Lake St. Clair Fishing Report: Late Fall Bass, Perch, and Walleye Action

Artificial Lure checking in with your Lake St. Clair, Michigan, fishing report for Sunday, November 9, 2025. Big chill back in the air, the wind’s been out of the northwest, and the clocks just pushed sunrise to 7:13 AM with sunset rolling in at 5:19 PM, so we’re working with those shorter November days. Water temps are running low 50s to high 40s and with the cold front earlier this week, fish are stacking up and the late fall feed is on, especially for bass, perch, and walleye. No tides on Lake St. Clair, but wind-driven flows matter, and things have settled after that recent blow. According to Outdoor News Michigan’s November 5 update, perch are starting to school up deep and the smallmouth bass bite is firing on both soft plastics and live bait. The DNR and majorleaguefishing.com have reported that anglers working main lake points, weed edges, and drop-offs have found steady action the past few days, with several nice bags of smallies pushing the 4–6 pound mark coming in, plenty of yellow perch in the well, and even some eater-size walleye caught at dusk. Best baits out here this time of year? Live minnows are top dog for perch and walleye—use a perch rig or a simple jig tipped with a minnow, and don’t be afraid to switch to wigglers or shrimp if things slow down, as Buc’s Fishing Report pro tips always remind us. For smallmouth, stick with blade baits, lipless cranks, and hair jigs in the deeper holes—shad and perch patterns are winning, and when the wind lays down, a drop shot rigged with a goby-style plastic is killer. If you’re working artificials, Major League Fishing’s top pros recently went finesse, throwing the CrushCity Mooch Minnow on VMC hooks, or threw Ned rigs and swimbaits around current breaks near deeper flats and shoals. Don’t overlook a slow-rolled spinnerbait or tube, either, especially in green-pumpkin or baitfish imitations. Recent catches have been solid: local guides report consistent limits of perch up to 12 inches out of the Mile Roads and Anchor Bay, with perch schooled tight in 12–18 feet. Smallmouth are rolling heavy out from Metro Beach and along the St. Clair Light. If you’re after walleye, the late evening bite off the spillways and the channels—especially the mouth of the Detroit River—has kicked up as the sun drops. My top hot spots this week: - Jefferson Beach Marina and the mouth of L’Anse Creuse Bay are putting out good numbers of both perch and smallmouth—plus, you’ve got wind protection to tuck in if it blows hard. - Metro Beach to the Mile Roads—target deeper weed edges and gravel, 14–18 feet, with small blade baits for smallmouth. - The Detroit River mouth and Belle River Hump—solid night walleye bite on minnows and small jigs worked slow. Fish activity has really jumped since the temps dropped, and while some folks are switching over to hunting, the diehards are finding hungry fish on every outing. Remember, as the water cools, slow your presentation—let those jigs sink and keep contact with bott This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.