Artificial Lure here with your Lake Erie, Detroit fishing report for Sunday, September 21st, 2025.
Today brought a balmy start with mostly sunny skies rolling in, highs hitting the low 80s, and south winds steady at 10 to 15 mph. The water’s still holding in the lower 70s, making for pleasant boat runs and encouraging fish activity. Sunrise came at 7:16 AM and you’ll have till about 7:32 PM for daylight action, so there’s plenty of time to wet a line. A heads-up for afternoon and evening anglers: there’s a slight shot at thunderstorms, mostly rolling in late, but waves will stay friendly at one foot or less, so it’s safe running out to the usual haunts, according to the National Weather Service out of Cleveland.
September means the transition bite is in full swing and fish are spreading out from their summer haunts. This weekend saw solid numbers of yellow perch around the southern end of Lake Erie and up the Detroit River. Reports from Saturday had kids and adults alike getting in on the action—including one story of an eight-year-old landing perch and a couple of keeper walleye just upstream of Wyandotte, with her first perch bite coming on a standard minnow rig, as relayed by the Michigan Sportsman Forum.
Walleye catches are still coming on the edges of deeper water, especially near Ecorse and the mouth of the Detroit River. Some boats are still pulling them trolling—eight-color lead core with crankbaits like Bandits and Flicker Minnows in firetiger and blue chrome have been money, especially as the sun gets overhead. For perch, minnows on spreaders or drop-shot rigs remain the local favorite, with most fish holding just off bottom around weed beds and rocky humps.
Smallmouth bass have picked up around the south-pier rocks and in the shipping channel out near the Grosse Ile bridges. Try Ned rigs in natural hues or downsized tube jigs—match the goby and you’ll fool some bigger bronze backs.
If you’re after sheepshead, white bass, or the odd channel cat, just hang a crawler on a slip sinker below the bridges and you’ll keep rods bent all afternoon.
Best bait right now is without a doubt live emerald shiners for perch, crawlers or leeches for walleye, and soft plastics if you’re casting for bass. If you’re on artificial, don’t overlook a classic silver-blue jigging spoon for jigging up those mixed bags.
Two hot spots to check before the next cold front:
- **Wyandotte’s weed edges**—for a real mixed bag, from perch to walleye and the occasional crappie.
- **Sugar Island channel edges**—especially early morning before the boat traffic ramps up; give those bass tubes a try right up against the rocks.
Tidal swings are minimal on Lake Erie but pay attention to wind-driven currents, especially with the southerly flow today—drift presentations have been productive and can cover ground for both walleye and perch.
That’s what’s happening today on the water. Big congrats to the kiddos getting their first perch and to all those still finding quality walleye.
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