Lake Erie and Detroit Fishing Report: March 23, 2025 - Walleye, Smallmouth, and Yellow Perch Updates

Hey there, fellow anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Lake Erie and Detroit fishing report for March 23, 2025. The weather's looking decent today with partly cloudy skies and temps around 50°F. We've got light winds out of the southwest at about 9 knots. Sunrise was at 7:22 AM and sunset will be at 7:46 PM, giving us plenty of daylight to work with. Now, let's talk tides. The Detroit River doesn't have significant tidal swings, but keep an eye on wind direction as that can push water levels up or down a bit. As for Lake Erie, we're looking at minimal tidal changes, with highs around 0.05 meters (0.16 feet) and lows at 0.02 meters (0.07 feet). Fishing activity has been heating up as we transition into spring. Walleye are starting to make their move into the western basin of Lake Erie and the Detroit River. Anglers have been having good luck with jigs tipped with minnows or plastic swimbaits. We've seen some nice catches in the 5-8 pound range this past week. Smallmouth bass fishing has also been picking up steam. Drop shots with goby imitations or tube jigs in green pumpkin have been productive. A few trophy smallies over 5 pounds were caught recently, so there's definitely potential for a wallhanger. Yellow perch are still hit or miss, but some decent schools have been found in 15-25 feet of water. Small minnows or perch spreaders with shiners are the way to go. For lures, you can't go wrong with a Rapala Jigging Rap or Berkley Flicker Minnow for walleye. For smallmouth, the Poor Boys Erie Darter on a drop shot rig is always a good bet. Don't forget to tip your jigs with some Gulp Alive minnows for extra scent. As for hot spots, the mouth of the Detroit River near Lake Erie has been producing well. Also check out the area around Pelee Island for some good walleye action. For smallmouth, try fishing the rocky areas off Kelleys Island or around the Ambassador Bridge pillars. Remember, folks, the water's still chilly, so dress warm and stay safe out there. Tight lines, everyone! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.