Detroit River walleye fishing report - Trenton Channel, Wyandotte, Steel Mills, Ren Cen, Roostertail, and more. The latest information from Walleye Kid, local guides, and bait shops. The fishing on the Detroit River changes every day so check here before you head out to the river. Remember that the best fishing is not necessarily where you see the biggest pack of boats!
See you on the water, Chris
Email me your questions View 2009 Detroit River Reports
June 15, 2010 - Walleye Action Back On!
We got several reports that walleye action was back on in the river over the weekend. That is not uncommon this time of year. The walleye have been there all along but you couldn't get a bait past the silver bass. Good news is the silver basss are back out in Lake Erie. Two reports from the area between Celeron Island and Horse Island. This is the deeper water trough leading from the Detroit River back to Lake Erie. Hard bottom, relatively snag free and a good place to fish if Lake Erie gets rough. This area can be fished jigging, trolling bouncer and harnesses downstream, or crankbaits upstream. Fish are aggressive as the water warms up and will hit a variety of presentations. Try it out and let us know how you do!
May 27, 2010 - Tough Time for Walleye
Were in the tough couple weeks where it's almost impossible to get a jig to the bottom. Silver bass are thick and will be there for at least another 10 days. Once they move out there will be plenty of walleye still around. In the meantime just head out to Lake Erie - the fish are about 6 miles south of the river near the Bell Buoy. If you have some kids or grand kids that don't get out much take them to the river this afternoon. Tie on a couple spoons, pink jigs or crankbaits and let them reel in bass 'til their arms hurt.
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May 15-16, 2010 - Walleye Moving into Erie
Looks like a big group of walleye have moved out of the river and into the north end of Erie. Big school of fish is on the dumping grounds in front of the Banana Dike. If your not familiar with that area it's between the Detroit River Light and Fermi - on your Hot Spots Map and our Lake Erie Western Basin Hot Spots DVD. The Dump is about a mile long and a half mile wide. Most of the water is 16-19 feet deep with humps that rise up to 13 feet. Should be a good group of fish here for the next several weeks.
We caught 13 fish using Walleye Kid Custom Crawler Harnesses and one ounce inline weights. All the fish came on lines run 15-30 feet behind the planer boards. The best combo was one ounce inlines 20 feet back at 1.0-1.4 MPH. This would put your bait somewhere around 7-10 feet below the surface. Best colors were Purple Paradise, Boy Girl, and Clown. Nothing on bottom bouncers - fish were suspended 10-15 feet down in the water column. Water was 56 degrees and a perfect green color. By Sunday the east wind had the lake rolling pretty good. We quit after we took the third wave over the back of the boat but the fish were still going strong.
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May 10, 2010 - Bridge Current Breaks
Report From Dean C: Fished the river Sunday and had a hard time getting out of the bass schools. Picked up a couple 'eyes at the bridge pilings by Elizabeth Park but the strong cross winds made drifting very crazy. The fish we caught were at the current seam below the piling. Ended up covering the lower river and kept 5 walleye.
Dean isn't afraid to try out some different techniques that often produce results. Fishing below bridge pilings is a key technique in most other locations around the country but rarely used here in Michigan. The key to Dean's report is the mention of a current break. Whether it's one that is visible like a bridge piling or one that isn't (bolders on the bottom) walleye relate to them. You would to if you had to swim against a 5 MPH current all day. Plus current breaks hold bait. It's a lot of work to fish this type of area but in a tough bite it might save your trip!
May 9, 2010 - Looking for Silver Bass?
They're Here....My grandpa was in town and he loves fishing for silver bass. We found them in the big Trenton Channel bay south of the Edison stacks. Gulls diving, bait on the surface, and lots of silver bass. We ended up catching over 150 fish in a couple hours. He kept a few for his secret receipe that he uses for a big fish fry every year. Hopefully he can pick up a few more walleye before the event....It was a fish on every cast for a while at one point. Several of the fish were close to two pounds. Water temp was 60 degrees.
Here is map showing where we caught them today View Map
Also fished for walleye earlier in the morning. Ended up with two - one at Buoy 104 on the Canadian side across from Great Lake Steel and one at the Golf Course. Lots of other stuff in the river - smallmouth, suckers, goldfish, rockbass, etc. Once you got inside of 30 feet on the Canadian side it was too muddy to fish. The US side was a perfect green color.
Take a kid or neighbor out fishing for Silver Bass. They will have a blast.
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May 5, 2010 - Canada Produces Again
Fishing has been steady once again on the Canadian side. North end of Fighting Island and south towards Grosse Ille.
