Heavy winds dictate the late fall smallmouth bite on St. Clair

What anglers are reporting There are no fresh reports from the lake over the past few weeks. Boat traffic has thinned out significantly as late fall weather sets in.

This week's outlook Expect water temperatures to be hovering around the 50-degree mark and dropping as a cooling trend takes hold. The biggest factor this week is the wind, with sustained blows over 25 mph from the west and northwest. When you can get out, look for giant smallmouth to be heavily concentrated on hard structure and current seams near the river mouths as they feed up on gobies and shiners before winter.

Where to start Focus on the St. Clair River delta islands and the mouth of the Clinton River where current positions the fish. Look for isolated hard spots, gravel patches, and channel edges in 12 to 18 feet of water. The remaining weed edges in Anchor Bay can also hold fish, but hard bottom transitions are the primary target right now.

Bait box

• Blade baits in silver or gold for triggering reaction strikes
• 3- to 4-inch swimbaits in emerald shiner or goby patterns
• Goby-colored tubes dragged slowly on the bottom
• Drop-shot rigs with small minnow profiles
• Jerkbaits fished with long pauses over hard spots

This weekend Saturday and Sunday are bringing 26 mph winds from the northwest and west, which will make this shallow lake extremely rough and potentially dangerous. If you launch, stay tucked into the canals, marinas, or the protected sides of the river delta. A strong front arrives next Thursday, dropping highs by 10 degrees, so any calmer windows early next week should provide a solid pre-front feeding window.