Detroit River Carp

This chunk is the largest from a recent outing at the Detroit River.

I enjoy fishing the river because it's challenging and you never know what going to on the end of the line.

It can be one of many species and could even include the largest freshwater fish available to Michiganders in the form of a sturgeon

Detroit River Carp

I am starting my focus on the Detroit River for the season.

I am convinced that the possibility to increase my personal best from the river of 28#'s is just around the corner.

But neither of the fish from Monday's effort were close.

These are my first two carp caught at the Detroit River this year.

I have started a new Facebook group and page you might be interested in:  https://www.facebook.com/michiganshoreanglers

Personal Best Detroit River Carp

I've been focused on catching a new personal best Detroit River carp this year. In fact, for the past 3 years, I've been on a quest to catch big carp from the Detroit River. My goal of 30 pounds is now within reach.

In early summer of 2021 I landed a 26 pounder. Yesterday I bested that carp by a pound and a half! 

Out of the thick, morning fog, and in 34 degree temperatures, this 27 lb 8 oz entered the landing net. 

This fish took the hook bait timidly at first, but immediately bolted for the main river channel once I tightened the drag on my reel and lifted up on the rod.

A few minutes earlier we landed this nice catfish.

You never know what you might catch when fishing the Detroit River. There are good chances to land any of about 15 to 20 species of fish with catfish, carp, walleye, sheepshead, silver bass, perch, rock bass, smallmouth bass, pike, muskie and more are readily available. 

I met a gentleman who caught a 7' sturgeon while catfishing from a popular public pier. The gentleman stood 6'6 and the sturgeon was significantly longer (taller) as lay next to it. 

Note: If you do catch a sturgeon carefully land it and return it to the water quickly. Targeting sturgeon in Michigan has regulations governing that activity. Become familiar with those guidelines.

Independence Day Carp Fishing Session

The weather this morning at 5:30 a.m. was perfect for carp fishing, the Detroit River was mirror smooth, and the carp were biting. It had all the desired elements for a nice morning of fishing on the river.

Boat traffic picks up on the river around 9 a.m., which provides some uninterrupted bottom fishing time. With the bait situated at the bottom of the river, chances of catching improve, but it's not a fool proof method (just the best method I'vetried so far). 

The boats seem to churn up weeds, because shortly after boat traffic increases I start to notice many more floating weeds coming by. The weeds get caught on the fishing lines and pull out line from the reel or shift our bottom baits as the current pushes the weeds along. But it's still possible to catch carp.

At one point I recasted my middle rod and within 30 seconds I had a screaming run.. Yes - 30 seconds! Maybe it was even less.

I love days like this.

I posted a couple of days ago about my lack of mirror carp catches, but this morning the mirror carp decided to play. I caught one of the elusive and rare Detroit River mirror carp. Out of the 100 or so carp I've caught on the river in the last 8 years, it's the lone mirror to enter my landing net.

I ended with 7 in total today.

And, now an encouraging word for aspiring river carp fishermen:

People sometimes ask me why I fish the Detroit River so much even though Michigan has hundreds of other lakes. Besides the points that 1) very few of the noted "carp lakes" are near my home, and 2) that many lakes I'd like to fish have almost zero public fishing access availability; the river is a challenging place to consistently catch carp.

* Even small river carp are strong swimmers and can be challenging to reel in. 

The first time I fished the river I caught a single fish. The next several times, I spent all day long fishing only to blank. 

So, it became a challenge to figure it out.

Now when I go fishing I sometimes catch 10, 15, 20...and up to my personal record - 34 !

Downsides:

• I have lost lots of tackle.
• The current is pretty strong out more than a foot or two from shore.
• You need a partner to help land the fish or you will struggle more than necessary.
• You need a substantial landing net to hoist the fish up to 8 feet from the water over the railing where you are fishing.
• You have to be patient with larger boats generating waves in your swim.
• On average, the fish are smallish compared to lakes.

But the state record for a Detroit River carp is in the 36 pound range, so there's always a chance for a true river monster sized fish. 

