The Detroit River is the place to walleye fish especially in the spring. The Michigan DNR estimate several million Walleye’s migrate through this river system every spring to spawn. The bite is so good that almost every Walleye Tournament Circuit out there makes a stop in the month of April. April and May are both good months to target the Detroit River. Two of the main launches in the lower Detroit River are Metro Park and Elizabeth Park. Elizabeth Park open every year on April 1^st.

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The first of April is when we start. The big fish are coming in which is why all of the tournaments are scheduled during April. When anglers are bringing in bigger weight baskets it’s hard not to have a successful event. You can count on plenty of smaller males as well to go with them. May is the month for numbers of fish. Most of the large females have left but catching males is so easy it rarely requires live bait.

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You may want to be a bit more couscous when starting this early specifically if you’re traveling any distance. A main variable to consider when fishing the Detroit River is the changing water conditions and how that effect’s the bite. When the water is high and dirty it makes for a tough bit. The conditions can drastically change overnight.

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Water clarity is effected by two main things this time of year which are snow and wind. The more snow on the ground the more vulnerable the river is to run off which can make the water high and dirty. The other main factor is wind. Not so much the wind on the Detroit River but the wind on Lake ST Clair. When Lake ST Clair gets stirred up the dirty water flows right down through the Detroit River. Both have the same effect. When the water is clear you need to be vertical Jigging. When the water is dirty you need to start trolling. Keep an eye on who is catching fish and do as the Romans do.

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A big mistake people make when jigging the Detroit River is they use jig heads that are lighter weight than what they need to use. A key is staying vertical to keep your bait in the zone and stay out of snags. We recommend nothing less than a 3/8 ounce to a half ounce jig head. Heaver jigs can be an issue when fish are bighting light. The fish aren’t able to pull the heavier jig into their mouth. The advantages of the heavier jigs out weigh the cons. Take care of the light bitters by adding a stinger hook before switching to a lighter jig. If your stinger hook is getting fowled on your main line just slow down your lift and fall motion. This will take care of the problem going forward.

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The trolling bite in the Detroit River is dominated by Hand Liners. That is a specific technique developed on the Detroit and ST Clair River systems. Three way rigging is also an effective method. You can catch fish by trolling deep diving crank baits as well but it’s the least productive method out of the three . Your bait needs to stay near the bottom without touching it. Three way rigs allow you to work the bottom effectively. Here are a couple of tips for running these rigs.

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1^st Use at least 30 pound no stretch line for your main line. We prefer Power Pro braided line.

2^nd Use 20 pound Maxima leader line from your three way to your lure. Maxima is the most  abrasion resistant line I have found. Maxima 20 pound is enough to bend most hooks out. This prevents loosing lures when snagged.

3^rd uses 10 pound maxima for the drop line to the weight. If you snag on your weight you can break it off without jeopardize loosing your lure or breaking your mainline. Replacing weights is much cheaper.

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To find out more about Walleye fishing trips and tricks on the Detroit River look us up at www.michiganfishguide.com.