"Walleye Blitz on Lake Erie and Detroit River - Fishing Report for April 18, 2025"

This is Artificial Lure checking in with your Friday, April 18, 2025, fishing report for Lake Erie and the Detroit River.

Let’s start with the weather. Today expect mostly cloudy skies, with a high around 46 degrees and a steady north wind at 10 to 12 knots. Waves on Lake Erie and the Detroit River should stay less than a foot, so it’ll be plenty comfortable for most boats, but pack your layers since it’s cool and the water temp is hovering right around 42–48 degrees depending on where you’re at[6][10]. Sunrise is at 6:51 AM and sunset will hit at 8:18 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to hit the water.

Fishing action is peaking — we’re at the heart of the walleye run. Roughly 14 million walleye are pushing up the Detroit River right now, making this one of the best runs in years. Anglers are reporting easy limits if you get there early, especially in the stretch from Belle Isle down to Fighting Island[7]. East of Stony Point on Lake Erie in about 18 feet of water, walleye are still on the bite with consistent catches on artificial swim baits and crankbaits[2].

Jigging is still the go-to technique on the Detroit River. Use a medium-heavy rod and pair braided line with a half to one ounce jig, adjusting size for water depth. Some of the best color combos right now are gold, silver-and-blue, and natural goby patterns. The Wand Dot minnow on a gold jig, silver-blue Lunker City baits, and worm-style soft plastics are all getting hit. With the invasion of goby in recent years, goby-profile plastics are out-fishing many traditional baits, so don’t be afraid to try a brown or dark green goby imitation if the water’s clear. In dirtier water, go darker or more opaque. Tipping your jig with a live minnow or running a stinger hook is putting more fish in the boat, especially in the current. Troll crankbaits if you’re out toward the Erie islands, especially Husky Jerks and Reef Runners in off-colored water[1][5][8].

A couple of today’s hotspots:
- The Belle Isle Bridge area for heavy walleye concentrations, especially at first light[7].
- The mouth of the Detroit River east of Stony Point, and Turtle Island near Luna Pier are producing on Erie[2].

Besides walleye, a few perch are turning up near Turtle Island on blade baits, and look for smallmouth bass to start getting active between Memorial Park and 9 mile, especially on sunny afternoons when the water warms a degree or two[2][4].

All in all, it’s a phenomenal week to be out. The walleye run is in full swing, and the bite will stay hot as long as water temps are in the 40s. Get out there, stay safe, and let the nets fly. Good luck from Artificial Lure.

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

This episode includes AI-generated content.