Lance Valentine Report: Spending time on the water with great people is the best part of my job, and you can't find any better people than Jim C. and Bob K. We had a great day in Canada fishing the BASF lodge channel and catching 10 nice walleye, losing several more, having a 20lb musky up to the boat, seeing a bald eagle and fighting the wind! 3/4 ounce Chartreuse Thump! jigs with a black Thump! worm and 1 ounce FireTiger Thump! jigs with a camo Thump! worm were our best combos today.
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May 4, 2010 - Wyandotte and Mills
Rajko Report: We fished from 5:30 to 9 PM tonight, got 3 fish 2 in front of Wyandotte and one in front of great lakes steel. orange jig head with brown or green worm. Lost several fish, very light bite today for us. Hand liners looked like they where doing better than the jiggers. Saw one fish caught on bootom bouncer and harness right in front of Mud Island.
Water looks great even with the rain and wind we had the last few days.
May 3, 2010 - Mixed Results
Fishing has been hit or miss the last few days. Guys at the ramp were reporting mixed results. Fish were scattered on the US side. The Canadian side has been more consistent with bigger numbers most of this year and this past weekend was no exception, The long run all the way from the Salt Docks down to the middle of Grosse Ille has prduced good fishing depending on the day.
Lance Valentine Report: Fish were in a neutral mood today after the change in weather (including even the white bass). Picked up fish here and there throughout the day. Ecorse Channel, top of Mud Island, Golf Course, Corp of Engineers, etc. You know the spots from the Detroit River Hot Spots DVD's. Same locations that have produced all year. Firetiger 1oz Thump! Em Up jigs are still a good choice - brown or camo worms.
Bottom Bouncer Actions About to Start: Some guys are going to switch over to trolling bouncers and crawler harnesses down stream over the next few days. Can be a very productive technique and works great for people that are not skilled jiggers. Use a 4oz bouncer, 30" harness, and gold blade with perch beads. Trick is to keep your boat moving downstream faster than the current. Test your harness next to the boat - if your blade spins at a medium speed you're good to go. We use our bow trolling motor to pull us downstream. When you look at the shore it's going to look like there is no possible way a walleye could hit a lure moving that fast. That's when you know you have it just right. Hits are very aggressive so hold on. Mud Island, Golf Course, Ecorse Channel, and even the run by Horse Island Bridge are relatively snag free. Hold the rod in your hand don't put it in a rod holder.
May 1, 2010 - Big Sturgeon...
Here is a picture from Tom that shows his crew about to net a big Sturgeon they hooked on the Detroit River. Should still be a few of these guys around in the river. Be sure to get them to the boat and released as quickly as possible. Some of these fish are over 100 years old.
Here is a cool story and video about Sturgeon reintroduction success in Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin. View Sturgeon Story |
April 30, 2010 - Walleye 101 Guys Did Well Recently
Here are some recent reports from the Walleye 101 fishermen:
Dean C April 30th: Picked up 9 walleye in the Detroit River last night. Fished Fighting Island (1), Mud Island Channel (1), Ecorse Channel (2), and Portofinos (5). All fish from Portofinos came from a very small spot (the size of my boat) north of the Green Buoy. Most fish caught on a chartreuse jig with a brown wyandotte worm. Suggestion from Chris: we are always amazed at the number of guys that catch a fish and then keep drifting downstream for another mile. Bring in your lines and head back up to where you caught the fish. There is a reason the fish are there - current break, bait etc. If you don't hook up another fish in a a couple passes then move further downstream. That is the tactic Dean uses and it works!
Mark V April 30th: Just got off the phone with Art Wood. They have been doing very good in the Trenton Channel. They have been fishing plastics, wyandotte worms and flukes. He also said it seemed like there was a batch of new fish some not even spawned out yet.
Chris P April 28th: Two of us hit the river at 4:00 PM and had a limit by 5:30. All fish came north of Mud Island in 31-33 FOW. Firetiger one ounce jig with brown or camo worms. Most fish were 15-22". Fish were hitting hard for the river.
April 27, 2010 - That's Where All The Walleye Went...
Lance caught this 49" monster north of the Ecorse Channel. Probably in the 30+ lb range. Lots of muskie hang out on both sides of Mud Island this time of year. Hard to believe she hit a jig and worm but then again it was one of our Thump! Em Up jigs and worm.
