Detroit River Walleye Limits and Perch Schools Firing in Early May

About this episode

The episode discusses the current fishing conditions and catches in the Detroit River, focusing on walleye and perch in early May.

Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your Lake Erie angling guru, comin' at ya from the Detroit River shores on this fine early May mornin', May 2nd, 2026. Water's risin' with the spring swell—no real tides here on the Great Lakes, but the Detroit River's pushin' steady at about 1.2 knots southeast per NOAA's river gauge, makin' for prime driftin' conditions. Weather's cooperatin' beautiful: NOAA forecasts partly cloudy skies, temps climbin' from 52°F mornin' chill to a comfy 68°F afternoon, light 5-10 mph westerlies, and just a 20% chance of a stray shower. Sunrise hit at 6:17 AM, sunset's 8:42 PM—plenty of light for a full day on the water. Fish are wakin' up hungry! Recent angler logs from Michigan DNR and Ohio DNR show walleye tearin' it up, with limits of 5-8 pounders boatin' daily near the shipping channel—over 200 reported last week alone. Perch schools are thick, yellows runnin' 10-12 inches by the hundreds, and smallmouth bass hittin' aggressive on points, some pushin' 4 pounds. Channel cats addin' night action, haulin' in 15-20 pounders. For lures, crankbaits like Rapala Shad Raps in perch or firetiger are killin' walleye—troll 'em 1.5-2.5 mph at 10-20 feet. Jerkbaits…

People in this episode

Host: Artificial Lure

Topics covered

• fishing
• walleye
• perch
• Detroit River
• angling conditions
• spring fishing

Keywords

• Detroit River
• walleye
• perch
• fishing report
• angling
• spring fishing
• crankbaits
• live bait

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Detroit River, Michigan, Ohio, Fighting Island, Stony Point

More episodes of Lake Erie, Detroit Fishing Report

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• Early Summer Walleye Limits: Lake Erie and Detroit River Fishing Report · June 10, 2026 · 3 min
• Late Spring Walleye Limits and Smallmouth Heat on Lake Erie and the Detroit River · June 9, 2026 · 4 min
• Early June Erie and Detroit River: Walleye Limits and Smallmouth on the Rise · June 8, 2026 · 4 min