Lake St. Clair Ice Fishing: Smallies, Walleye, and Perch Bite Stays Strong on New Years Eve

Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your Lake St. Clair fishing guru, comin' at ya from the chilly shores on this crisp New Year's Eve mornin', 8:33 AM. Winter's grip is tight, but the bite's hangin' on if ya know where to look.

Weather's lookin' brisk—highs in the low 30s, light northwest winds 5-10 mph, partly cloudy skies per local forecasts. Sunrise kicked off at 8:00 AM, sunset's 5:05 PM, givin' ya a solid 9-hour window. No real tides here on the big lake, but solunar peaks from Fishing Reminder show major bites 'round 11 AM-noon and 5-6 PM—prime for suspended fish.

Fish activity's slowed with ice formin' on shallows, but Michigan DNR reports and recent angler chatter say smallmouth bass are key players in 10-20 feet offshore, schoolin' on flats and rock. Walleye are active at night near the Detroit River mouth, and perch are stackin' up for ice guys. Recent catches: tournament pros on nearby Saginaw Bay pulled limits of smallies to 4 pounds on drop-shots, plus largemouth in grass edges—22-pound bags reported by Major League Fishing. Locals nabbed dozens of 2-3 pound smallies and perch limits last week.

Best lures? Drop-shot rigs with Yamamoto Shad Shape worms or Strike King Baby Z-Too in shiner colors—deadly in 15-20 feet. For aggressive days, white bladed jigs like Strike King Thunder Cricket with minnow trailers. Bait-wise, live minnows or emerald shiners on rigs for walleye and perch; crayfish imitations for bass.

Hit these hot spots: Anchor Bay flats for smallies driftin' drop-shots, and the St. Clair River channel edges near Selfridge for mixed bags. Bundle up, check ice if ya dare, and play it safe.

Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for more reports! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

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