Walleye Report: There are some fish left that this big guy didn't eat. Look at fishing the deep water north of the Mud Island channel markers. When we say deep we mean 40+ feet of water. Time for some 1oz Thunp! jigs and worms. You need to feel the bottom and stay in contact - almost impossible to do effectively with a 1/2 oz jig that lots of guys use. 1oz Orange and Fire Tiger jigs have produced good results when tipped with a brown or camo Thump worm. |
April 26, 2010 - Rain will Get the Fish Going
The water on the US side has been crystal clear most of the season. The recent rain and wind will get Lake St Clair dirty and send some stained water down the river. That should help the fishing on the American side. The walleye and bait don't like super clear blue water, the slightly off color green water is the best. We should have that soon.
April 25, 2010 - Bass Bite on St Clair
If your looking to hook up with some big smallmouth, Lake St Clair is the place to be right now. The official Catch and Release season started Saturday and the bite is HOT! Our friend Jeff caught 5 or 6 of these big guys in a 30 minute time period. Lots of techniques work - trolling cranks, casting cranks, jigging. The fish are moving into shallow water and are very aggressive. A number of areas produce big fish this time of year including Anchor Bay, Selfridge, Salt River, Ginos, 400 Club, and the Mile Roads. Give it a try for a change of pace. |
April 24, 2010 - Nice Fish!
Lance Valentine: Fished with two of my favorite fishing buddies tonite Dennis and Jamie. Fought the wind and a little rain to get 8 nice fish plus a bonus sturgeon. Caught most of our fish in 40-42 fow in front of the Rogue plant. Firetiger 1 oz Thump! jigs with camo Thump! worms were the best presentation. Also caught a few ...
Tracy B Report: We fished 4-24 on the US side, caught 5 total. 1 at candlestick, 2 shallow side of mud channel,1 steel mill and 1 in ecorse channel. The biggest was 6lbs.also caught 2 smallies,a carp and a gobbie. Tracy
April 23, 2010 - Stained Water
Lance Valentine: 13 fish in deep water near the canadian border. Best spot was north of Fishting Island from red D102 bouy to light. Firetiger and Bubblegum 1 oz jigs with camo Thump! worm. Very light bites-all on stingers with LOTS of lost fish. American side is VERY clean-try to find stained water.
April 20, 2010 - Hot Bite in Canada
Heard good reports from the Canadian side of the river the last couple of days. The north end of Fighting Island,Salt Docks, and the Woods have all been good areas. The water on the Candian side is a little off color which is what the walleyes like this time of year. Still some big females in the area. If you plan to fish the river you should think about investing in a Canadian license, it will greatly expand your possible fishing spots. You can buy the license from Bottom Line Tackle or Lake Side Fishing Shop. |
April 19, 2010 - Slow Afternoon
Fished for a few hours in the afternon with our friend Jeff. The water is super clear 3+ feet of visibility. We fished the Candle Stick, Bouy 94, Mud Island, and the Ecorse Channel. We ended up with one walleye close to 4lbs. Caught the fish on a chartreuse 3/4oz THUMP! Jig with a Camo THUMP! worm. Water temp is a warm 47 degrees for this time of year. Fishing should improve when we get a little rain which will cloudy up the water and get the fish to bite again. This is because walleyes bite best in green water not the super clear blue water. The green water give the walleye a place to hide from the bait fish before they hit them.
April 18, 2010 - Great Bite
Lance Valentine: Great morning trip on April 18. Fished with Chad, Darren and Ryan. Canadian water in front of the Morterm building to the end of the grainery dock. 34-36 fow. Chartreuse 1 oz Thump! jig with a black worm. Ended up with 15 and lost quite a few.
April 17, 2010 - Tough Wind
Dean C: Caught 15 fish in what proved to be very tough conditions for a lot of guys. The best area was from BASF Wall down to the Golf Course. Dean says 30+ FOW held the most fish. For those of you new to the river it's not uncommon to get fish in much deeper water as the season goes on. The 2009 season saw lots of fish caught in 40+ FOW north of Mud Island, and there were some good bites taking place in 50 FOW near the Ambassador bridge in early May. You need some big baits that are one ounce or even more to fish effectively in deeper water.
April 16, 2010 - Patients Pays Off
Lance Valentine: Tough day with all the wind, but scrounged up 19 nice walleye with the biggest around 6 lbs. Chartreuse 1 ounce Thump! jig with the chartreuse Thump! worm was the best rig. Also caught a few on orange head with a camo worm. Best area was in front of Portifino's restaurant (check the Lower River DVD for the waypoints). Caught a few at Fighting Island and a few on the BASF run in the deep channel. Great job by all the guys who fished with me today. Staying patient was the key in a heavy wind and a tough bite.
