Late May Walleye, Perch, and Steelhead Bonanza on Lake Erie and Detroit River

This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Erie and Detroit area fishing report for Wednesday, May 28, 2025. The past week has seen the fishing action pick up nicely as we push into late May, with water temperatures holding steady in the mid-50s. Sunrise hit at 5:59 AM this morning, and sunset will be around 8:59 PM, giving us long daylight hours to work the water. Tides are not a major factor here, but wind and current continue to play their usual tricks, so keep an eye out for changing conditions during the day.

The walleye bite is still going strong throughout Lake Erie and the Detroit River. Most fish are running in the three to five pound range, but a few trophies have been landed—there was even a recent 14-pound steelhead caught just outside the Detroit River mouth last week. Walleye are holding from 14 to 24 feet of water, with the best action coming on brighter colored crankbaits and crawler harnesses. Trolling speeds of 1.2 to 1.8 mph have been producing the most consistent catches. Early morning and dusk have seen the hottest bite windows.

Perch schools are starting to bunch up closer to shore. If you are targeting perch, look for them near rocky structure and breakwalls in 12 to 18 feet of water. A simple drop-shot rig with live minnows or soft plastics tipped with a bit of worm has been the top producer. There’s also an uptick in smallmouth bass activity, especially around Grosse Ile and the mouth of the river, with fish going for tube jigs and jerkbaits.

Trout and salmon anglers are finding some action in deeper basins of the lake, with silver spoons and larger crankbaits turning heads. While numbers aren’t as high as earlier in May, a few big ones are still around.

For those looking for a couple of hot spots, try fishing the mouth of the Detroit River, especially along the edges of the shipping channel or just offshore from Wyandotte. Another proven spot is the dumping grounds off Stony Point—walleye and perch are both stacking up here right now.

The best lures this week have been chartreuse or purple deep-diving crankbaits, natural-color jigs, and crawler harnesses with blades in firetiger or gold. For bait, you can’t go wrong with nightcrawlers for walleye or live emerald shiners for perch.

Weather today is partly cloudy with light winds out of the southwest, staying mild all day—perfect for a long session on the water. As always, keep safety in mind, check your local regulations, and good luck out there. Tight lines from Artificial Lure!

Recent catch reports: Walleye limits are coming easy most mornings and evenings, perch numbers are solid with good size, and the occasional trophy steelhead or smallmouth is in the mix. That’s your local Lake Erie and Detroit River report for today.

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

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