Lake St. Clair Fishing Update: Smallmouth Heating Up, Walleye Hot on the Jig

FISHING REPORT: Lake St. Clair - May 28, 2025 Hey there, anglers! Artificial Lure here with your midweek fishing update for beautiful Lake St. Clair. This morning dawned clear and mild at 58°F, with a light breeze from the southwest at 5-8 mph. Perfect conditions to get out on the water! Sunrise was at 5:52 AM, and we're looking at sunset around 8:58 PM, giving you plenty of daylight hours to reel in some beauties. Let me tell you, the smallmouth bite has really heated up since mid-May. The water temps have climbed into the low 60s, and those bronzebacks have been moving shallow. Pre-spawn activity was strong a couple weeks back, but now we're seeing those fish on beds in many areas, especially in the shallower, warmer bays. Ford's Cove had been slow earlier this month but reports from last week show significant improvement. Metro Beach has been the real hot spot lately, with anglers pulling in good numbers of smallies in the 3-4 pound range. For you bass hunters, try working the nearshore areas along the east side of the bay with artificial baits – they've been hitting hard there. For those targeting walleye, there's been excellent jigging action in front of the casino. Nightcrawler harnesses in orange, red, and gold combinations have been particularly effective. Casting from shore has really taken off recently – anywhere from Marysville all the way down to Marine City should produce. Bait selection has been key this week. There's been a ton of emerald shiners and small smelt in the system, so matching the hatch is your best bet. The Great Lakes Finesse Sneaky Underspin paired with a swimbait has been absolutely crushing it for smallmouth. If you're working clearer, shallower water, switch to the Juvy Craw – it's been a game-changer. Don't sleep on the other species, though. There have been reports of Atlantics in the St. Clair River, and there are still some coho and steelhead hanging around. For those willing to make the drive up to the UP, anglers at Grand Marais have been catching fair numbers of coho and chinook east of the break-wall. Hot spots for today: I'd hit the shallows near Anchor Bay early morning, then move to deeper points as the sun gets higher. The Michigan/Ontario border area has been producing consistently for those drifting with live bait. If I had to pick one spot to try today, it'd be the southern end of Anchor Bay – been hearing whispers of some real hogs coming out of there. Tight lines, everyone! This is Artificial Lure saying "see ya on the water!" This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.