Lake Erie Detroit Fishing Report November 19, 2025: Walleye Bonanza, Perch and Smallmouth Bites

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Erie, Detroit fishing report for Wednesday, November 19, 2025.

Weather’s starting off mild and calm, with high pressure dominating the region. According to the National Weather Service Cleveland, expect light winds all day, northeast 5–10 knots tapering off to near calm toward afternoon and waves holding at one foot or less. Overcast skies are rolling in, so grab that rain gear if you’re headed out late. Sunrise hit the water at about 7:23 AM, and sunset is at 5:10 PM. Tidal action today is a non-factor for Erie, but the bite’s aligning with the solunar major feed windows around 6:43-8:43 AM and again from 6:57-8:57 PM, as FishingReminder points out. The first quarter moon overhead is always good news for night walleye chasers.

Walleye are the stars right now. "Lake Erie, Detroit Fishing Report Today" called it a veritable bonanza the past two days with locals boating reliable limits, especially off the Detroit River shipping channel and near the Saint Aubin Marina. Most reports are solid for 14-18 inchers, with a few topping 22. Follow the contour breaks and look for bait clouds—the big girls are cruising edges.

Yellow perch catches were spotty but improving east of Belle Isle and near Erma Henderson Marina by midday. Perch are schooling deeper, favoring 18–22 feet. Smallmouth bass are less active but a good bet midday; try Memorial Park Marina’s breakwalls for numbers, with fish up to 4 pounds. You might run into a stray steelhead cruising the river mouths, especially if you’re tossing spoons early.

Top baits are no surprise: bright blade baits (gold or chartreuse) and 3-4 inch swimbaits in shad or perch colors have been winning for walleye. If you’re trolling, stick with deep-diving crankbaits like Reef Runners. Perch are responding best to emerald shiners on drop-shot rigs, but if you’re running artificial, try small Gulp! minnows—sweeten the deal with a little scent, as Captain Mike Schoonveld recommends. For smallmouth, drop-shot finesse plastics in green pumpkin or black are the local standby; tube jigs around rocky transitions are also drawing strikes.

Here’s today’s **hot spots**:
- **Saint Aubin Marina**: Best for morning walleye and lots of shore access.
- **Erma Henderson Marina**: Producing mixed bags of perch and smallmouth, especially for boaters with electronics.
- **Shipping channel near Belle Isle**: Deep trolling near structure for larger walleye after sunrise.

Boat traffic’s light—most die-hards are finding fish suspended, so don’t be afraid to try mid-water columns if bottom’s quiet. Early birds have the best odds.

That’s it for today’s Lake Erie, Detroit fishing report. Thanks for listening, and make sure to subscribe for your daily update. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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