on your map today:

- The Stony Point flats for bass and walleye—rocky outcrops here concentrate fish year-round.

- The mouth of the Detroit River itself, particularly along the Belle Isle shoals and Peche Island edges, has produced consistent perch and multi-species action all week.

A quick reminder: always keep an ear on updated marine forecasts before heading out, as conditions can shift fast on the big lake. Give some respect to the waves and winds, especially if any weather rolls through midday.

That’s your bite update for Lake Erie and Detroit—it’s shaping up

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Good morning from Lake Erie, Detroit—this is Artificial Lure with your September 6th, 2025, angler’s report. We’ve got the lowdown on what’s biting, the weather to expect, and where to wet your line for the best shot at filling that livewell.

The **weather today** is shaping up with that classic early fall feel—cool, steady east winds early on, calming as you move into late morning. According to the National Weather Service, we've still got some residual chop out there, but nothing too serious this side of the lake after yesterday’s big gale warnings that brought waves up to 14 feet. The action is best on the lee sides or tucked in behind the islands if you’re feeling the wind. Water temps are reported in the low 70s, which has helped keep fish active all morning long.

**Tidal action** isn’t a significant factor here, but don’t let that fool you—the current and wind can change things fast, especially around the river mouths and drop-offs. Plan your drifts accordingly, especially in the Detroit River and out toward Stony Point.

**Sunrise** rolled in at 7:04 am this morning, and sunset will hit right around 8:06 pm, giving you a good long window. Historically, both the first couple hours after sunrise and the last light have had excellent bites, especially if you’re chasing those larger predators.

Now, what’s **biting**? Sportsman's Warehouse reports a strong run of **yellow perch and white perch** this week, with folks filling coolers near the Michigan-Ohio line and around the islands. Perch are tight to bottom structure and responding well to standard perch rigs tipped with live minnows—that’s your money move. Don’t skimp; fresh bait outfishes frozen, especially when the barometric pressure’s on the move.

For you trollers and cast-and-crank fans, **walleye** are still hanging at the slightly deeper edges, especially off Brest Bay and near the mouth of the Detroit River. Lately, folks doing best are running Bandit crankbaits in chrome or perch patterns, trolled with long leads at 1.8 to 2 mph, particularly towards dusk and into the night bite. Several anglers reported solid catches of eaters and a few lunkers this way Friday night, so get those planer boards out and cover water.

Salmon makes a surprise mention—yes, there’s been incidental reports of **salmon** caught in the deeper pockets on Lake Erie, but the bread and butter remains walleye and those fall-run perch. For fun on lighter gear, the Detroit River is still coughing up **big perch, pike, and the occasional smallmouth** on jigs tipped with plastics or shiners.

**Best baits and lures right now:**

- **Perch:** Perch rigs with live emerald shiners or fathead minnows.

- **Walleye:** Bandit crankbaits, Flicker Minnows, and husky jerks in natural or bright patterns.

- **Smallmouth bass:** Drop shot rigs with goby or minnow imitations, and the ever-trusty tube.

- **Bonus tip:** Early birds are finding success with shiny metal spoons like Little Cleos—especially if you’re targeting suspe

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Artificial Lure here with your Friday morning fishing report for Detroit and Lake Erie, September 5th, 2025. We’re waking up to a classic September start—temps hovering in the mid-60s, calm early, but with a cold front set to push through later tonight. Sunrise came at 7:03 AM, with sunset rolling in by 7:59 PM. Expect mostly cloudy skies today, with winds picking up out of the west, reaching 10–15 knots by this afternoon. Waves will be building from 1 to 3 feet, then up to 2 to 4 feet overnight, so keep that in mind if you’re heading offshore, especially in open water. The Detroit River is running relatively clear, with water temps holding steady near 70 degrees along the western basin, as reported by the National Weather Service.

Fish action’s been downright lively these past few days. The pre-frontal conditions and dropping pressure are stirring up aggressive feeding, especially among the smallmouth. Out on the Detroit River proper and the Lake Erie western basin, multiple boats this week have been hauling in impressive limits. Recent local tournaments have highlighted smallmouth catches with an average size of 2½ to 4 pounds. AnglersChannel reports that once folks settled into the current seams and drop-off zones—particularly near the river mouth and around Peche Island—they dialed into steady action with the right presentation. Bellows Shads and 3-inch paddletails have been deadly, especially in electric shad and green pumpkin variations mimicking the shiners that are thick right now.

For bait, live emerald shiners fished on slip bobbers or on a drop-shot rig are sure bets. Nightcrawlers also continue to pick up eater-size walleye, especially along deeper cuts by the Grosse Ile and near Point Mouillee. For artificial lures, those Ned Senkos in green pumpkin, finesse jigs with a touch of black marabou, and any swimbait in a natural finish are getting crushed, according to Baits.com’s latest angler updates. Walleye have been a tad deeper but are still coming on bottom bouncers tipped with worm harnesses or trolling Flicker Shads in perch and clown patterns.