Lance |
April 14, 2010 - One Ounce Jigs Now Available
Our One Ounce Thump! Em Up jigs just arrived. Available in limited quantities - Orange, Chartreuse, Bubble Gum, and Fire Tiger. Great choice for the deep water bite north of Mud Island, the Steel Mills, Rouge, and the Ambassador Bridge. Pick up a few before they are gone. Buy some now |  |
April 13, 2010 - Getting Better
Lance Valentine: Fishing has slowed a little on the river but picked up the mornng of the 13th. Still not fast and furious but getting better. Canadian side is definitely better than the US side. Deep water is better-our fish have been coming from 28-34 fow. 3" minnows have been the best setup, but Thump! worms were the best today. Orange 3/4 ounce jig with a camo Thump! worm was our best rig today. Off tomorrow for some business and back at it on Thursday.
April 12, 2010 - Tough Day
Lance Valentine: Lots of guys struggled today. Fish are in one of those times during the spawn where they slow down and take a break. Most of the fish have been in the river for a while. Need some rain to bring in a fresh batch of fish out of Lake Erie. Most boats only managed a 2-5 fish per trip today.
Expect the action to pick up soon. White jigs have been a strong producer already this spring. Most guys stick with the proven colorrs (orange, chartreuse, fire tiger) but white can give you the edge on many days. It's something different the fish haven't seen a million times already this year. Pick some up and give them a try.
April 11, 2010 - River Overview from Lance
Some early observations from our first week on the river: the 3 and 4" Bio Bait minnows are producing great catches-some days better than the worms. White and Bubblegum 3/4 oz Thump! jig heads have been our best producers with the 3"pearl and 4" Redtail minnows being the best so far. 3/4 oz Orange Thump! jig with camo Thump! worm has been the bet jig/worm combo.
Seems that white and bubblegum jigs are producing better in colder water and "tougher" bites while Orange, chartreuse and Firetiger producer better on "hot" bites, stable weather and warmer water. I will keep an eye on this trend as the year goes on. Saw a very small 5-6" lamprey on a walleye the other day and it was the spitting image of the camo "Thump!" worm-pretty neat to see. Wondering how water temp, clarity etc effects the movement of the lampreys in the system-could this be a key to walleye activity? Something to research this summer.
Also hearing about a lot of fish being caught in shallow water of 6-12'. Another "lead" to chase down as the season progresses.
Would love to hear everyone elses thoughts, ideas and successes on the river.
Tight Lines
Lance
April 10, 2010 - Lots of Fish
Here is a report from one our regular visitiors and a new user of our Thump products. Tracy had a good day at a time when the fishing was slowing down for lots of guys including Lance.
Tracy B: Fished Saturday and took some advise from the Upper Detroit River DVD. WE fished where the boats weren't and took six fish in two passes before we had plenty of company. Ended up with 12 fish before the wind blew us off the river. Fished well above the cans at Mud Island while most were fishing the cans on down. Fish caught on fire tiger and brown worm and white on white.
Tracy
Thanks Tracy for sharing your report!
Lance Valentine: April 10th was a tough day. LOTS of wind and finicky fish. Ended up with 21 for the day. Deep water north of Mud Island was best. 3/4 oz Thump! jigs in pearl and Bubblegum with 3" pearl bio bait minnow and 4" Redtail chub bio minnow.
April 9, 2010 - Another 4 Man Limit!
Lance Valentine: Fished with Bucky, Rick and Bob from 7am-1pm and picked up a 4 man limit. Started in the Ecorse Channel and ended up fishing in front of Great Lakes Steel and the deep water north of Mud Island. White 3/4 ounce Thump! jigs with a 3" pearl bio minnow was the best. Camo worm on orange 3/4 Thump! jig also produced. I picked up a 20lb + musky!! pix coming!
April 8, 2010 - Great Day on the River
Lance Valentine: Great day today! Fished the morning with Steve B and did quite well. Around 20 walleye from 3-8lbs on the canadian side, mostly from the woods down to the salt docks. Best depth was 20-25' of water. Steve was fishing the 4" Bio Minnow in Pearl/blue on a 3/4 ounce Thump! jig in chartreuse. I was fishing a 3/4 ounce bubblegum Thump! jig with a camo worm. Lots of fish were aggressive and on the jig hook.
