Late Spring Walleye Limits and Smallmouth Heat on Lake Erie and the Detroit River

Late Spring Walleye Limits and Smallmouth Heat on Lake Erie and the Detroit River

From Lake Erie, Detroit Fishing Report by Inception Point Ai

June 9, 2026 · 4 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the current fishing conditions and techniques for walleye and smallmouth bass on Lake Erie and the Detroit River during late spring.

This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Erie–Detroit fishing report. We’re coming off a stretch of stable late‑spring weather on western Lake Erie and the lower Detroit River. Nearshore water temps are riding in the mid‑60s to low‑70s, with light south to southwest winds most mornings, picking up a bit in the afternoon. Skies have been partly to mostly clear, which means cooler, active mornings, a slower mid‑day, and a little evening bump as the sun drops. Sunrise is right around the early 5 o’clock hour, with sunset after 9 in the evening, so you’ve got a long window to work with. No real tide here, but wind‑driven seiches and current from the river mouth matter. A light south breeze has been stacking some water and a touch of stain along the Michigan shorelines and around the river plume, which is perfect for walleye and smallmouth—just off‑color enough to make them chew without killing visibility. Walleye action remains the main story. Local captains out of Luna Pier, Bolles Harbor, and around Brest Bay have been boxing easy limits of eaters in the 16–21 inch range, with a steady pick of bigger fish mixed in. Most reports have 20–40 fish days when the wind and boat control…

People in this episode

Host: Artificial Lure

Topics covered

  • fishing report
  • walleye fishing
  • smallmouth bass
  • Lake Erie
  • Detroit River
  • weather conditions
  • fishing techniques

Keywords

  • walleye
  • smallmouth
  • fishing report
  • Lake Erie
  • Detroit River
  • crawler harnesses
  • fishing techniques

Mentioned in this episode

Products: crawler harnesses, chartreuse, purple, and gold blades

Places: Lake Erie, Detroit River, Luna Pier, Bolles Harbor, Brest Bay, Michigan

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