Hot spots to circle today:

- Peche Island drop-offs: Active smallmouth on the current seams, with bonus white bass mixed in.

- Grassy and rocky points near Stony Island and the mouth of the Trenton Channel: these have held schools of smallmouth and some decent walleye action after sunrise.

- **Bonus tip:** Don’t overlook the humps east of Grosse Ile for late-morning bite windows once the wind shifts.

With another cold front set to arrive late tonight, expect the bite to ramp up through midday before things may slow as the barometer starts rising after nightfall. If you’re targeting sturgeon, the river channels remain a good bet at night, but go heavy and stay patient—those big girls are on the prowl, according to recent acoustic telemetry detections as tracked by USGS.

Quick reminders: No tidal swings to worry about—Lake Erie’s controlled flow means current and wind dictate your drift.

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You're listening to Artificial Lure with your September 3rd, 2025, fishing report for Lake Erie and the Detroit River—let’s get you set for a wild day on the water.

Weather today in the Detroit area is shaping up nicely for anglers, with highs around 78°F, light south winds up to 10 knots, and mostly sunny skies until evening. Wave action on the big lake will be gentle at 1 to 2 feet through most of the day but heads up if you’re planning on staying out late—National Weather Service Cleveland warns a strong cold front will move in tonight, ramping up waves to 5 to 8 feet and bringing a shot at thunderstorms through tomorrow morning. Water temps are holding steady in the low 70s, perfect for keeping fish active. Sunrise hit us at 6:55 AM and sunset will stretch your casts until 8:03 PM, so you’ve got plenty of daylight to chase that bite.

Now, let’s talk fish. September means walleye and perch are both on the move and feeding heavy, especially with cooler nights creeping in. Reports from FishCraft and local guides all point to steady walleye action on crawler harnesses and purple or chartreuse deep-diving crankbaits, especially on deeper humps and drop-offs near Grosse Ile and the channels off Belle Isle. Some walleye this week were pushing 26 inches, with most eaters running 15 to 20. Best results are coming from 20 to 28 feet, especially around the dumping grounds and the Trenton Channel.

Perch are stacking up in bigger schools just outside the Detroit River mouth and north to Stony Point—look for fish in 17 to 23 feet, especially during low-light periods. Emerald shiners are still the hot ticket for bait. Jigging spoons in silver or fire-tiger patterns are pulling bonus fish for anglers vertical jigging around structure. Anglers are reporting perch limits if you're willing to move and find the active schools.

Smallmouth bass are firing up along the rocky breakwalls and points—tubes in green pumpkin, Ned rigs, and poppers in early morning are getting hammered. There’s also been decent bycatch of white bass and the occasional chunky pike in the weedier bays. If you want to mix it up, don't overlook nightcrawler harnesses off Sugar Island or the Peche Island weed edges for bonus cats and the odd muskie encounter.

This week the Detroit River and west Lake Erie have seen solid multi-species bags—walleye, perch, white bass, and the odd crappie are all showing, making for great mixed bag outings. According to locals, fish flies have mostly cleared out, so insect swarms are thinning. That’s a boost for everyone casting from the piers or along the seawall.

Hot spots to try right now include:

- **The lower Detroit River near Horse Island:** Consistent walleye and perch catches, best on a light drift.

- **The dumping grounds off Wyandotte:** Prime for big perch and occasional walleye.

- **Stony Point to Brest Bay:** For those hunting perch at sunrise.

- **The Belle Isle to Trenton Channel stretch:** Where the smallmouths are stacking on the breaks.

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Good morning, anglers, this is Artificial Lure coming at you with your Lake Erie Detroit fishing report for Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025. Out on the big water this morning, sunrise cracked over the horizon at 6:57 a.m. and you can expect to fish daylight until about 8:08 tonight. Weather-wise, the National Weather Service says we’re sitting under a weakening ridge today, but things will shift tonight as a strong cold front starts sliding through. Morning temps are mild, mid-60s, and skies are partly cloudy—perfect for getting after some early bites. Winds will run light from the south, around 5–10 knots, keeping those waves at a manageable one to two feet, but keep your eye out for those shifting winds as the day wears on and that front approaches.

Water clarity is typical late summer, with a hint of algae but still fishable. Recent blue-green algae advisories have impacted some sections of the Great Lakes, so always double-check the local water quality before keeping your catch, especially in the shallower bays and river mouths. Mayfly hatches have mostly wrapped up, but the leftovers are still driving some sporadic topwater action across the Detroit River flats, according to local reports.

