Late Season Bronzebacks and Walleye Bonanza on Lake St. Clair

Artificial Lure here with your Lake St. Clair fishing report for Saturday, November 1, 2025. Fall’s in full swing, and let me tell ya, it’s a great time to be on the water if you love chasing big bronzebacks or late-season walleye. First, the weather: We’ve got a crisp start this morning, with overnight lows dipping into the upper 30s and highs today barely nudging past the mid-40s. A stiff breeze out of the northwest, around 10 to 15 knots, will keep things just a hair bumpy, plus expect partly cloudy skies and maybe a spit of light rain as we push past noon. According to the National Weather Service, sunrise hit at 8:12 AM and we’ll see the sun drop at 6:20 PM — that gives us a pretty tight bite window with this short fall day. For water conditions, while tides don’t impact the Great Lakes, wind-driven seiches do create a subtle push-pull on bays and flats here, so keep your eye on changing water levels, especially around the Metropark and Anchor Bay. Now, let’s talk fish. The smallmouth bass are still hot, fattening up for winter, though getting a little pickier. Veteran locals and guides report solid numbers of four- and five-pound fish in the catch this week, with the random six and seven tossing up some drag. Don’t be shocked by reports of “30-pound bags” getting thrown around; that’s five-fish tourney talk, and it’s legit this time of year. If you want a trophy, now’s still prime time. The magic baits lately? Small, natural-colored swimbaits like the Megabass Dark Sleeper and Strike King Rage Swimmer have been getting crushed, especially when you work ‘em slow near rocky humps and drop-offs. Drop shots and tubes — think goby patterns, brown and green pumpkin — are still scoring. And don’t overlook suspending jerkbaits like the Rapala Husky Jerk for that start-stop action, especially on those brighter afternoons. A light line is key; with that ultra-clear water, a 6- to 8-pound fluorocarbon leader helps fool these spooky St. Clair smallies. Now, for the walleye folks: November means trolling crankbaits is king. Anglers are running Rapala Deep Husky Jerks or Bandit Walleye lures, working that 8- to 15-foot channel down near the mouth of the Detroit River, and up along the Canadian shore. Keep those speeds low—1.0 to 1.3 mph—with tight action stickbaits in natural shad or perch colors, especially in that colder (below 50°F) water. Locals reporting best results from dusk into dark, and some night action around the spillway. A few perch are still staging off the weed edges out in Anchor Bay, and there’s whispers of good mixed bags with fat fish up to a foot long when you can find ‘em. Emerald shiners on perch rigs are working if you strike out on bass. Hot Spots you don’t wanna skip today: - **Mile Roads (9 to 12 Mile, especially drifted across the mid-depth sand breaks)** - **Belle River Hump—it’s notorious right now for both numbers and size, but expect company.** - **Anchor Bay weed edges for late perch and bonus largemouth.** Rememb This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.