Evening charter with Ben, Kevin, and Russ was also very successful!! The 4" Thump! worm was definitely the ticket. Black and camo were the best, with brown also catching fish. Ended up with 13 fish from 3-7lbs in 3 hours. Jig color didn't seem to matter and 3/4 was the best size. Fished the Ecorse Channel for most of our fish and also caught a few at 2 rocks and the golf course fishing has been excellent for the last week! Lots of fish being caught with the average size for most running 4-6lbs. Several fish over 12lbs have already been caught and I even heard from a reliable source of a few over 13! Traditional spots are producing. Try "Two Rocks", Great Lakes Steel, Mud Island, Fighiting
April 8, 2010 - FLW Tournament Starts Today
Gonna be busy on the river as the FLW heads into town. Their boundaries are Michian waters of the river and Michigan waters of Lake Erie. If the winds are calm a lot of guys will hit the lake. Can be a lot more productive for big fish trolling around Turtle Island than jigging the river - especially if they are paired up with an amature that is new to jigging. With the unusually warm water (and lots of big fish) in the river it will be interesting to see what strategy pays off best. Watch for details - the weights should be pretty incredible for the top teams.
April 6, 2010 - Good Action
Lance Valentine: Fishing has been excellent for the last week! Lots of fish being caught with the average size for most running 4-6lbs. The Trenton Channel is also giving up numbers of good fish. Water clarity is excellent, sometimes too clear on the American side. Canadian waters are producing the most big fish with key spots being the salt docks and the head of Fighting Island. Water temp is ahead of schedule and is running in the mid to upper 40's depending on the water clarity in a specific area.
3/4 ounce jigs seem to be the best producer with Thump! 'em up worms in brown, chartreuse and Junebug catching the most fish. Jig color doesn't seem to matter, but holding the jig for a 2-3 count when lifted off the bottom is getting lots of strikes. Weather this week is a little unstable, but the fish are in the river and bititng-Let's go fishing!
Chris T: Went hand-lining at the steel mills. Caught 4 Lost 2 more. #9 jointed rapala. The color didnt seem to matter. They were hitting on all colors orange ,green,blue. All leads. It was my 1st time out hand lining. Had a FREAKIN blast. Might not pick up a rod for the rest of the season.
April 3, 2010 - Be Careful On The River
Extremely stong south winds are going to make fishing tough out there today. If you are new to the river, be aware that it can get very rough as the south wind pushes against the current. Big rollers are not uncommon in the center portion of the river around Mud Island and the Ambassador Bridge.
April 2, 2010 - Picked Up A Couple Fish
Fished a couple hours this evening and ended up with two fish - both in the 4-6 lb range. Horse Island bridge was the location in 10 FOW. Orange Thump! jigs and Emerald Shiner 4" Bio Baits did the trick. One fish for Walleye Kid, one fish for Davion (his first walleye ever), and zip for dad (he insisted on sticking with his chartreuse colored jig). Water is about as clear as we have ever seen - over seven foot visibilty with the orange jigs. Water temp was a scorching 47-48 degrees - that's up almost 10 degrees from a week ago.
Overall most guys at the ramp reported slow fishing. Did hear that some better fishing took place around the Candlestick again. South wind at 25-30 MPH is forcast for tomorrow. Need some rain to get the water a little more cloudy. |
April 1, 2010 - Beautiful Day, Some Fish
Mixed reports - some had one or two fish and others had a limit. Bill at Bottomline Tackle said lower Trenton Channel was good. Lakeside fishing report said mouth of Lake St Clair and Steel Mills were the two hot spots. Water is crystal clear right now and a full moon. With the fast warm up there are some fish spawning already. Lance Valentine says "...the bite might be a little slow during the full moon since the fish are up all night spawning. Action will heat up as we move out of the fulll moon phase."
Get out and give it a try. Send us your report
March 31, 2010 - Walleye Action Picking Up!
Walleye fishing on the Detroit River was pretty good today. Boats coming into the wyandotte ramp had anywhere from three to ten fish. The best action came from Fighting Island between the Candlestick and the Water Intake. Action is also picking up at the Steel Mills. South wind at 15-20 MPH kicked up a good chop but the water was clean.
Report from John H : Caught four fish on jigs with Chartreuse worms in 30 feet of water by Mud Island. Thanks for the report John!
Take a tour of Detroit River Land Marks
March 27, 2010 - First Fish of the Year!
We ended up with 5 fish this afternoon. All males in the 16-21" range. Fished 3:30-7:30 today - mostly on the east side of the Trenton Channel (along the Grosse Ille side). Our drift was from the boat dock with the blue roof to the middle of Calf Island (west side) Fished the edge of the contour line in 13-18 FOW. All fish caught on 3/4 Thump Jigs (Chart or Orange) and 4" Bio Minnows in Emerald Shiner color. All fish came on the stinger except one. Water temp was 39 degrees. Never saw another fish caught. Spent a good hour on the west side of the Trenton Channel with nothing to show. Slid over to the Grosse Ille side and started picking up fish right away. Nothing going on at the Horse Island bridge today. |
March 26, 2010 - Cold and Windy
Wow. 22 degrees and a wind chill of 11 this morning. Wyandotte ramp guys said no ice coming down the river this morning. Let's see what the satellite picture shows today if it stays clear out.