Talking recent catches, it’s been a solid week for walleye out in the main lake and lower Detroit River. Anglers have been hitting limits trolling harnesses with crawler harnesses and small spoons off the islands, as reported by numerous local tackle shops. Most fish in the 16-inch to 23-inch range, with a few pushing near 27 inches. White bass are still running strong in the river and off Metro Beach, schooling deep but coming up for blade baits and small jigs bounced along channel edges. Yellow perch have started stacking up in 16 to 20 feet near Stony Point—live minnows on perch rigs are producing good numbers when you find the schools.

Smallmouth are feeding up hard ahead of the upcoming front. Look for them on rocky points and near the mouth of the river—tubes in brown or crayfish patterns, Ned rigs, and shallow cranks are all drawing aggressive strikes. If you’re after largemouths, check out the weed lines around Grosse Ile with spinnerbaits or soft plastics in natural colors.

For today’s best bite window, get out early and fish until mid-morning, then again from late afternoon to sunset as winds begin to shift and pressure drops. If you’re after trophies, tonight’s pre-front conditions could fire up big predators.

Hot bait picks:

- For walleye: chartreuse and purple harnesses, size #4 Colorado blades, tipped with nightcrawlers.

- For smallmouth: Strike King coffee tubes in green pumpkin, drop-shot with 4-inch minnow imitators, or crankbaits in shad patterns.

- For perch: live emerald shiners on double drop rigs or small gold hooks.

And don’t forget the local hot spots:

- The humps off Belle Isle continue to hold mixed bags of bass and walleye.

- The Detroit River Trenton Channel is producing steady smallmouth and white bass action on the

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Lake Erie and Detroit anglers, Artificial Lure reporting live from the water’s edge with today’s scoop for Sunday, August 31, 2025. Sunrise crept up at 6:53 AM, and sunset tonight drops at 8:11 PM. Weather’s been classic late-summer: morning started breezy out of the northwest, steady at 10 to 15 knots, with waves one to two feet, set to build to three to five feet as the wind swings around west. Temperatures are mellow—a humid high near 77°F. Water temps clock in at 76°F off Toledo, 74°F outside Cleveland. That’s prime for late-season action, if you’re ready for a little chop.

No tide here—Lake Erie’s a freshwater beast—but water levels remain solid, not as low as the dry spell hitting the St. Lawrence, according to the Great Lakes Commission. A trough keeps the barometric pressure a hair under normal, so expect fish to be just a bit finicky.

Let’s talk bites. Detroit River and western Lake Erie have delivered solid walleye catches all week. The Michiana Outdoors News crew reports anglers still pulling in three- to five-pounders, and the average boat’s seeing double-digit fish per session—some crews bagged well over 20 in the past few days. Best results: running deep-diving crankbaits like the Rapala DT6, trolling Bandits along drop-offs from 16 to 22 feet. Early morning and that last hour before sunset are go times.

Not just walleye: yellow perch schools have tightened up near the shipping channel edges by Grosse Ile and Trenton, with 20-fish buckets not uncommon. Emerald shiners on perch rigs or small blade baits get the job done. Silver bass still blitzing in open water—flashy spoons bring savage hits for those rigged light.

Bassers—Largemouth and smallies both active on the Detroit side and around Erie Metropark. The hot local technique right now is casting Chatterbaits or swim jigs tight to weed beds by Point Mouillee; recent singles tourney reported two five-pounders weighed in, with chatter-style baits being the payout ticket. Spinnerbaits also pulling strikes near shoreline structure.

If you’re chasing muskie, head to the mouth of the Detroit River—trolling big rubber lures and jointed jerkbaits alongside weedlines got a couple stories of hookups this past weekend, though most are still bycatch on big crankbaits.

For those with sturgeon dreams, the Michigan Sportsman Forum is hyped: night rigs baited with fresh goby or shad chunks by Fighting Island flats brought in two confirmed catches, both released. Fish slow, heavy, and hold tight after dusk.

Bait profiles: right now, best choices are natural (emerald shiners, nightcrawlers, softshell crayfish) in the lower river and points, but bright artificials—chartreuse, fire tiger, and purple—are lighting up strikes for both walleye and bass. Trolling speeds for walleye around 1.8 to 2.5 mph; slow and steady for perch and bass.

A couple hot spots:

- The dumping grounds off Stony Point: active walleye bite mid-morning.

- Trenton Channel edges: perch and silver bass running thick just ou

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This is Artificial Lure coming to you with your August 30, 2025 Lake Erie Detroit fishing report.

It’s shaping up to be a classic late summer day on Lake Erie and around the Detroit River. We’ve got stable conditions in the forecast: light northeast winds under 10 knots in the morning, swinging southeast later; waves staying low at a foot or less. That means drifts are steady and the water should stay clear, prime for sight-fishing and light tackle presentations. Expect the high pressure to keep things settled through the weekend, with no big weather surprises on the horizon according to the National Weather Service Marine Forecast.

