Smallmouth Bass Surge in Lake St. Clair, Walleye Action Heats Up Amid Varied Temperatures

LAKE ST. CLAIR FISHING REPORT - May 14, 2025

Hey there, anglers! Artificial Lure here with your mid-May fishing report for beautiful Lake St. Clair.

The lake is really heating up, both literally and figuratively! Water temperatures have been quite varied across the lake, with readings around 60 degrees along the mile roads in the southern portions, while the northern areas up by Muskimoot are still running cooler in the low 50s or upper 40s[1]. This temperature differential is creating a unique situation where we've got smallmouth bass in all stages of spawn.

Speaking of smallmouth, they've been the star of the show lately. While there was a bit of a slowdown reported in early May near Memorial Park and the 9 Mile area[3], that's changing fast with our recent warm weather. The pre-spawn movement has been in full swing, with many fish staging in shallow water[5]. I expect with today's temperatures, they'll be extremely active.

Walleye action is also picking up nicely, according to recent reports[4]. These toothy predators are starting to feed more aggressively as the water warms.

For those targeting smallmouth, light line and finesse tactics in shallow water have been producing results. The Great Lakes Finesse 2.5" Juvy Craw has been a hot bait, with tube jigs also accounting for some bigger fish[5]. I'd also recommend trying drop shots with goby imitations in 8-15 feet of water along weed edges.

Some hot spots to check out today include the area near the 9 Mile Road access, Memorial Park shorelines, and if you're up for a bit of a run, the shallows near Muskimoot are worth exploring as those cooler waters start to warm up. With our recent warm spell, I'd focus on areas where you can find that magic 55-60 degree water.

With the bass in various spawn stages, you'll likely find some still spawning, plenty staging to spawn, and even a few post-spawn fish moving to secondary structure[1]. This weekend's warm forecast should trigger a major spawning movement, so get out there while you can!

Remember to respect the resource, practice catch and release on those spawning smallies, and take plenty of pictures of your trophies. The fish are there for the taking if you put in the time and effort.

Tight lines and see you on the water!

Artificial Lure