And that keeps me going back to the Detroit River in search of my new person's best carp. Given enough time, I think it's a possibility.

The Lone Carp

I caught this little guy this morning. Every year I notice that the carp bite slows down once the fireworks start. This year is no exception it appears. I had two others who sheared off on a submerged picnic table snag in this swim.

After reflection, some of the slow-bite could be impacted by the plethora of fish flies that are currently available in the river. When food is plentiful, I think fish prefer the natural / normal sources most of the time. 

Submerged Picnic Tables

I'm not sure when it became fashionable for ice fishermen to move the park picnic tables out onto the ice when the lake / river is frozen over but two different paces I fish that are about 50 miles apart in different counties have this issue. 

If you are an ice fisherman and you see someone doing this, consider suggesting they don't. If you are not comfortable speaking to them about it, report it to the parks and recreation department or DNR as appropriate. 

I'm guessing there are submerged picnic tables in other bodies of water as well.

It's really getting ridiculous at this point (and frustrating).

Detroit River Carp Fishing

I've been writing this carp fishing blog for almost 8 years. It's never had a big following or large numbers of readers. But I am grateful to the small number of regular readers and casual carp fishing enthusiasts who do stop by from time to time.

I enjoy fishing. I live in Michigan and fish from shore, so carp are a natural choice. There aren't many freshwater fish in Michigan that grow larger with the exception of sturgeon and muskie/ pike.

Some may say that catfish belongs on the list too, but I place catfish in the 3rd tier by size along with common carp. Across the board, the carp I catch are bigger but I agree that catfish in certain locations grow pretty big and their weight can rival carp (or possibly even surpass carp).

Here are a few photos from today's efforts on the Detroit River. I caught 8 carp today including a 23 pounder.

I'm often asked about places to fish on the Detroit River. Luckily, carp are readily available throughout the river.

Find a place along the river that provides public access along the shoreline. Public parks are a great place to fish for carp in the Detroit River.

There is no need to cast out into the main river. The current is so strong that your bait would drift unless you use a very heavy lead (like 8 oz. and greater). 

Identify a current break. Cast your bait into water that is 5 to 10 feet deep, which is only a couple feet from shore in many locations. I literally fish 1' from shore in a few locations when pier fishing along the river.

You don't need alarms, pods, or anything unusual. If there's a railing, lean your rod against it and loosen the drag. 

Do bring a heavy duty net built strong enough to lift a 20 pound fish from the water and over a tall railing. A traditional carp net isn't designed for this, so consider this before heading out. If you're fishing along the shore where there is no railing a light duty Euro-carp-style net is fine.

More Detroit River Carp

The day started off a little chilly at the Detroit River with the temperature at 47 degrees. I grabbed the pants from my rain gear and pulled them on over my shorts to warm up a little. 

After setting up at 5:45 a.m. we had to wait for the first bite at 9:30ish, but it was worth the wait with my largest fish of the year hitting the net.

I got a second very respectable fish a few runs later and ended with 6 fish total. 

If the temps had been 20 degrees warmer I'm pretty sure we'd have landed 3 or 4 more fish today.

Detroit River Carp Fishing

I had the day off and took the opportunity to catch a few carp near snags and current breaks on the Detroit River. 

The river continues to surprise me. I've fished it before a few times each year, but after concentrating on the river a lot in 2021, it has demonstrated its' worth as a carp fishery. 

There are other places where the carp might congregate that increases a chance at bigger fish, but the numbers are definitely available and we've had two at 26 #'s, a 24 # last year and a few others over 20 #'s this year so the chances of bigger fish are there too.

I ended the day with 6 carp landed. The largest was almost 20 pounds (19 lbs. and 11 oz.) and the next largest was almost 19 pounds (18 lbs. and 10 oz.). 

The value of the 50 pound braided fishing line I use demonstrated itself today. This particular location is a popular public park. There are lots of snags consisting of orphaned perch, walleye, crappie rigs, and others. The 50 pound braid allows you to muscle the carp rig through the trash and break the lighter monofilament line. 