Wind was blowing strong from the NE yesterday evening. River was rough but water clarity looked OK around 7:00PM.
March 24, 2010 - Look Out!
Extremely Dangerous Conditions!
The ice on Lake Huron just broke apart and is heading down the St Clair River! Really cool image, but it could get dangerous FAST on the Detroit River if this ice makes it through Lake St Clair. Looks pretty likely based on this image from today. Make sure you know what's going on before you head out!
Check out the full image for yourself click here
Coast Guard Ice Breaker Video from St Clair River yesterday click here |  |
March 23, 2010 - Action Has Started
Boats were fishing out of Wyandotte this past weekend. The guys at the ramp report about 30-40 fish were brought in. Monday was too windy with the river rolling pretty good. Water clarity looked "OK" today after work with no ice - a little stained but fishable. Saw 4 or 5 trailers at the ramp but no fish from guys coming in. Lake Huron ice still piled up at Port Huron.
March 20, 2010 - Fishing Underway?
Heard a few guys were on the river Friday afternoon and report that most of the ice was gone. Tom P. says the river was clear around Mud Island. He caught a nice Muskie jigging for walleye. Tom was fishing out of a kayak! Not unusual to hook up a muskie or two on a walleye trip this time of year. Try to fight them out quick and get them back in the water.
Let us know if you got out and how you did. Send us a report |  |
March 18, 2010 - Mud Island and Belanger Park
This video was shot Thursday at noon. Ice is moving out fast but there is still some ice on Lake St Clair and Lake Huron.
March 17, 2010 - New Image From Space
Still some ice on St Clair and the Detroit River is pretty much a muddy, ice filled mess right now. This is still a very dangerous place to be until all the ice is gone. By the way, Lake Huron still has lots of ice that might make it all the way through the system as well. No walleye worth destroying your boat or worse....We have had years when you couldn't get out til early April so it looks like we might be ahead of schedule this year.
Check out the full image for yourself click here |
March 15, 2010 - Bring Your Ice Breaker!
The Lake St Clair ice pack is busted up and moving down the river. The rain and wind on Saturday did the trick. Big questions is when will the river be ready to fish? In past years it's taken as long as 10 days to clear out depending on wind and what's left in Lake St Clair. Very dangerous time to be on the river. Plenty of time to fish once the ice is completely gone.
Check out more Detroit River pictures |  |
March 15, 2010 - Countdown.... 12 Days Remaining???
March 27th was the day the big Detroit River walleyes first turned on during the 2009 season. Take advantage of the down time to attend a few seminars, buy a new quality jigging rod, or add some new fireline to your reels. With all the 2003 year-class hawgs moving into the river 2010 will be a great season!
Read "Jigging the Detroit River" article by Walleye Kid Learn more.... |
March 12, 2010 - Wyandotte Boat Ramp & Perch Report
The Wyandotte boat ramp was more or less ice free Friday morning. Very little ice heading down the river but that will change with the strong NE wind forecast for this weekend. All the ice on the Canadian side of St Clair will be heading downstream. A group of guys caught a nice bunch of perch at the Cross Dike & Sugar Island Cut (south end of the river) on Thursday.
See a map of the Sugar Island Cut & Cross Dike click here
March 8, 2010 - Cool Satellite Image
Check out the latest satellite image of St. Clair, Detroit River, and Lake Erie. The Coast Watch website should be your first stop (after Walleye Kid) before you head out. We check out the images and plan where were going to fish. Great way to see mud on the river or Erie after a big rain. Might save a lot of driving and gas money.
See a bigger satellite image click here
Visit Coast Watch website click here (note that this website has had some display issues recently) |
March 7, 2010 - "Ice, Ice, Baby" - Vanilla Ice
Wow, Vanilla Ice said it best. We ice fished Sunday on Lake St Clair and had to punch holes through over a foot of ice. No open water in sight off Metro Beach. It's gonna be a long while before all that ice heads down the Detroit River. Be careful if you plan to ice fish or head out to the river. They are both gonna get dangerous real soon.
We ended up catching a bunch of perch but most were small. Guys out Friday said the bigger fish were a little more active. |
March 2, 2010 - Erie Metro Park Open!
