"Cooler Temps Bring Promising Fishing on Lake St. Clair"

As of October 16, 2024, the fishing scene on Lake St. Clair is looking promising, despite the recent strong winds that have made conditions a bit challenging.

### Weather and Tidal Conditions
The weather has been cooling down, with nighttime temperatures dropping significantly, which is typical for this time of year. Strong winds over the weekend have subsided, making it more manageable for anglers to get out on the water. Sunrise today is at around 7:45 AM, and sunset is expected at about 6:30 PM.

### Fish Activity
Fish activity has been steady, particularly for yellow perch and walleye. The perch action has been reported as decent near the dumping grounds and the Grosse Point area, as well as in the metropark area. Walleye and perch action has been steadily picking up between the spillway and the Metropark in 13 to 15 feet of water.

### Types and Amounts of Fish Caught
Anglers have been catching good numbers of yellow perch, with some reports of nice-sized largemouth bass and channel catfish. Smallmouth bass fishing has been fair in the New Baltimore area in shallow water, with top water baits working well. Musky action is also expected to pick up with the cooler temperatures.

### Best Lures and Bait
For yellow perch, live minnows on perch rigs and ultralight setups with light line (4- to 6-pound test) using spinners with soft plastic baits or smaller artificial lures have been effective. Night crawlers have also been successful. For walleye, blade baits have worked well. Largemouth bass have been biting on Texas rigged soft plastics and swim baits. Smallmouth bass are responding well to top water baits, especially along the shoreline south of Hartley and near Selfridge or Brandenburg Park.

### Hot Spots
- The dumping grounds and the Grosse Point area are hot spots for perch.
- The metropark area and the waters between the spillway and the Metropark are good for both perch and walleye.
- For smallmouth bass, focus on the shoreline south of Hartley and the areas near Selfridge or Brandenburg Park.

With the cooler temperatures setting in, it's a great time to get out on Lake St. Clair and take advantage of the improving fishing conditions.