Detroit River Carping

The Detroit River offers some great fishing opportunities at many public fishing venues. Public parks and piers provide access to the river where you can catch species from catfish to carp and bass to walleye; from musky to sturgeon and everything in-between. My favorite little known catch so far - a River Carp Sucker.

I spent some time this morning fishing a spot on the Detroit River that has seldom produced carp for us. But whether you call it luck, skill, or persistence the results improved today. 

There are other spots nearby that have also produced some catches, but based on my personal experience you may fish one day and catch; and fish another day and not. 

I think river fish tend to travel more and move around more than fish in a lake might have a tendency to do. And wind direction definitely plays a big part in the odds of catching carp from the Detroit River. 

My largest carp in the photos below weighed more than 21 pounds. 

If you decide to try fishing the river, aim for a day when the wind is low and slow. We ended up leaving around 11:15 a.m. along with most everyone else. 

This is a quick, hit it, get it and go spot apparently because no one was catching anything after 9 a.m.

Mid Teens Carp

Small, but scrappy

21 pounds

If you are looking for a camera, look around for a used Fujifilm 12 megapixel pocket sized point and shoot. It's better than many phone cameras and it saves your phone battery. You can buy them under $100 if you shop around.