Late Spring Walleye and Smallmouth on Lake Erie and Detroit River

This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Erie–Detroit fishing report. Out on western Lake Erie and the lower Detroit River, we’re sitting on a stable late‑spring pattern. Water temps are running in the upper 60s to low 70s, clear to lightly stained, with visibility better on the main lake and a bit murkier in the river after recent boat traffic and wind. Sunrise is right around 5:55 a.m. with sunset near 9:15 p.m., so you’ve got a long window, but the best bite’s been early and late. Midday has been slower unless you’re fishing deeper humps or current seams. Winds are light to moderate out of the west–southwest, enough to put a chop on the main lake but still very fishable in most small boats. Air temps are climbing through the 70s into the low 80s by afternoon with only spotty cloud cover. With this steady weather, fish are setting up in predictable spots along breaks and edges. This part of Lake Erie isn’t tidal in the ocean sense, but water levels do pulse with wind setup and Great Lakes seiches. When that southwest wind pushes water up, the Detroit River current bumps up and the walleye turn on along the main channels and dumps. Recent chatter from local captains and tackle shops around the Detroit River, Monroe, and Bolles Harbor has been consistent: - Walleye action remains solid, with boats commonly boxing 10–30 eaters on good mornings, plus a few bigger fish mixed in. - Smallmouth bass are active on rock piles and shoals, with plenty of 2–3 pounders and the odd 4–5 pound fish. - Sheepshead and white bass are thick as usual, especially in the river; good for action when the walleye slow down. For walleye, the top producers have been: - Crawler harnesses in chartreuse, purple, and copper blades, trolled 1.1–1.4 mph over 18–28 feet. - Shallow‑diving crankbaits like Flicker Shads and Bandits in clown, firetiger, and natural shad patterns. - In the river, vertical jigging with 3/8–1/2 oz jigs tipped with live emerald shiners or half crawlers, using bright colors in stained water and natural in clear. For smallmouth: - Tube jigs in green pumpkin, goby, and brown over rock and gravel in 8–20 feet. - Ned rigs and drop‑shots with minnow- or goby‑style plastics. - When the wind slicks off, suspending jerkbaits and small swimbaits are taking fish just off rocky points and breakwalls. Live bait of choice right now: emerald shiners, leeches, and nightcrawlers. If you want pure numbers, drag harnesses with crawlers. If you’re chasing bigger smallmouth, stick with plastics and cover some water. A couple of local hot spots to consider: - The dumping grounds and reefs off Luna Pier and the mouth of Brest Bay, working 16–24 feet with harnesses or cranks. - The Trenton Channel and down toward Grosse Ile on the Detroit River, fishing current breaks, seawalls, and the edge of the shipping channel with jigs and live bait. Boat anglers: watch the wind forecast; a stiff west or southwest can build a nasty chop fast. Shore anglers have been pulling a mix of walleye, white bass, and the occasional bronzeback after dark off piers and breakwalls with jigs, minnows, and slip‑float rigs. That’s your on‑the‑water rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn