Downriver Fishing Connection

SHORE: Here's a report from Brad: "Fished both Saturday and Sunday...saw no steelhead being caught. Lot's of big walleye's being caught on everything from jig's to crank's. My smallest was 3 lbs. biggest was 5.5 lbs. beware, if your thinking about trying to smuggle your walley catch back home with you; DNR troppers are watching the area." Thanks!

BOAT: It's on!!!!! Lots of walleye being taken from all over the river. Wyandotte area to Great Lakes seems to be producing the most fish. Edison is pretty slow this year. Handlining cranks definitely is working better than jigging.

SHORE: Haven't heard of anything good from shore yet. Perch and gills along the marinas and docks in the Detroit River.

BOAT: All the ramps are open!! A few boats have made it out so far, one being myself. No reported catches of walleye on the river yet, but a few reports near the Bannana Dike. Marked lots of fish in the deeper holes and channels on the river. A few hits but no takers. Many areas of the river are really dirty with only inches of visibility, depending on the wind direction. Perch should still be plentiful in the cross dike area for another week or so. Be sure to launch at the Wyandotte Ramp and pick up a few Stinger Jigs while you're there. www.wbramp.com

SHORE: A few steelies in the Huron according to the DNR. Fished a few days up by the dam and didn't see or catch anything. Might try the holes further downstream

BOAT: Kevin sent in a report: "I called the Lake Erie Metro Park - the ramp is open, with four docks in the water as of 2/27/04."

Finally, back to the soft water! Wyandotte looks like it should be accessible any day now. Rotary Park should be clear by now. It was real close last week.

SHORE: Nothing really good to report from shore. Perch and rockbass along the shore of the Detroit River as usual.

BOAT: The perch fishing is still on, only getting better. The entire area around the crossdike and Sugar Island is loaded with perch. You'll have to move around a little to find the big ones but they're there. Forget the shiners, use crawler chunks.

Walleye: The only thing I've heard in the last two weeks are catches by hand-liners along BASF, some nice ones, and jigging near Great Lakes Steel. No good word from the Lake yet.

SHORE: Reports are that as the water cools, the big pike are staring to return to the Black Lagoon. Spinners, spoons, & buzz baits. Nice bass in there also. Lots of rock bass and perch from Rotary Park in Trenton with crawlers or shiners. Memorial park at Southfield Road has excellent panfish action, wide variety of fish.

BOAT: Forget the prior report of perch south of Grassy Island. Tried it myself, and not worth the time. Near Powderhouse Island is the way to go. DNR says that out near the lighthouse is producing some good numbers of perch. The big walleye should start to move back in anytime, so try trolling near the Ohio border out from Sterling and Bolles.

SHORE:The shore is producing some great action. Perch and rockbass can be found all along most shorelines using minnows or pieces of crawlers. Bass and pike near marinas, inlets, and any other sizeable structures. Spinners are a sure bet for them.

BOAT: Very slow walleye fishing in the river and on Erie. On the plus side, the perch are on definitely here. The area from Stoney Island to the hole-in-the wall are producing limits every day. Still not the best size but there are huge numbers. Same area has some of the best gills and pumpkin seed you'll ever see. South end of Grassy Island has some perch also. Helen reports that the bass are hitting around Grosse Ile on green tubes. The Wyandotte Ramp has some beautiful shiners for those who are having a hard time finding them.

SHORE: Nothing great to report off of shore. Gills biting at Huroc park on wax-worms. Rock bass all along the Detroit River hitting shiners, crawlers, and small jigs. Some nice bass can be found in the bays and cuts along the Detroit River. Pike are hiding near the pillars by docks, piers, and marinas.

BOAT: Livingston Channel is supposed to be the hottest place for walleye on the Detroit River. Jigging, trolling, drifting...all working well. A few walleye left out on Erie. Best spots to try are near the Banana dike or near the Ohio border further south out of Bolles or Brest Bay. Amazing smallmouth fishing lately on Erie. 5 bass, 15# minimum almost every trip. Reed-runner spinners near the various islands in 5-10 FOW. Try to target the areas where the weeds begin to thin out and start getting patchy.

SHORE: Sorry, haven't done much shore fishing lately and haven't received a report for weeks. There is a SUBMIT YOUR REPORT button on top people!!!!

BOAT: Walleye hitting in the river along BASF and Great Lakes. Smaller walleye still in Michigan waters on Erie from the lighthouse to Brest Bay in 15 FOW+. Crawler harnesses on bottom-bouncers or dipsey divers. Great bass fishing on the south end of the islands at the mouth of the Detroit River. Target the edge of the weeds with spinners.

SHORE: Bass fishing is finally starting to turn on. Sizeable smallmouths can be found in the backwaters at Huroc Park and the Black Lagoon. Top-water baits a must.

BOAT: There's still some BIG walleye left in the Detroit River. They can be found along all the drop-offs and small channels in the area. BASF wall and the Sugar Island Channel are sure bets. Trolling harnesses with large bright blades works great. Brest Bay area is still red hot while trolling also. Largemouths still in the River suspended in the channels.

SHORE: Rock bass, silvers, sheephead and some small perch along the Detroit River. Terrible fishing in the Huron River this year so far. Where are the bass?

BOAT: Most of the bigger walleye have moved out into the lakes now. Picked up six trolling crawler harnesses from the Wyandotte Ramp down along BASF. All pretty small, 20" was the biggest. There are some pretty big largemouths in the river right now though. They are suspended in the channels at around 15-17' in 30 FOW. Silvers still in the river hitting on shiners and harnesses.

SHORE: Rockbass are pretty much anywhere you can throw a line in at. A few perch and pike along the shores of the Detroit River. Silvers still in the Detroit River but starting to thin out now. There should be plenty of small and largemouths along the Huron River for the opener.

BOAT: Brest Bay is amazing right now!!! Can't miss. Drifting or preferably trolling crawler harnesses near the bottom is producing many limits of good eating walleye, most in the 18-24" range. Gold blades definitely are working well. Trolling Hot N Tots is another method that is producing good numbers. The walleye in the Detroit River seem to be congregated in all the spots where multiple channels meet like around the Mudd Island, Celeron Island, and Sugar Island areas. The deep water near downtown and right out in front of BASF are good areas also. Handliners are doing the best by far.

SHORE and BOAT: This is a combined report. Spent most of the week slamming the pike at the Black Lagoon on the south end of McLouth Steel on shore and from the boat. Non-stop action if you had the right bait and presentation. I used a silver/purple holographic suspending crankbait. They wouldn't take it unless you were lightly chugging and twitching the lure. The hits came while it was still and suspending. Most of the pike were between 24 - 30" with a few bigger ones in there including the 37" monster I landed. Check it out in the gallery.

Not too many walleye reports this week with the N.E. winds. Only two reports were at Joe Louis and Mudd Island, neither were limits.

SHORE: Huron River- Panfish everywhere downstream(great fishing for the kids). Very few walleye left. Silverbass and suckers still running up near the dam biting on various jigs, crawlers, and shiners. The shiners are a sure bet!!!

Detroit River- Rock bass, gills, perch, and suckers right off shore on jigs, crawlers, and shiners. Walleye, silverbass, and suckers farther out on anything from a jig to crank bait to crawler harnesses. Pike and muskie are in close feeding on those little guys during the day.

BOAT: Walleye are starting to thin out now. In the Detroit river the best spots are the deepest. The Joe Louis area is still hot along with the channel on the east side of Mudd Island for both hand-lining and jigging. The channel in front of BASF has been treating the hand-liners and downriggers(me) well lately. J-plugs worked well for me. In Erie, you can catch just about anything right now. Silvers, perch, rock bass, and walleye on shiners and drifting crawler harnesses. !0 F.O.W plus.