The boat ramp at Lake Erie Metro Park is open with one dock in. There were about 6 trailers in the parking lot so some guys are getting out. The Detroit River is basically ice free right now with only a few flows moving down the river. Don't be fooled! That will change rapidly as rain and wind break up the massive ice pack on Lake St Clair. This is a very dangerous time of the year to be on the water. Ice flows can trap you on the river and even crush your boat. Plenty of time to fish once the ice is completely gone.
Check out more Detroit River pictures |
February 25, 2010 - DVD Waypoint Downloads
Did you buy the Upper Detroit River or Lower Detroit River "Where To" DVD and are wondering how to get the waypoints from the DVD to your GPS unit? We have a video that explains exactly how to do that. Click here to watch
February 24, 2010 - Key Dates from 2009
We are getting close even though it might not look that way out your window. Here are some significant events from 2009 to help you plan your upcoming season:
March 17 - Wyandotte ramp opens
March 22 - Water temp hits 40 degrees
March 27 - Dean Cushman hits his 12 lb beauty
March 31 - DWF winning basket 25 lbs (5 fish)
April 5 - Action heats up in Trenton Channel
April 6 - Lance Valentine starts guided trips
April 19 - MWT winning basket 56 lbs (10 fish)
May 3 - Hot action full length of river
May 8 - Buoy 94 has been on fire for 2 weeks
May 10 - Silver bass invade entire river
May 28 - Buoy 92 has hot crawler harness bite |  |
February 23, 2010 - Cold Water Survival
Take 10 minutes out of your day to watch this great video - it might just save your life! Did you know that 43% of people that drown in cold water are less than 6 feet from help? Pretty scary thought...
February 22, 2010 - River Walleye Seminars
Lance Valentine will be conducting free seminars on how to fish the Detroit River during 2010. Seminars are three hours long and will take place in several locations throughout southeast Michigan Here are a few of the seminar dates:
February 22 - Freeway Sports Center (Fenton)
February 23 - Gander Mountain (Novi)
February 24 - KD Outdoors (Waterford)
February 25 - Valley Farms Baptist (Lansing)
Click here for more information
February 15, 2010 - Walleye 101 Seminars Start Today!
Lance Valentine will be conducting free walleye fishing seminars on a variety of topics during 2010. Seminars meet once per week for six weeks. They generally last about three hours and will take place in several locations throughout southeast Michigan Here are a few of the seminar start dates:
Monday February 15 - Freeway Sports Center (Fenton)
Tuesday February 16 - Gander Mountain (Novi)
Wednesday February 17 - KD Outdoors (Waterford)
Thursday February 18 - Valley Farms Baptist (Lansing)
Click here for more information
February 10, 2010 - New "Live" Fishing Reports!
Walleye Kid will be posting "Live" fishing reports from the water this year. How is he going to do that you ask? Chris will be posting fishing reports to our Twitter page and Walleye Kid website throughout the day. The reports will be online and available to read within 5 minutes of our post. You can view these reports a number of different ways:
Walleye Kid Website - view the live reports from the homepage of Walleye Kid in the Twitter section (check it out)
Twitter Page - visit www.twitter.com/walleyekid to see the live fishing reports as they are posted
Cell Phones - you can view our live fishing reports from any cell phone with Internet access right from the water. Just visit www.twitter.com/walleyekid from your mobile phone.
What's Twitter? It's a pretty new way to stay in touch with short messages. People that have a Twitter page can post messages and links to interesting articles and websites. You can set up your own twitter page or just follow the posts of people like Walleye Kid. It's pretty cool because people can post comments to their twitter page from their computer, cell phone, or Facebook page.
February 8, 2010 - New Products Are Here!
Just added Lance Valentine Signature Series THUMP 'Em Up! jigs and scented worms for the Detroit River. Watch for more color combinations and products coming to our online store over the next couple weeks. Jigs, Big Bite Baits, Wyandotte Worms, Maps, and more arriving soon. Our goal is to get you the premium quality products you need to put more fish in the boat this season. Visit store |
January 27, 2010 - Detroit River Article
Walleye Kid has a pretty good article about jigging the Detroit River. Should be something of interest for beginners as well as the seasoned "river rat". Check it out and let me know what you think. Read more...
January 16, 2010 - Two New DVD's!
Lance Valentine's now has two new DVD's Available:
New! "Spoon Fed Walleye" DVD teaches you "How to for Walleye" with details on trolling open water with spoons. Add a new technique to your arsenal that works great outside the traditional summer spoon period!
New! "Lake Erie Western Basin" DVD teaches "Where to for Walleye" with almost 20 locations from the Banana Dike to Turtle Island. If you're not fishing the western basin from April to June or during the month of November you are missing some tremendous action.
