Lake St. Clair Late Fall Fishing Bonanza - Trophy Smallies, Perch, and Walleye Abound

Artificial Lure here with your Lake St. Clair Michigan fishing report for Monday, November 17th, 2025, coming at you live just after sunrise. Folks, it’s classic late fall action—sunrise hit at 7:27 am with sunset expected at 5:17 pm, so there’s less daylight for chasing that monster bronzeback. Make the most of those daylight hours, especially with the chilly air this morning sitting at 46 degrees and a stiff east wind blowing around 15 knots, as recorded by NOAA buoy 45147. Expect a wind chill in the upper 30s and waves running close to two feet on the main lake. Water’s still holding at about 53 degrees—cool enough to get your hands numb but warm enough to keep the fish in a feeding mood. Primary bite windows are stacked nicely—minor activity kicking off right now through 9 am, then a strong midday push from about 12:15 to 2:15 pm, and a last light minor flurry tonight 5:30 to 7:30 pm. With this new moon phase, everything from bass to perch to the odd walleye have their feed bags on, so work those natural presentations when the sun hangs low and the wind picks up. Recent catches have made headlines—just last week, a Harrison Township angler pulled in a 7 lb 4 oz smallmouth, released right at the boat. Major League Fishing crew reports huge numbers as well: the top pair had 46 keeper smallies for more than 70 pounds in a single session, plus some bonus drum and scattershot walleye mixed in. There’s no shortage of fish right now if you put your time in. On baits and tackle, drop-shotting is king. A 3.5-inch Baby Z-Too or Dream Shot in natural shad or green pumpkin, nose-hooked, is the ticket for covering both deep and shallow structure. Kevin VanDam likes the drop-shot for those ambiguous weedlines near the drop-offs, and for working the rock piles off the main channels. Tube jigs (think green pumpkin or purple smoke) are taking big fish off the basin and flats, especially slow-rolled along the bottom. Yamamoto Senkos (wacky-rigged), Ned rigs, and finesse worms will also steal bites late in the day as the water finally clears up after last week’s wind. Spinnerbaits in black or chartreuse are clutch, especially when the wind pushes baitfish into the shallows. Live bait guys are dialing in jumbo perch and bonus walleye on emerald shiners and larval baits rigged simply, fished close to deeper current breaks or the channel drop. As for the hot spots, Jefferson Beach Marina is still the bank angler’s best friend for both perch and smallmouth, with baitfish stacking up around the rocky points. L’Anse Creuse Bay has turned up the best bags this week—try working weed edges and rocky drops for a real mixed bag and maybe your fish of a lifetime. Campau Bay out further is a perch haven right now and holds bonus walleye after dark when the boat traffic dies down. Be sure to check those Michigan DNR rules before heading out—nothing spoils a good catch quite like a ticket. Keep an eye for fast-moving weather—cold fronts can come in quick this time of y This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.