SHORE: Huron River- The runs are starting to slow. Suckers and silver/white bass still running pretty well but the walleye have pretty much moved out. Detroit river and Lake Erie are really good of shore. Panfish are very plentiful and the sizes are picking up. Crawlers will get you some rockbass or bluegill. You'll need shiners or small twisters to bring in the perch. Nice size pike and muskie in the small cuts and shallows. Caught a 30" pike (yellow/white reed-runner spinner)at rotary park in Trenton today along with a dozen or so rockbass(crawler harness).

BOAT: First report for offshore Erie. Perch and more perch!. Excellent luck out near the Detroit lighthouse drifting shiners on bottom in 18+ F.O.W. 30+ per hour. 1-2 miles southeast of the lighthouse was the best area. Wide variety of sizes but no real big jumbos. Occasional silver bass in there. Marked many VERY large fish out there but couldn't get one to bite. Same story, usual spots in the Detroit river for walleye. They have move slightly deeper though. Channels near islands have been good along with BASF.

SHORE: Huron River- Everything is running! Walleye, suckers, silver bass, carp, you name it. Jigs tipped with shiners far outproduce anything else. Jigs with white twisters aren't a bad choice either. Target the small eddy's and break points. All the good action is from the dam down to Telegraph. Rockbass and gills further downstream. If that's your game, bring some leaf worms and the smallest hooks you have.

BOAT: The river is on fire! They're not sluggish anymore. Limits of walleye from Wyandotte north to Joe Louis in the deeper water. Early morning is your best bet. Had some luck myself on the east side of Celeron Island at the mouth of the river(pics in the gallery), jigging and trolling in 7-10 F.O.W..

SHORE: Huron River- The walleye and suckers are still running. Silver/white bass just moving in. All biting on jigs w/grubs or on crawlers. Spotty perch fishing all over the Detroit River.

BOAT: Walleye in all the usual places. Fighting Island and the BASF wall were the best spots this weekend. Nice size(24"+) and very active pike around the hole in the wall. Drifting shiners through the dead vegetation in 5-10 F.O.W.. They were fighting hard and jumping out of the water like bass. Made my day!

April 29, 2003

SHORE: Huron River- Suckers and more suckers. Some pan fish downstream in the slower moving water. Shore fishing is descent all along the Detroit River for walleye and perch. No limits, but you might take a few home for dinner.

BOAT: Edison has really slowed down. Few and far between there. Fighting Island and National Steel (80" mill) are your best bets. The slopes near Mudd Island might be a good spot for the nite-bite.

April 22, 2003

SHORE: Huron River- The runs are in full swing! Suckers running very strong near the dam. Steelhead and walleye there in large numbers also. It's a black fly or pretty much nothing for the steelies. Remember, walleye season re-opens this Saturday on inland waters, and it looks like they will still be there.

Lots of walleye being taken at the foot of Southfield and Jefferson from shore and boat. Perch, rock bass, and gills there also but not the greatest size.

BOAT: Walleye pretty much everywhere. Edison Plant,and the Mudd Island areas are still bringing in the biggest numbers.

Boaters: Please keep in mind and abide by the no wake zones. Please show some respect for your fellow shore anglers, personal property, and the enviroment.

April 17, 2003

SHORE: Huron River- Steelies going pretty good on the bright and sunny days. Small black flies are the key. A report of perch being caught in the back-waters on crawlers.

BOAT: The walleye run is in full swing now!!! Best bet is around the various islands in the area. They have begun to spawn, so most will be found in 5-15ft. of water on rocky areas or areas of dead vegetation. Water temp. was 45 degrees as of 4/16/03.

April 12, 2003

SHORE: A few more steelies here and there in the Huron. Some have moved up to the dam. A few walleye taken off shore on the Detroit River at Southfield and Jefferson.

BOAT: The water is starting to clear up finally. Some walleye were taken today on the south side of Mud Island, around the Edison plant, and in the Trenton Channel. Bright jigs tipped with shiners. No perch reports this weekend, everyone is chasing the walleye.