While speaking at the Ultimate Fishing Show Valentine said "these DVD's are the hottest product we have on the market right now." We really appreciate our loyal customers that have recently purchased our new "How To" and Where To" DVD's at the Ultimate Fishing Show.
Learn more about these DVD's and purchase them at the Walleye Kid Online Product Store. |  |
January 14, 2010 - Ice Box History
Another article to keep you busy during the long winter. Interesting to learn about the history of the Detroit River and how different it is today. A few of you might remember the "good old days" mentioned in this article.
Click here for article (takes a minute to load)
January 12, 2010 - Sturgeon Spawning
Good article about the successful spawning of Sturgeon in the Detroit River for the first time in 30 years. We fished on the Rainy River in Minnesota and caught over 20 Sturgeon in one week. Would be cool if that happened on the Detroit River in a few years!
Click here for article (takes a minute to load)
January 6, 2010 - Detroit River Seminars - Novi Fishing Show
Lance Valentine will be conducting free seminars on how to fish the Detroit River during the Ultimate Fishing Show in Novi. Seminars are designed to get you started fishing the river with the proper techniques and equipment. Stop by Booth #2215 and pick up some new gear or a Detroit River DVD. Here are the seminar dates (be sure to check the official website for most up to date times):
Thursday January 7 - 5:00PM - Lake Ultimate
Friday January 8 - 6:00PM - Lake Ultimate
Saturday January 9 - 11:00AM and 8:00PM - Lake Ultimate
Sunday January 10 - 3:45PM - Lake Ultimate
January 4, 2010 - Guide to the Detroit River DVD's
Lance Valentine's now has two "Where To For Walleye" Detroit River DVD's available:
New! The "Guide to the Upper Detroit River" covers the area between Lake St Clair and Wyandotte
The "Guide to the Lower Detroit River" covers the area from Wyandotte to Lake Erie.
These DVD's are the best resource on the market for learning about Detroit River walleye hot spots. While speaking at the Ultimate Fishing Show Valentine said "this DVD was designed to help people heading to the river for their first trip as well as those that have been fishing the river for years." Learn more about the DVD and purchase one for yourself at the Walleye Kid Online Product Store. |
January 3, 2010 - Lance Valentine Guided Trip
Lance will hit the Detroit River beginning April 5th 2010 with his highly successful Educational Charters for walleye jigging. Sign up for a morning trip (7:00AM-1:00PM) or if you're short on time or cash book a evening trip (4:00-7:00PM). Either way you are going to learn a ton about proper jigging techniques, boat control, and which hot spots produce the most fish. Get all the details about a trip with Lance ...lets go |  |
January 2, 2010 - Lance Valentine Interview
Looks like 2010 will be another great one on the river. Just got off the phone with Lance Valentine to get his perspective on what's in store for river anglers. Lance said, "I expect this to be the best season in the last 10 years. The massive 2003 year class of fish will be in the 4-7lb range and should provide a majority of the action during April and May". He also encouraged anglers to get out early while the big females are still in the river if catching a trophy is on your "To Do List" for 2010. Lance went on to say "...once we hit late April most of the big fish are back out in Lake Erie and we transition to a numbers game with the smaller males". Watch for Lance's fishing reports in the near future. Book a Guided Trip with Lance.
January 1, 2010 - New Satellite Website
Check out this cool new site we found for maps of the river and other loactions. I have zoomed in on one of our favorite Detroit River spots along the golf course. You can zoom in and out with the control on the right side of the page. Lets go...
January 1, 2010 - Detroit River Tour
Learn about some of our favorite Detroit River hotspots. Check them out and see if you have fished these locations. If you try all these great spots and don't catch any fish it's time to turn in your license and start golfing! Good luck and send us any questions you have about these hot spots. Lets check it out |  |
January 1, 2010 - MWT Detroit River Tournament Dates
The MWT has published it's 2010 tournament dates for the Detroit River. The opening tournament of the year is April 10th & 11th and is Detroit River only. Tournament cost is $310 plus a $30 membership fee. Get all the details at the Michigan Walleye Tour website
A 2009 Success Story!
Here is a great reason why you should get a copy of the "Walleye 101 Guide to the Upper Detroit River" DVD. What a great story and a cool picture! Congratulations Dave and Mark!
"Thanks Lance, your upper Detroit river hot spots DVD is responsible for one of the greatest fishing experences I have ever had. As we boated fish, B-Ball fans cheered and took our pics."
God bless you, thanks Dave & Mark! |  |
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