In the slack current spots where the carp like to hang out (and I like to fish) the river deposits tree branches, sticks, tires, etc. Those obstacles can lead to frustration for carp anglers, so when river fishing it pays to have a mindset going into it that you will lose some tackle.

My first two casts ended up in snags and line break offs. The novice me would have been so angry that I sulked and complained the entire day ruining the fishing experience for everyone present. The more experienced me simply moved those two rods further down the shoreline to different locations and snags were no longer a big issue.

There are carp fishermen who avoid snags like the plague. There are others who actively seek them out. I'm someplace in-between at this point.

It's difficult to lose $5 per cast to break offs, but I will trade 6 fish for $10 every time out. However, I really need to be on the lookout for some weights that are more environmentally friendly for fishing near snags.

Chucking lead into the river and breaking off is not too good for the environment on a long term basis. I know "everyone does it", but I'll do my part to help if I find suitable substitutes.

8 Tips for Detroit River Carp Fishing

After a slow outing last weekend fishing from shore on the Detroit River, at a different spot, my expectations for today were hopeful but realistic. Luckily, things improved. 

On the hottest day of the year, so far, the carp bite also heated up. I ended a 7 hour session early with 13 fish and a new Detroit River personal best at 26 pounds. The better fish were in the first 45 minutes and they got smaller as the temps heated up.

The fish above is my new personal best from the Detroit River. At 26 pounds, I am very grateful to catch such an out-of-the-ordinary large carp from this river spot.

The fish had obvious signs of recent spawning activity with some redness, minor injuries and two missing scales. This river warrior was very leery of being netted as well and is one of the most difficult to net I have seen in several years of carp fishing.

The Detroit River provides many options for catching some large lifetime best sized fish from walleye, sturgeon, muskie, carp, sheephead, pike and more.

I'll also add some 8 tips and observations about fishing the Detroit River for carp to help make your carp fishing efforts more enjoyable and successful:

• Average size of Detroit River carp are not very large. 
• Based on my catches the past 6 years, 12 to 14 pounds is the average size for this area. 
• The river fish in this area will wreck you pretty quick if you're not paying attention. 
• There are snags and some decent current in this particular park. 
• Fishing the river requires an acknowledgement that some tackle will be lost and some hook pulls will occur.
• Some rookie fishermen will snag you because they try using 1/2 ounce leads and don't police their lines very well.
• I'd budget 15 bucks a session on lost hooks, leads, swivels, fake corn, etc.
• You use twice as much pack because to catch numbers you need to recast fresh pack every 25 to 30 minutes.

Deja Vu Carp Times 2

Fishing at the Detroit River today for carp, I had two catches at 15+ pounds each. To my surprise, it appeared to be the same fish.

It wasn't very easy to tell because the fish had a couple of missing scales on the side opposite the camera.

The first catch was at 10:15 and second at a little after Noon. We managed a better photo the second time around.

These catches demonstrate an important concept in carp fishing: consistency. Consistent casting and baiting will help you catch more fish.

After you have identified a likely location that holds fish, recasting to the same spot does three things:

1) Holds fish already there in the location for a longer period
2) Draws more fish into the spot
3) Increases the odds you may catch one or more fish

You can't catch what's not in front of you. So its a smart strategy to hold what's there and bring more in. More fish for longer periods translates into more fish selfies! Yay!

Link to more info about carp fishing on the Detroit River: The Strait

Update: Upon closer inspection of these photos it is apparent these are two different fish.

9 Carp Caught in Detroit River After a Rain

It's Saturday, so I went fishing. I caught lots of fish and caught my new Detroit River carp personal best and my new Detroit River carpsucker personal best (either a River or a Highline). That's the first carpsucker I have caught in the river.

These are pictures of most of them, but not all. The river was on fire today after the rain.

Update: It appears the sucker could also be a quillback. Whatever it is, it's a first for me.

22 pounds

Release picture of my new Detroit River
personal best.

