Lake St. Clair Late-Fall Fishing Report: Smallies, Muskie & More

Artificial Lure here—your boots-on-the-bank source for what’s biting around Lake St. Clair, Michigan this chilly Wednesday, November 19, 2025. We woke up to brisk southwest winds pushing 15 knots, chopping up the water with 2-foot rollers and pulling gray clouds off the marsh. Surface temps are cooling—water’s about 53°F, with air closer to 46°F, and wind chill clocking just below 40°F, so bundle up out there. After some overnight rain, water levels are slightly elevated, but clarity is hanging in at 3 feet outside the main channel. No tidal swings to worry about, but levels are still showing a touch high thanks to last week’s downpours. Sunrise rolled in at 7:27 a.m. and sunset will land early at 5:09 p.m. The late-fall daylight’s short, so time your trip for peak bites: local solunar time charts show best action between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m., and again late afternoon near sunset. Fish seem to be responding best mid-morning as the water inches above freezing. The story this week is classic late-fall transition. Smallmouth bass are leading the charge. Metro Beach breaklines and the mouth of the Clinton River are packing solid numbers. Plenty of 3–4 lb smallies reported and easy limits for those dialed into the pattern. Tubes in goby or natural shades have dominated, with jerkbaits in ghost minnow and flashy finishes producing, especially under those overcast skies—Major League Fishing pro Jonathon VanDam swears by jerkbaits in this bite window. Swimbaits in the 3.5" class and new Berkley soft glide baits also had a good showing, according to Sports Illustrated’s bass division. Muskie freaks—don’t hang up the rods yet! Anchor Bay’s north weed edge drift fired up earlier this week, with one crew netting seven muskie in a single outing, the largest pushing 46 inches. Most came on rubber paddle tails and big jerkbaits sporting perch and shad patterns. As water temps slide, focus on slow trolling along weed beds between 10 and 15 feet deep. Bull Dawgs and fire tiger crankbaits worked best if the sun peeks through mid-afternoon. With cooling water, this is a prime window before winter shutdown. Walleye and perch are a reliable fallback. The vertical jig bite around Strawberry Island and the main shipping channel picked up. Chartreuse blade baits and chrome jigs tipped with emerald shiners got action for keeper walleyes. Perch counts are down from October, but the bigger slabs are still around South Channel drops—if you’re patient. Always tip your perch rigs with a lively emerald shiner for best results. For lures, keep it natural: tubes and jerkbaits in goby for smallmouth, medium paddle baits and big soft plastics for muskie, and metallic blade baits for those walleye. Live emerald shiners are the top pick for bait on perch and walleye rigs. Bass remain aggressive—if the bite slows, switch to spy baits like the Duo Realis Spinbait 80 for a finesse approach; fish slow and steady to keep those trebles pinned. Two hot spots this week: - **Metro Beac This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.