Memorial Day Lake Erie Fishing Report - Walleye, Perch, and Bonus Catches Abound

This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Erie and Detroit area fishing report for Sunday, May 25, 2025.

We kicked off this morning with a classic Great Lakes sunrise at 5:59 am, and anglers are already out taking advantage of the glassy surface before the winds pick up. Forecast for today calls for mostly sunny conditions and temps in the low to mid-70s. Light to moderate southwest winds are expected this afternoon. No tidal swings to worry about, but watch for changing wind patterns since that’s what really moves the bait and fish around our part of Lake Erie.

The water temperatures have climbed nicely into the low 60s, which has turned up the fish activity across the system. Walleye action continues to heat up. Last week saw solid limits coming in, especially from packs working the Michigan waters east of the Detroit River and around Brest Bay. Most fish are running 3 to 5 pounds, but there was a surprise 14-pound steelhead landed near Bolles Harbor just a few days ago. Perch are starting to slide closer to shore, and if you’re patient, you can find some decent buckets in the weed edges near Pointe Mouillee. There’s also been some bonus white bass and an occasional pike mixed in, especially when working the river mouths.

Best baits right now for walleye are deep-diving crankbaits in bright chartreuse, firetiger, and purple patterns, trolled slow and steady at 1.2 to 1.5 mph. If you’re jigging, use 3/8 to 1/2 ounce jigs tipped with emerald shiners or soft plastics. Early risers have been rewarded, as the bite tapers after mid-morning once the sun gets higher. For perch, try live minnows or small drop-shot rigs with natural color plastics just off bottom in 8 to 12 feet.

Hot spots to check out today are the waters off Fermi Power Plant for walleye and the weed beds and channel edges near Sugar Island for perch and white bass. The Detroit River has been a bit muddy following last week’s rain, but clarity is improving and the fish will move back in thick as it clears up.

Sunset is at 8:59 pm, so there’s plenty of time to get your limit and enjoy a little evening action. Remember, conditions can turn quick if the wind shifts, so keep an eye to the west and don’t be shy about moving with the schools.

That’s your Lake Erie, Detroit local report from Artificial Lure. Tight lines, and I’ll see you on the water.

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

This episode includes AI-generated content.