Let’s talk times. Sunrise hit at 6:52 AM and you’ll see sunset roll in around 8:09 PM—giving you a full window for that early topwater bite and a solid dusk session for those night stalker walleye. Tides aren’t a factor in the Great Lakes, but look for fish to relate to subtle current changes, especially near channels and structure like the mouth of the Detroit River.

The water’s sitting comfortably in the upper 60s to low 70s, perfect for a mixed bag. Walleye action is solid—local chatter puts limits in the cooler for folks running crawler harnesses and gold blade spinner rigs off the reefs, especially out near Fermi and the dumping grounds. Reports from the past week say “meat sticks” trolling crankbaits like Flicker Shads and Bandits in 14-18 FOW are turning up 3 to 6 pounders, particularly before 10 AM and again an hour before dark.

Smallmouth bass are chomping up around the Bayview and Stony Point areas, hugging rock piles and drop-offs in 12-18 feet. Tubes in green pumpkin or smoke, Ned rigs, and dropshots rigged with goby imitations have been hot. Swim jigs are also seeing some quality fish, especially during low-light periods. Don’t be surprised to tie into an occasional bonus white bass or yellow perch in the mix—tiny minnows and small spinners are your best bet there.

If muskies are your game, Lake St. Clair’s hot right now. Michigan’s own Channel 7 Outdoor Crew reported a couple of 40-inchers boated this week trolling big rubber baits and classic double-10 bucktails. The stretch from Belle Isle to Peche Island is holding good numbers, especially near weed edges and current seams.

For bait, nightcrawlers are still a staple for walleye, especially paired with crawler harnesses. Live emerald shiners or soft-plastic minnows are top choices for perch and bass. Artificial lures are working if you match the hatch—think shad patterns for crankbaits, perch or goby colors for soft plastics.

Two hot spots you can’t miss right now:

• The dumping grounds east of the Rattlesnake Island complex—productive for walleye and the occasional steelhead.

• The mouth of the Detroit River at Trenton Channel—prime for mixed bags, with walleye, bass, and summertime sheepshead stacking up on the ledges.

Don’t forget—there’s a mild to moderate harmful algal bloom forecast for western Lake Erie, so keep an eye out for green wa

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Lake Erie and Detroit River anglers woke up to a shifting weather pattern this August 29. We’ve just had a cold front settle in, and that’s cooling things off quick for the latter part of summer. According to the National Weather Service, overnight winds swung northwesterly at 15-20 knots but are falling back this morning to 10-15, with waves starting at 1-3 feet. That’s a relief after a choppy night—waves along the central and eastern lake reportedly reached up to 7 feet in spots yesterday but will mellow out through the day, subsiding to 1-3 feet as high pressure builds up for the long weekend. Water temps are still hanging in the mid-70s near shore, so we’re not done with summer patterns just yet, but cooler mornings mean fish are getting bolder by sunrise, which was at 6:50 AM today. Sunset will be at 8:15 PM, giving you a solid window for late-day topwater action.

Fish activity this week has been lively as fall feeding just begins to kick in. Local bass clubs are reporting excellent catches in both largemouth and smallmouth categories, with the main lake shoals and the islands zone firing up early in the day. Smallmouth bass are hitting hard on rocky drop-offs—this is textbook late August Erie action. On the Detroit River, guides say the walleye bite is rebounding, especially in deeper ledges around Belle Isle and the Trenton Channel.

Successful anglers have leaned heavily on vibrating jigs and chatterbaits for bass. Michiana Outdoors News reports chatterbaits dominating main-lake bass tournaments, with multiple five-fish limits over 15 pounds this week. For smallmouth, downsized jerkbaits and soft plastics in natural shad or goby patterns are drawing plenty of strikes, especially around artificial reefs off the islands and Metropark. If you’re targeting walleye, try a three-way rig with crawler harnesses or deep-diving crankbaits like the Deep Husky Jerk; perch are still holding on the weed edges and responding well to live emerald shiners, with subtle jigging producing limits.

Sheepshead, or freshwater drum, are biting strong and remain a favorite for those looking to fill the cooler—plus, if you’re lucky, you’ll find ‘lucky stones’ (otoliths) in their heads, a local Lake Erie shore tradition kids have prized for generations based on stories from the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

Your hottest spots today:

- Anywhere along Brest Bay near Monroe for smallmouth, especially in the morning.

- The lower Trenton Channel and around Celeron Island for walleye as they transition to deeper summer haunts.

- Erie Metropark’s rocky points for a consistent perch and mixed panfish bite.

If you’re after a trophy, don’t skip the mid-lake humps just east of Grosse Ile—reports suggest larger bass are holding deep there and responding to drop-shot rigs with natural colored minnow imitations.

With today’s tidier waves and cloud breaks in the forecast, expect good fishing right through sunset. Pro tip: keep an eye out for surface boils at dusk—pred

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