I used chocolate hazelnut flavoring in my cream corn, with Beet Crush Deer minerals and peanut suet in the packbait mix.

This one took his time navigating through the thick weed cover in this location that becomes very thick at summer's end.

Another of the numerous common carp I caught

Sometimes the action is fast and furious and there's only time for a quick mat picture.

Definitely a surprise catch that was completely unexpected

"You can call me quillback, or you can call me carpsucker, just don't call me a quillback carpsucker."

In my experience, this is a typical size for Detroit River common carp.

I ended the day tired and wore out. Days like this make me appreciate having someone to help with netting and taking pictures. I kept getting runs while trying to get the pictures captured.

One of numerous catfish I caught

The first catch of the day turned to be a catfish

In a prior post, I suggested using the smallest possible size lead weight when carp fishing in the Detroit River. For these fish, I used a 2 oz leads.

This day of fast and furious fishing also required using the voice activated picture capability of my Galaxy S9 SmartPhone.

Carp Photo Tip: When taking self-posed carp pictures, remember to present the fish square to the camera. If you really want to be conservative and ensure a nice photo, tilt the head slightly closer to the phone camera than the tail.  For a good example of what happens when you don't follow that guidance, refer to the first photo above. Unfortunately, I missed an opportunity for an average photo to be a great one.

Detroit River Carp Fishing Documentary Series

I love Detroit River carp fishing. It's large, expansive and intimidating to some carp anglers. Those challenges make every fish caught more gratifying. I teach people to catch carp.

These same tips will work well for people learning how to fish for catfish too. Where's there are carp there are catfish and vice versa.

The river is very challenging - to the point that every catch from the river is worth 4 or 5 from the local lakes I fish.

The river is less of a river than a strait. The French named the city Detroit after the French word meaning water connecting two large bodies of water, a "strait". According to Michigan.org:

"le detroit du Lac Erie," meaning "the strait of Lake Erie." On July 24, 1701, a French explorer and nobleman by the name of Antoine de la Mothe, sieur de Cadillac founded Detroit.

The Detroit River connects Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie. There is a current, which in my experience varies from location to location and varies based on the time of day.

Strategy and Technique

In the morning before dawn the current is very light. I've seen the river waters very smooth, calm and ripple free at dawn. It's a great time to fish the river. As the sun rises, the carp begin to feed more actively on the surface, can easily be seen and "targeted" with strategic casts.

The west side of Grosse Ile, west side of Mud Island and west side of Belle Isle all have less large boat traffic than do the east sides of those locations.

As boat traffic increases during the day, the current in the river also increases. The boats churn up more weeds and debris, creating challenges holding the hook bait in place on bottom. When significant quantities of weeds build up on the line, it creates more and more drag by the river current requiring heavier lead; or retrieval and recasting.

For leads, I have used 2 oz to 5 oz sizes in the Detroit River. There are places that require very heavy sizes, but in the heaviest current the chances of holding bottom completely are pretty slim. I prefer to find a structure and fish behind it as a current break, or to let the pack bait rest directly against the seawall.

I suggest using the lightest lead size you are comfortable with. The heavier leads will definitely hang up on snags more easily and more often.

Fishing the Detroit River requires more frequent casting and re-baiting. I recommend you take extra ingredients for making packbait. I have noticed that more frequent re-casts seem to result in more fish. In a lake the bait just sits there, but on a river it disperses more quickly. I like to use more corn in my pack bait when fishing the river. Also, don't make the pack extra big on the river. Bigger pack bait is going to make it more buoyant and make it more difficult to hold in one place.

I use panko bread crumbs, bird seed, chicken feed, cooked field corn and peanut suet for a pack bait mix. You can flavor the cream corn or not; its up to you.

Consistent casting and baiting will help you catch more fish in areas with less current.

After you have identified a likely location that holds fish, recasting to the same spot does three things:

1. Holds fish already there in the location for a longer period
2. Draws more fish into the spot
3. Increases the odds you may catch one or more fish

You can't catch what's not in front of you. So its a smart strategy to hold what's there and bring more in.

