Blustery Bite: Walleye, Bass, and Perch in Detroit's Lake Erie Waters

Artificial Lure here with your fishing report for Saturday, September 20th, right here in Detroit and the Lake Erie system. We kicked off the morning with **sunrise at 7:18 AM**, and anglers awoke to a crisp Lake breeze with **temperatures in the low 70s** and water temps still holding at a fishy 70–71 degrees nearshore, as per the National Weather Service. Expect mostly sunny skies with some clouds rolling in by afternoon and highs topping out in the mid-70s. East winds are on the rise—look for **10 to 15 knots, gusting up to 20 knots**, which means choppy water building throughout the day. Wave heights started 1–3 feet but are expected to climb to **3–6 feet** by evening with a small craft advisory in effect, so take proper boat precautions, especially if running across open water. Now, onto the bite: **walleye** remained the main show, especially for those trolling crawler harnesses and deep-diving crankbaits between the mouth of the Detroit River and out toward Brest Bay. Reports from local forums like Michigan Sportsman indicate solid limits pulled mid-week, with some boats landing over a dozen keepers in a morning, most in the 2–4 lb range. Late-summer schools are hugging the deeper edges, so focus your efforts near drop-offs and ledges off Stony Point and the Banana Dike. **Smallmouth bass** are showing up strong along rocky piles and shipping channel edges. Plastics in natural goby patterns, tube jigs, and Ned rigs are producing, and look for a flurry of action at first light and again before sunset, which tonight is **7:36 PM**. The water clarity is average, but that wind can murk things up quickly, so opt for chartreuse or white colors if it's churned. Largemouths are also lurking in marinas and shallows; local anglers picking up a handful this week mostly on spinnerbaits and topwater frogs. **Yellow perch** are biting well off Bolles Harbor and Luna Pier—numbers slightly down from last week, but persistent anglers are filling buckets by keeping spreads tight and using emerald shiners over gravel bottom. Some slabs up to 14” have been reported, but average size sits 8–10”. If the wind makes things tough, try back bays or tuck behind breakwalls for perch and panfish. If you’re after something bigger, silver bass and the odd pike are hitting blade baits and spoons near the mouth of the river, and channel catfish remain active in muddy bottom stretches, especially on cut bait or shrimp. **Best Baits and Lures Today:** - **Walleye:** crawler harnesses, purple or fire tiger crankbaits - **Smallmouth:** green pumpkin or smokey tube jigs, Ned rigs, natural crankbaits - **Perch:** live emerald shiners, small minnows - **Catfish:** cut shad, nightcrawlers, chicken liver - **Multi-species:** white spinnerbaits, gold blade baits **Hot Spots to Try:** - The edges of Stony Point and Banana Dike for walleye and smallmouth - Luna Pier and Bolles Harbor for perch - Around the Ship Channel markers near the mouth of the Detroit River for multi-spe This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.