Lake Erie Angling Forecast: Walleye, Perch, and Sturgeon Action Heating Up

Good morning fishheads, Artificial Lure reporting in with your November 7th, 2025, rundown for Lake Erie and the Detroit River region. We're looking at a brisk fall start: sunrise hit at 7:07 AM, and sunset’s coming in at 5:18 PM. Temps this morning are hovering in the low 40s, with a northwesterly breeze pushing 10-14 mph by midday. Expect mostly cloudy skies, which should help keep those predator fish cruising shallow a bit longer today. Now, about tides—since we’re on the Great Lakes system, true tidal fluctuation doesn’t occur here, but you will notice water level swings due to wind and seiche effects. With that northwest wind, expect some current, especially through the Detroit River channel, favoring shore and breakwall casting for walleye. Fish activity has been lively! The past week has been hot for walleye – multiple anglers have reported double-digit catches each trip, especially in the Detroit River mouth and at the head of Lake Erie near Point Mouillee. Most fish are running 18 to 24 inches, but a few big bruisers over 28 inches have been landed as well. Perch schools are holding deep off the Metropark piers, with some quick limits by persistent anglers, averaging 9-11 inches. If you’re after bronzebacks, smallmouth bass action remains solid – try the rocky humps west of Gross Ile and along the shipping channel edges where drop-offs are prominent. Special note this week: as announced by the New York State DEC, 1,000 eight-inch lake sturgeon have been released into Cattaraugus Creek on Lake Erie’s east end as part of a long-term project—fantastic news for our future big fish prospects. While sturgeon fishing is closed this season, keep an eye out in years to come for the return of these monsters. On the bait and lure front, stick to the classics: for walleye, vertical jigging with 1/2 oz. chartreuse or purple hair jigs tipped with emerald shiners has been deadly, especially around the mouth of the river and Trenton Channel. Trollers have had luck with crankbaits, particularly Reef Runners and Flicker Shads in clown and blue/chrome colors. Perch are clustered in 22–28 feet, and are keyed in on live emerald shiners on perch rigs; orange and gold beads seem to outpace plain hooks. For smallmouth bass, go with tube jigs in green pumpkin or goby patterns, and crankbaits bumped along the rocks during the afternoon warmup. Hot spots to check today: - **Head of Lake Erie near Point Mouillee**: Prime for mixed walleye and late-run white bass. - **Wyandotte to Fighting Island stretch in the Detroit River**: Edges and drop-offs for both jigging and trolling; perch are hitting on the deeper flats nearby. Keep an eye out for deepwater sculpin, as Fisheries Canada reported continued detections in this area—they’re not a main sport target, but they tell us the food web’s healthy. And don’t ignore the night bite: as days shorten, evening anglers jigging the lighted areas of Elizabeth Park Marina and the River Rouge outflow have seen some n This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.