My carp rig of choice is a bolt rig with #4 or #6 Gamakatzu G-Carp hook, a 4 1/2" hook length, and hair rig with 3 pieces of flavored corn on a 3/4" hair.

During a recent trip to Elizabeth Park in Trenton, 100+ boats launched from a nearby marina for a bass tournament. The water disruptions were really not that bad. The river is so big that any wake is distributed enough in that location that it's usually minimal by the time it reaches the shoreline.

It may be too late in the fishing season this year, but I plan to begin a serious project to begin documenting a greater concentration on catching carp in the Detroit River next year.

There are many locations and people I meet that would make intriguing subjects for future articles here on the blog.

The photo possibilities are pretty cool too.

• Can you imagine catching a carp photo selfie with the Renaissance Center or Ambassador Bridge in the background? 
• How about a large ocean going tanker?
• Border Patrol boats?
• Coast Guard vessels?
• Lighthouses?

I think it would be epic.

From Grosse Point to the Lake Erie Metro Park, there are 25 to 30 viable public fishing locations to access the river (and possibly even a few more). Some spots are better than others. One of the most attractive locations has a time limit for shore fishing (you can't start before 6 a.m. and you must finish by 10 a.m.). Another great venue in Wyandotte, BASF Park, unfortunately doesn't allow shore fishing at all.

There are a few piers that sometimes become crowded with other fishermen, depending on the season and weather patterns. A few locations are in pretty heavy current (near Mud Island).

If you look around, there are several public locations with current breaks that enable fishing in calm water.

This location has a reputation for having a lot of snags in the water, but I've learned that snags are reduced by using lighter leads and keeping the rod tip elevated perpendicular to the water when retrieving line for re-baiting.

Imagine a carp photo with Caesar's Windsor in the background

This location doesn't produce a lot of fish, but it's accessible for river fishing, although space is limited. And even more so in 2020 due to floating debris, a fallen tree and significant bank erosion.

A view from a swim on Belle Isle that I fished a couple of times this year. 

I plan to also incorporate more videos going forward as well.

It will be a good way to look forward to 2021 and put 2020 in the rear view mirror.

Places to Fish in Detroit

The list below will include venues in Detroit and throughout the greater Metropolitan area, from Trenton in the south to Grosse Point to the north.

Trenton

Rotary Park

This spot has some snags to overcome,  but is a good option to access the river. I have only managed one catfish from this location in 2 hours I've spent fishing there.

Elizabeth Park

There is a lot of bank space in this location, but there is also a lot of pedestrian activities including walkers, runners, dogs, bicycles, etc.

Meyer Elias Park

There isn't a lot of bank space in this location. Bank erosian has reduced the fishable spots tremendously in the past 6 to 8 years. It becomes very weedy too.

Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge

I really had high hopes for carp fishing at the refuge pier just south of Trenton. Unfortunately, my anticipation ended in disappointment.

Straight down from the pier railing where I fished, the depth is 5'. Unfortunately, that's probably not ideal for river carp fishing. I've had better results in finding deeper drop offs up to 12 - 15 feet and also spots that are 10 feet or so across the board. 

With the high volume of foot traffic at the pier, I am guessing the carp "spook" and relocate away from all the commotion.

Wyandotte

Bishop Park

Ecorse

John Dingell Park

The current in this spot is challenging, but over the years I've caught quite a few carp in this park. I just let the bait rest against the seawall straight down from the rod rest, which helps reduce issues with the current.

19 pounds

River Rouge

Belanger Park

Southeast Detroit

Riverside Park


Detroit

Belle Isle

Conclusion

Be prepared that not every fishing trip will be successful. But, with big risks come big rewards.

Can you imagine catching a 40 pound carp from the Detroit River? I definitely can. I personally believe it is a matter of preparation and persistence. There are documented carp examples of 36 pounds in the Detroit River. There are reports of 40 pound carp in Lake Erie. Those waters are connected, so the potential is definitely there.