Lake St. Clair, The Early Fall Bite

This bass was caught on a transition spot while using a 4” Canadian Mist tube

by Nate Perry

Example of a transition spot

Say goodbye to some of your summer spots and hello to fall schooling zones. At this point in the season, we are noticing the river holding less and less bass. That is due to the smallmouth migrating down the river and back into the lake. That said, it may be time to start trying to piece together a pattern in the lake. However, if you are still looking for some fish in the river, transition spots such as seawalls, seawall corners, and breaks can all be productive.

One of the most important aspects to finding quality fish all year long is finding baitfish, and the fall is no exception. Historically, perch have been the dominant fall forage, with shiners playing a role in select spots of the river.

Bass love perch this time of year, but probably something smaller
than this musky sized dessert.

With the temperatures up and down, the bass are not quite sure if it’s summer or fall. With cooler temperatures approaching, we can expect a more consistent bite in the weeks ahead. We know that the fall bite is emerging when we start seeing water temperatures steadily dropping each time we are on the water. Below is the surface water temperature trend from the past few weeks. Be prepared to change tactics in order to find success.