BOAT: No good news to report. Very few walleye taken today. The water resembled chocolate milk. Someone did take a 13# 6oz. hog though! Should be posted soon at www.wbramp.com/Photo.htm .I myself, did mark quite a few fish in front of Mc Clouth Steel right along the break wall, but no takers. Marked more fish there in 10 minutes than all day elsewhere on the river.

SHORE: Still just sparatic catches of steelies at the Huron. Looks like we'll have to wait and hope for a descent fall run.

BOAT: Nasty weather slowed down the bite and kept most anglers off the water for the last few days. Last reports were of the larger walleye out in front of Fighting Island. Lots of 1-3# eaters from the Edison discharge near the mouth. Bring your bright colors because the water looks like mud in some areas. Perch still near the "hole in the wall" area but the numbers and size are down.

SHORE: Perch hitting from shore all around Grosse Ile and the Gibraltar canals.

BOAT: Nice catches of Walleye all week near National Steel. Bright jigs tipped with walleye shiners. It's starting to pick up at the Edison stacks near the mouth. Hanlining working best in that area. PERCH!!!! Limits of BIG footballs around the "hole in the wall" area. Best bet is south side of the cross-dike in the deeper holes. Pike moving in and out of the same area feeding on the perch. Water temp. is 41 degrees on average. 45 degrees near the discharges.

BOAT: The eyes are here!!!! Limits at the National Steel discharge. Jigs tipped w/ shiners. Limits of perch around the mouth of the Detroit river and Erie area.

SHORE: Reports of crappie in the back-waters of Huroc Park. Small jig under a bobber. Out of season, but the eyes seem to be moving into the river. With the late run, they should still be there for a change when the season reopens.

BOAT: Ice is gone for the 2003 season. Time to fish. No reports for today due to the high winds and cold temps. Once we get by this weekend, it's all over.

BOAT: Trenton Channel all the way to L.Erie was fine all day yesterday. Walleye in the Wyandotte & Ecorse areas. Try the BASF wall or the channels near Mudd and Grassy Islands. Marked quite a few near BASF. Perch in the bays and marinas from the Ambassador out L. Erie. Water temp. is 37 degrees.

SHORE: No significant numbers of steelies in the Huron yet. Best bet is near the Telegraph bridge.

BOAT: Trenton Channel is ice free today. Ramps are clear. I'm goin' fishin' . See you on the water!!!

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Trenton Channel is not clear as of 9AM. The Coast Guard started busting up Lake St.Clair early this morning. Lots of ice in coming down now.

cat all in the Trenton Channel on Saturday and none expected for Sunday with the winds out of the west. Perch everywhere along shore in the marina areas of the Detroit River. Reports of Walleye from the Trenton Channel.

SHORE: Water level is near normal at the Huron river finally. Reports of steelhead still coming from there but they're not running strong yet. Crappie and Perch off shore in the rocky areas of Erie and the Detroit River.

BOAT: Still lots of ice coming down the river. This weekend will probably be real bad as HOPEFULLY St. Clair will finally bust apart.

SHORE: Steelhead are starting to move into the Huron river. Thanks to Rob and congrats again on another nice catch, 8# 8oz. steelie at the Huron river.

BOAT: Trenton's rotary park is launchable!!! Wyandotte by Friday for sure. Any others? Click here and let me know

SHORE: Occasional reports of Walleye by the dam in Huroc Park. Doesn't look like they'll be running before the end of season March 15. Lots of steelhead fisherman in the same area, but no reports.

BOAT: Ready to go! Just wating for a launch to clear. Looks like Rotary Park in Trenton will be the first accesible launch. I would guess Sunday. The others should be ready during the week if the weather holds. Be careful out there of ice jams. I suggest heading north of where you launch and fish your way back south to avoid being trapped by an ice jam.

SHORE/ICE: Reports of perch and pike still coming in from Airport Bay but the numbers are down significantly. An occasional steelhead being caught in the Huron River. Spawn and the various larvae are all working well. Gills offshore at Huroc Park in open water.

