Great Lakes connecting water

Lake St. Clair

Macomb & St. Clair Counties (shared with Ontario), Michigan

A shallow, clear lake between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, shared with Ontario. It's world-famous for smallmouth bass and muskie, and it's close to Detroit.

Air temp in Harsens Island, MI Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Lake St. Clair (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area275,200 acres

Max depth27 ft

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck local rules

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Smallmouth Bass●●●●●

World-class. Sand flats and weed edges in 6–15 ft.

Muskellunge●●●●●

One of the best muskie fisheries anywhere. Trolled big baits in summer and fall.

Walleye●●●○○

Points, flats and reefs at low light. Jigs and live bait early, crankbaits and crawler harnesses in summer.

Yellow Perch●●●●○

Schools on mud and sand flats. Great through the ice.

Largemouth Bass●●●○○

Weeds, docks and wood in the shallows.

When they bite

Month-by-month activity for each target species.

	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Smallmouth Bass
Muskellunge
Walleye
Yellow Perch

SlowFairGoodHot

Boat launches

1 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

More public accessPublic
See the Michigan DNR or lake website for all ramps and feesDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Special rules for this lake, confirmed from official state regulations. Minimum size and daily limit.

Species	Min size	Daily limit
Largemouth Bass Season opens 3rd Sat. in June - Dec. 31 on L. St. Clair; size/limit not confirmed for this water
Smallmouth Bass Season opens 3rd Sat. in June - Dec. 31 on L. St. Clair; size/limit not confirmed for this water

Other species in this lake: look up the limits at Michigan Department of Natural Resources ↗

Verified October 2026. Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.

Cabela'sAt lake
45959 Towne Center Boulevard, ChesterfieldDirections ↗
Sportsmen's DirectAt lake
38989 Jefferson Avenue, Harrison Township(586) 741-6052 Directions ↗
Lakeside Fishing ShopNearby
25110 Jefferson Avenue, St. Clair Shores(586) 777-7003 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Lake St. Clair ↗

Local tips

The Canadian side needs an Ontario license.
Big water. Wind makes waves quickly.
Heavy recreational boat traffic on summer weekends.

Angler reports

Water temp, what's biting, and anything else other anglers should know about Lake St. Clair.

Loading reports...

View on interactive map

Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches; blue pins are bait shops nearby.