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Detroit sits on one of the most productive urban fisheries in North America, and almost nobody outside Michigan knows it. The Detroit River is a 32-mile strait connecting Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie, flowing through the heart of the city with a current that pushes an enormous volume of water, and fish, past the downtown skyline every day. Every spring, an estimated 14 million walleye migrate from Lake Erie up the Detroit River to spawn. Smallmouth bass hold along the rocky banks, bridge pilings, and current seams year-round in what biologists call one of the best smallmouth fisheries on the continent. Yellow perch school along the breakwalls and piers from summer through fall. And muskie, the fish of 10,000 casts, patrol the deeper channels.
Belle Isle, a 982-acre island park in the middle of the Detroit River, puts you on fishing piers surrounded by fast-moving, fish-rich water. The Refuge Gateway Pier, 775 feet long, extends into the river on the south end of the metro. William G. Milliken State Park puts you on the Riverwalk in the heart of downtown. This is world-class fishing from the shore of an American city.
The Detroit River: Walleye Migration
The Detroit River walleye run is one of the great freshwater spectacles in America. Every spring, when water temperatures hit the low 40s (usually early April), millions of walleye push up the river from Lake Erie to spawn on the rocky reefs and shoals. The run lasts from late March through May, and the shore fishing during the peak is extraordinary, anglers report catching walleye at a rate of one per hour from the bank.
Where to Fish the Walleye Run
Belle Isle (fishing piers): The north and south piers on Belle Isle put you in the middle of the river, directly in the walleye migration path. The south side piers near the Coast Guard station are the most popular. Walk-on from Belle Isle State Park (Recreation Passport required for vehicle entry, free on foot or bike).
Refuge Gateway Pier (Trenton): A 775-foot pier extending into the Detroit River at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, one of the premier shore fishing piers in the Great Lakes. Walleye, white bass, and perch. Walk-on from the refuge.
Bishop Park (Wyandotte): Walk-on bank access to the lower Detroit River. Walleye stack up here during the run.
William G. Milliken State Park (Downtown): Fish from the Detroit Riverwalk in the heart of the city. Walleye, smallmouth bass, and perch from the seawall. Walk-on from the park at 1900 Atwater Street.
Walleye Techniques (from shore)
Jigging: A 6'6" to 7' medium spinning rod, 2500- to 3000-size reel, 10-pound braid, 8-pound fluorocarbon leader. Jig-and-minnow combos (1/4 to 3/8 ounce jig tipped with a fathead or emerald shiner minnow) cast upstream and bounced along the bottom as the current sweeps it downstream. Vertical jigging from the piers is deadly, drop the jig straight down and lift-drop in the current.
Crankbaits: Shallow-running crankbaits (Rapala Shad Rap, Bandit 100) cast into the current and retrieved slowly. The walleye are moving upstream, cast upstream and retrieve with the current for a natural presentation.
Blade baits: Silver Buddy or Heddon Sonar jigged vertically from the piers. Effective in deeper water and low-light conditions.
Detroit River Shore Walleye Fishing, Incredible Bite, Multiple Fish Detroit River Walleye Fishing, How I Catch Them and WhereSmallmouth Bass: Year-Round Action
The Detroit River's smallmouth bass fishery is elite, widely considered one of the best in North America. The river's rocky bottom, strong current, and abundant goby and crawfish population create perfect habitat. Smallmouth bass hold along the rocky banks, bridge pilings, current seams, and drop-offs from late May through October, with catch-and-release fishing available year-round.
Where for Smallmouth
Belle Isle (south shore): The rocky points, shoals, and drop-offs around the south side of Belle Isle hold smallmouth bass through the warm months. Wade-fish from the rocky shoreline or cast from the piers.
Downtown Riverwalk / Milliken State Park: Smallmouth hold around the seawall structure and bridge pilings. Cast tubes and Ned rigs tight to the wall.
Delray area (Southwest Detroit): Walk-on bank access to a less-fished section of the river. Smallmouth, largemouth bass, and catfish in the slower sections.
