Late Spring Walleye Limits and Smallmouth Heat on Lake Erie and the Detroit River

This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Erie–Detroit fishing report. We’re coming off a stretch of stable late‑spring weather on western Lake Erie and the lower Detroit River. Nearshore water temps are riding in the mid‑60s to low‑70s, with light south to southwest winds most mornings, picking up a bit in the afternoon. Skies have been partly to mostly clear, which means cooler, active mornings, a slower mid‑day, and a little evening bump as the sun drops. Sunrise is right around the early 5 o’clock hour, with sunset after 9 in the evening, so you’ve got a long window to work with. No real tide here, but wind‑driven seiches and current from the river mouth matter. A light south breeze has been stacking some water and a touch of stain along the Michigan shorelines and around the river plume, which is perfect for walleye and smallmouth—just off‑color enough to make them chew without killing visibility. Walleye action remains the main story. Local captains out of Luna Pier, Bolles Harbor, and around Brest Bay have been boxing easy limits of eaters in the 16–21 inch range, with a steady pick of bigger fish mixed in. Most reports have 20–40 fish days when the wind and boat control cooperate. Out over the deeper flats off Brest Bay and toward the Banana Dike, crawler harnesses behind inline boards have been doing work—1 to 1.3 mph, 1‑ to 2‑ounce weights, and a mix of chartreuse, purple, and gold blades. When mayfly husks are heavy on the surface, slow it down and keep those crawlers just ticking the tops of the marks on your sonar. Crankbait trollers are still getting it done too. Bandits, Flicker Minnows, and Deep Husky Jerks in chrome, lemon drop, and firetiger are solid producers, especially early and late when the fish ride a little higher. Run them 30–80 feet back depending on depth and light level. If you’re a caster, drifting and pitching 3/8‑ to 5/8‑ounce jig heads tipped with emerald shiners or soft plastics in the river channel edges, the dumping grounds, and the reefs is still putting fish in the box. Smallmouth bass are waking up nicely along the rock and rubble from Point Mouillee north toward the mouth of the Detroit River and along the humps and breaks off Stony Point. Anglers have been reporting good numbers of 2–4 pound bronzebacks, with an occasional 5‑plus. Best bets have been tube jigs in green pumpkin, goby‑style plastics, drop‑shot rigs with small minnow‑shaped baits, and 1/4‑ounce hair jigs. Low‑light mornings and evenings around isolated rock piles, current seams, and the edges of grass in 8–18 feet are prime. Perch are spotty but showing in small pods on the deeper breaks and around the old shipping lanes. Those putting in the time are picking off enough for a decent fry—mostly 8–11 inch fish—on spreader rigs with minnows tight to bottom. You’ll do a bit of sorting, but when you find a pod, anchor up quietly and let them come to you. Your best lures right now: - For walleye: crawler harnesses in chartreuse, purple, gold; deep‑diving cranks in natural and bright perch patterns. - For smallmouth: green pumpkin tubes, goby plastics, Ned rigs, and dropshots. - For perch: plain hook or small ice‑style jigs tipped with minnows, fished vertically. A couple of local hot spots to circle on the chart: - The Brest Bay and Banana Dike area: classic late‑spring walleye water with good numbers and a real shot at a big fish. - The rock and current edges near the mouth of the Detroit River on the Michigan side: smallmouth and walleye mixed, especially on calm mornings. That’s the latest from Lake Erie around Detroit. 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