SHORE/ICE: Fishing has been really slow over the last week. Very few good reports from Airport Bay and only one report of two walleye caught at Brest Bay. The ice will probably start to become unstable after this week, so BE CAREFUL!

Boat reports are scheduled to resume by the 2nd week in March if the weather cooperates. Send in any reports of boat launches that have thawed and accessible.

SHORE/ICE: Descent fishing at Airport Bay. NICE jumbos, but not even close to enough to limit. Best luck with shiners on 1/16 plain lead teardrops. Keep the bait moving!! Slow at Brest Bay.

SHORE/ICE: Excellent perch fishing at the Airport Bay this weekend. Brest Bay is still producing walleye in 15'+ of water. Lots of action, but few reports on the Gibraltar canals. Shiners, shiners, shiners!!

SHORE/ICE: Walleye reports from Brest Bay sill coming. Some people are have much better luck than others. One shanty might limit, while another shanty 20 yards away gets nothing. Best advice: shiners, good presentation, and BE QUIET!! Perch reported in the deeper Gibraltar canals and still a few reports from Airport Bay. With this "warm" spell for the rest of the week, fishing should be EXCELLENT this weekend. Good luck, stay warm, & be careful.

SHORE/ICE: Consistent reports of walleye from Brest Bay. Some Limits. Med. jigs & jigging rapalas with large shiners. Good 6'+ of ice out near Stoney Point. 8" of ice at the mouth of the Huron . Excellent flat for sunrise & sunset walleye fishing at the park on Jefferson.

SHORE/ICE: Perch seemed to have slowed for now at the Airport bay. Reports still coming in of nice sizes, but quantity is down. Reports of perch in the 8-10" range all up and down the shoreline of the Detroit River in the marinas, bays, and canals. Different areas, different days. Keep moving! Brest bay is still producing walleye in the 10-15' depth range near Stoney Point. If the ice holds, this should be a key spot for the rest of the winter.

SHORE/ICE: Catches of walleye on jigging rapalas tipped w/minnows now being reported from Brest Bay. Be careful, also reports of large stress cracks.

SHORE/ICE: Still hearing pretty good reports from the Airport bay on Grosse Ile, perch 10" and up. The Gibraltar canals are producing perch in the 8-10" range.

Bait report: Wigglers now available at the Wyandotte Boat Ramp. Lots of ice-fishing supplies and bait including pike-chubs.

SHORE/ICE: First report for the year. Safe ice in the bay on the south end of Grosse Ile(behind airport). Reports of NICE size & numbers of perch on shiners. Occasional pike taking the shiners. Reports of perch also behind Wyandotte Hospital & the various marinas along the river. Gills at Lake Erie Metropark on wax-worms and wigglers. Eyes at the banana dike at Pt. Mouilee.

SHORE: Sparatic steelhead runs at the dam on the Huron. Seen some 2ft.+ steelies in the base of the falls. Lots of small ones, under 10". Rock bass and catfish here and there farther downstream. Pike and muskie at the bay next to McLouth steel. BIIIIG ONES!!! Right off shore at the northern point of the bay. Cast N.E. because there is a 19ft. drop-off about 20 yards out.

BOAT: Only thing to report is the same as above next to McLouth. Find the drop-offs, several right off shore,with a finder and stick close to them.

SHORE: Salmon and steelhead in the Huron by the dam. Spawn on bobbers seem to be the key. Rock bass and smallmouths around the I-75 area.

BOAT: Perch on crawlers and shiners from the "hole in the wall" south to the lighthouse. Smaller fish but larger groups in the shallows(5-10ft.) Monster jumbos in 15 ft.+ but far between. No walleye really biting anywhere!

SHORE: Catfish in the Huron by I-75 biting on crawlers. Bass in the Detroit river at the foot of Southfield rd. Same story...biting on crawlers.

