"Stellar Smallies and Walleye Wallop: Fishing Report for Lake St. Clair, Michigan"

Good morning from Lake St. Clair—this is Artificial Lure with your September 6th, 2025 local fishing report coming to you from the heart of Michigan’s legendary bass waters. We kicked off the day with a **sunrise at 6:58 a.m.** and we’ll see the sun set at **7:58 p.m.** The air’s crisp—with temps near 66°F, water holding at 68°F. Winds are up a touch, blowing SW around 12 knots, making for a little bit of chop out on the big lake, but nothing you shouldn’t handle if you’re set up right. Wave height’s sitting at a manageable one foot per the National Data Buoy Center, so mid-sized boats and kayaks are all in play. No real "tides" here in the Great Lakes, but keep an eye on wind-driven water movements; southwest winds stacked up water along the Metro Beach shoreline this morning, so look for active bait and feeding fish working those edges. Fish activity is solid—early September means prespawn **smallmouth bass** are staging up and smashing bait. Local anglers have been putting up numbers on fat bass up to 5 pounds, especially working deeper breaks and rocky humps off Grosse Pointe and the Mile Roads. This past week also saw solid reports for **walleye**, with most success coming early and late; crankbaits like Bandits put plenty of eyes in the box according to area bait shops and Michigan DNR updates. **Yellow perch** have been a bit finicky, but if you get into a pod, drop-shot rigs with minnows or hellgrammites have filled buckets near the channels. Hot baits for today: - **Crankbaits** (chrome/blue and perch patterns) have been excellent for both bass and walleye. - **Tube jigs** and **drop-shot rigs** (especially with green pumpkin or goby-colored soft plastics) are turning numbers on smallmouth. - For perch, keep it classic—**live emerald shiners** or **hellgrammites**. Larry Smith Outdoors even recommends hellgrammites as a secret weapon. - If you’re chasing big largemouth in the weedy bays, buzzbaits and spinnerbaits have been producing, especially worked underneath docks or pads before mid-morning. There’s been a steady mix of catches: - Most boats targeting bass are hitting **limits of smallmouth**, with some largemouth showing up in the canal mouths and marinas. - **Perch** catches are scattered but improving in the Metro Beach and Harley Ensign areas. - A handful of **northern pike** and **bonus muskies** were brought in from Anchor Bay—try a big swimbait or jerkbait if you’re musky hunting. For the best shot at action, check out these **hot spots**: - **Mile Roads (9 to 12 Mile marks)**: Submerged rock and sand are prime for smallies and perch. - **Metro Beach/Black Creek area**: Good mixing basin for baitfish, perfect for multi-species action. - **St. Clair River mouth**: Awesome for walleye and big pike when the current’s running. Local tip—beat the crowds by launching before 7 a.m., and don’t sleep on midday slow drags along drop-offs for churned-up bass after boat traffic dies down. Thanks for tuning in to your Lake This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.