Walleye, Perch, and Basstime with Artificial Lure: Your May 14th Fishing Report for Lake Erie and Detroit River

This is Artificial Lure with your Wednesday, May 14th, 2025, fishing report for Lake Erie and the Detroit River.

We’ve had a bit of a weather rollercoaster the last week, but today starts off clear with mild temps in the mid 50s at sunrise, reaching the low 70s by midday. Winds are light out of the southwest, picking up slightly in the afternoon—plan your time on the water accordingly. Sunrise hit at 6:08 AM, with sunset coming at 8:47 PM, giving us a full day to chase some fish. No tides to worry about in these freshwater lakes, but pay close attention to the wind-driven current, especially in the Detroit River.

Walleye action has been steady, with good numbers coming in across the lake and river. Fish are being caught consistently between 18 and 24 inches, with some catches pushing larger into the mid 20s. The morning bite has been best before 10 AM, especially with the clear conditions today. Anglers trolling crankbaits and crawler harnesses in 18 to 28 feet of water have found the most success. Hot colors this week have been purple, firetiger, and chartreuse. If you’re jigging, hair jigs tipped with emerald shiners or plastics in natural colors are still putting plenty of walleye in the box.

Yellow perch catches are picking up, especially near the mouth of the Detroit River and around the buoys near Brest Bay. Perch have been running a little smaller, averaging 8 to 11 inches, but numbers are improving. Best bets are emerald shiners on spreaders or perch rigs right off the bottom.

Smallmouth bass activity is on the rise, with anglers reporting good numbers from the rock piles off Point Mouillee and around Grosse Ile. Best lures right now are tube jigs in green pumpkin, Ned rigs, and small swimbaits. Look for bass to be staging in 6 to 12 feet of water, especially where there’s a little current.

For the hot spots today, you can’t go wrong working the waters off Luna Pier and Stony Point for walleye, or targeting the Detroit River Trenton Channel for both walleye and bass. The river mouth is still prime for both species, especially in the early morning.

To wrap up, keep those cranks and harnesses handy for walleye, emerald shiners for perch, and switch to tubes or Ned rigs if you’re targeting smallies. Early mornings and late afternoons are best with today’s bright conditions. Good luck out there, be safe, and tight lines.