BOAT: Lots of perch in large schools around the islands in the mouth of the Detroit River. Shiners and crawlers. Walleye in the Trenton Channel. Big groups moving through, but hard to catch. Silver bass in Erie by the lighthouse. 15 feet of water plus on crawlers. Perch, walleye, & silvers in the shipping channels by the lighthouse in Erie. Crawler harnesses on bottom bouncers!

SHORE: Rock bass, gills, & smallmouths hitting in the Huron River. Worms for the Rock bass and gills. Smallmouths hitting on buzz and spinner baits. The boat launch just downstream from Telegraph & the park by I-75 were the hotspots.

BOAT: THEY'RE BACK!!!! Walleye moving back into the Detroit River. Trenton Channel seems to be the best area to try. Plain lead jigs w/crawlers or crawler harnesses work well. Perch near "The Hole in the wall" in the 10ft. channel going to Sugar Island. They are moving quickly now to deeper water. Try anywhere in the mouth area in 8ft.+. Hitting shiners, but crawlers seem to work best.

SHORE: Not much to report. Huron River water-level is too low, Detroit River has too many weeds, & Erie is pretty shallow and also has too many weeds near shore.

BOAT: Lots of perch scattered all through out Erie. Best luck in 15 ft.+ of water. The shipping channels near the lighthouse are hot-spots. YOU MUST FISH THE BOTTOM!! Great luck with crawler harnesses on a bottom bouncer. BIG rock bass everywhere in The Detroit River and Erie. !6-18" small & largemouth bass in Erie. Far between, but BIG.

SHORE: Nothing to report except carp & gills biting off shore almost anywhere you go. Bass are hunkered down in structures, so you'll have to work to find them.

BOAT: The perch are back!!! Descent size schools hanging around in lake Erie. The hot spot was about half-way between Pt. Mouilee & the light house. Try to drift north and south. Five hours of nonstop fish. For those of you who like Silver bass... Even more of them in the same area! Caught some 5 pound+ silvers. Crawlers were the only bait the perch would take. Did not touch one shiner all day.

SHORE: August is the slowest for shore fishing of all the warmer months. Catches of game fish will be few and far between. Only report is from the Huron river. Nice bluegill biting on wax worms. Throw you line in, wait 3 seconds and you have a gill. I definitely recommend using a treble hook smaller than the wax worms. Can't miss!!! HUGE carp biting on bread balls in Huroc park. Almost lost a pole 2 days in a row. Went swimming one day. The big boys(30# +)are running right down the middle of the river in the park. Ever battle a 30# carp? Nothing better. Hold on tight!!!

BOAT: No report untill tomorrow. Fishing for walleye Friday night in the Detroit River. Perch in Erie Saturday. Check back each day for the update.

SHORE: Perch here and there off shore in the Detroit river and Erie. Shiners and crawlers work best. Bass picking back up in the Huron.

BOAT: Weeds are gone for now in Erie. Walleye, perch & BIG bass by the light house. Drifting with crawlers & plastics. So many fish, the screen on the finder was filled for 1/2 hour. No luck in the shipping channels in the river.

SHORE: Smaller size bass being caught in the Huron river. The water level is up at least 8" in the last week so most of the fish have changed feeding areas. The dams are flowing too fast for the fish to hang on the pillars so try the areas where the water just starts to slow. Lots of bluegill right off shore in Huroc park for the kids. Note: If you can't find any bluegill in an area there is a good chance a bass or pike is nearby!!! Carp and sheephead off shore in the Detroit river on corn and crawlers. A little off the mark, but Belleville lake is supposed to be a hotspot for bass & walleye right off shore.

BOAT: One word.....WEEDS!!! Went all the way out to the light house in Erie and nothing but suspended weeds. No downrigging in Michigan waters on Erie. Perch being caught on the tips of the islands in the mouth and in front of Erie metropark on minnows. Walleye in the Detroit river at BASF & in the shipping channels. Some luck downrigging with a large perch look-alike rapala about 20 ft. down in the 30 ft. area of the Trenton channel.