Lake St. Clair Fishing Report: Bass, Panfish, and Walleye Bites in Unsettled Conditions

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your local fishing report for Lake St. Clair on Sunday, May 11, 2025.

We’ve had a week of unsettled weather—high winds rolled through, kicking up the water and making things muddy in a lot of the usual smallmouth haunts. That has slowed smallmouth bass catch rates a bit, but folks are still pulling in fish, especially in the middle of Anchor Bay, Big Muskamoot Bay, and over in Ford Cove, with most of the action coming in shallow, around 5 to 7 feet of water. With these conditons, darker colored lures seem to be the ticket, but green and yellow have also been hot[5][1].

For you panfish fans, bluegill and crappie are biting on live bait in Ford Cove, and crappie are being caught from the canals near Selfridge. If you’re after walleye, the bite is decent in front of the Metropark—trolling crawler harnesses has been key. Those going after largemouth bass in the canals near Selfridge are doing very well, with bass hitting just about anything you throw at them[5].

Water temps are holding steady thanks to the lack of any serious cold fronts in the forecast. Water clarity is up and down depending on where the wind blew last, so you may want to try searching for clearer patches if you’re not getting bites.

The weather is mild today, with a gentle breeze and highs expected in the upper 60s to low 70s. Sunrise was at 6:06 am and sunset will be at 8:44 pm, so there’s a full day of fishing ahead. No tidal swings here, just keep an eye on any afternoon wind if you’re heading out in a smaller boat.

Here are a couple of hot spots to try today: Anchor Bay in 5 to 7 feet is still holding fish, especially if you’re chasing smallmouth. Big Muskamoot Bay and Ford Cove are both producing well for a mix of species. If you like working canals, the Selfridge area is a sure bet for bass and panfish[5][1].

Best lures right now are darker soft plastics and crankbaits for bass, while green and yellow jigs can also produce. For panfish, try live bait like worms or minnows. Walleye are hitting on crawler harnesses trolled slowly in the Metropark area.

That’s the report for today—good luck out there, and remember, the early angler often beats the wind. Tight lines!