Smallmouth Techniques
Tubes: The go-to Detroit River smallmouth bait. A 3- to 4-inch tube (green pumpkin, smoke, or brown) on a 1/4 to 3/8 ounce jighead, cast to rocky structure and hopped along the bottom. The strong current requires enough weight to maintain bottom contact.
Ned rigs: Z-Man TRD on a mushroom jighead, bounced along the rocky bottom. Effective for finicky smallmouth.
Topwater (summer): Poppers and walking baits over the rocky shallows early and late. Smallmouth on the Detroit River average 2 to 4 pounds with trophy fish over 5 pounds available.
Detroit River Fishing, Tube Jigging for Shore Smallmouth BassYellow Perch: The Table Fish
Yellow perch are the bread-and-butter fish of Detroit River shore angling. They school along the breakwalls, piers, and rocky shorelines from summer through fall, and they are excellent eating, among the best-tasting freshwater fish in North America.
Perch Techniques
A light spinning rod (5'6" to 6'6", 4- to 6-pound line) with a perch spreader rig (two hooks at different depths, each baited with a minnow or wax worm). Fish near the bottom along the breakwalls and piers. Perch travel in schools, when you find them, stay put and fill a bucket.
Belle Isle piers and the Refuge Gateway Pier are the top perch spots in the metro.
Fishing Licence and Regulations
Michigan fishing licence: Required for anyone 17+. Resident annual $26. Nonresident annual $76. One-day $10 (resident and nonresident). Youth under 17: voluntary $2 licence.
Michigan Recreation Passport: Required for vehicle entry to Belle Isle State Park ($17 resident, $34 nonresident, or $7 day pass). Walk-on and bike entry is free.
Walleye: Daily limit 5. Minimum 15 inches. Detroit River walleye season opens with the general inland season (late April).
Smallmouth bass: Catch-and-release year-round. Possession season opens third Saturday of June on the Detroit River (later than most Michigan waters). Daily limit 5, minimum 14 inches during possession season.
Yellow perch: Daily limit 25. No minimum size.
When to Fish
March-May (Spring): The walleye run, the main event. 14 million walleye push through the river late March through May. Smallmouth bass catch-and-release opens. White bass run alongside the walleye.
June-August (Summer): Smallmouth bass possession season opens in June. Yellow perch along the breakwalls and piers. Topwater smallmouth early and late. Catfish in the slower sections.
September-November (Fall): Yellow perch schooling for the fall feed, the best perch fishing of the year. Smallmouth bass feed aggressively before winter. Muskie in the deeper channels.
December-February (Winter): The river rarely freezes (current is too strong). Hardy anglers fish for walleye and perch from Belle Isle piers on warm days. The fishing is slow but the river never completely shuts down.
Practical Details
Getting there: Belle Isle is accessible by car via the MacArthur Bridge from East Jefferson Avenue (Recreation Passport required for vehicles). Free on foot or bike. Milliken State Park is walkable from downtown. DDOT bus routes reach some access points.
Gear that travels: A 7-foot medium spinning rod with 10-pound braid covers walleye jigging, smallmouth bass, and perch. For walleye during the run, step up to a medium-heavy rod to handle the current. Bring warm layers for spring walleye fishing, April mornings on the Detroit River are cold.
Tackle shops: Cabela's (Dundee, south of the metro), Bass Pro Shops (Auburn Hills, north), Lakeside Fishing Shop (Sterling Heights, Great Lakes tackle specialist with Detroit River intel).
For more Great Lakes urban fishing, see urban fishing in Chicago (Lake Michigan salmon from shore), urban fishing in Milwaukee (harbor salmon and steelhead), or urban fishing in Cleveland-area waters. For Michigan's Upper Peninsula, read our Traverse City fishing guide.
Current awareness: The Detroit River has strong, fast current, especially in the main channel. Fish from the piers, seawalls, and bank. Do not wade the main channel. The current behind Belle Isle and in the sheltered areas is manageable, but the open river is powerful.
Incredible Fall Walleye Shore Fishing, Detroit River
