Water level
574.54ft
+0.27 ft in 24h
USGS 04165710 updated 10:12 AM
Waters · Rivers · MI · Mon, Sep 21
Detroit River fishing report today Picky — fish it after dark.
Work for it.
Built from solunar, pressure, level, wind. This water has no live gauge for every reading — see the sources below.
5/10
Picky
Today's bite windows
12 AM6 AMNoon6 PM11 PM
10Peak 9 8Strong 7 6Good 5 4Slow 3 2 1Dead
Minor
1:11 AM–2:11 AM
Moonset
Major
8:34 AM–10:34 AM
Moon underfoot
Minor
4:46 PM–5:46 PM
Moonrise
Major
8:57 PM–10:57 PM
Moon overhead
Sunrise 7:18 AM · sunset 7:31 PM · tomorrow's first major 9:21 AM–11:21 AM · windows on every water
Solunar · computed updated 10:42 AM
Conditions right now
Flow
204000cfs
USGS 04165710 updated 9:48 AM
Pressure
30.2inHg
rising fast · +3.39 hPa/12h
NOAA KDET updated 10:25 AM
Wind
13mph NE
NOAA KDET updated 10:25 AM
Moon
76% waxing
Solunar · computed updated 10:42 AM
What this means
Trout
This gauge reports level but no water temperature, so depth calls stay open. Read the windows and the pressure trend instead.
Detroit River water level today
574.54 ft up 0.27 ft in 24 hours
That sits 80% of the way up the band it has held over the last 8 days, between 573.95 and 574.69 ft. Over the week it is up0.26ft.
09-13 573.95–574.69 ft 09-21
USGS 04165710 updated 10:12 AM
The week ahead
| Tue | 5 | Picky | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed | 6 | Biting | |
| Thu | 6 | Biting | |
| Fri | 6 | Biting | |
| Sat | 7 | Biting | |
| Sun | 6 | Biting | |
| Mon | 6 | Biting |
Forecast days carry solunar and the wind outlook. Pressure and gauge movement land the morning of.
Detroit River boat ramps and public fishing access
Michigan Department of Natural Resources lists 6 public access points on Detroit River.
- Riverside Park 1.3 mi
- Dr. H. Belanger Park 2.2 mi
- Ecorse Municipal Ramp 5.1 miLaunch lanes: 2Piers: 2
- Wyandotte Municipal Ramp 5.7 miLaunch lanes: 2Piers: 1
- Detroit River Canal 7.2 miPiers: 1
- Reid Ramps 7.7 mi
Access data from Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Distances are straight-line from our gauge, not driving distance.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources · public access inventory
Before you go
A Michigan fishing license covers this water — $26 a year for residents. DNR sets the rules and is the one that counts.
What it costs, and who is exempt →Nearby waters today
- 4 Picky Lake St. Clair MI · 26 km
- 4 Picky Lake Erie OH · 89 km
- 3 Lockjaw Saginaw Bay MI · 161 km
- 5 Picky Fontana Lake NC · 764 km
- 5 Picky El Vado Lake NM · 2119 km
Questions people ask about Detroit River
Answered from the same readings as the rest of this page. Where we have no basis for an answer, there is no entry — spot-by-spot local knowledge is not something we can claim for Detroit River.
- Is it worth fishing Detroit River today?
- 5 out of 10 — picky. Work for it. The strongest stretch is 8:34 AM–10:34 AM. That number is worked out fresh each morning from the solunar windows, the pressure trend, the water level.
- What time should you fish Detroit River?
- Today's major windows run 8:34 AM–10:34 AM and 8:57 PM–10:57 PM, with minor windows at 1:11 AM–2:11 AM and 4:46 PM–5:46 PM. Sunrise is 7:18 AM and sunset 7:31 PM. A major landing on first or last light is the stretch worth setting an alarm for.
- What is the water temperature at Detroit River?
- No gauge on Detroit River measures water temperature. US reservoir gauges report height, not temperature — so rather than estimate it, this page leaves it out and leans on the windows and the pressure trend instead.
- What is the water level at Detroit River right now?
- 574.54 ft, read at 10:12 AM from USGS station 04165710. Over 24 hours it is up 0.27 ft.
- Are water levels rising or falling at Detroit River?
- Rising. The lake is up 0.27 ft in 24 hours and up 0.26 ft over the week. Over the last 8 days it has held between 573.95 and 574.69 ft. Every figure here is a difference between two gauge readings, not a forecast — what the level does next depends on rain and on what the dam releases.
- Can you eat the fish you catch in Detroit River?
- That is a health question, and it is answered officially rather than by us. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services publishes the fish consumption advisory covering these waters, where the Eat Safe Fish guides cover close to 700 waters, and you pick the guide for your region. Read it before you keep a meal — we give no eating advice.
- Do you need a licence to fish Detroit River?
- Yes. A Michigan fishing license covers this water, required from age 17. DNR sets the rules and is the one that counts.
- What size fish can you keep in Michigan?
- It depends on the species, and several have slot limits rather than a simple minimum. Open to harvest today: largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, muskellunge (muskie). Seasons here change mid-year by agency order, so the status is re-checked every morning.
Largemouth and smallmouth bass limits · Walleye limits · Northern pike limits · Muskellunge (muskie) limits · Check a length against the rules
Where these numbers come from
- Solunar computed 10:42 AM
- NOAA KDET Coleman A Young Municipal Airport 10:25 AM
- NOAA DTX gridded forecast 10:24 AM
- USGS 04165710 DETROIT RIVER AT FORT WAYNE AT DETROIT, MI 10:12 AM
Fort Wayne sits at the narrowest point, where the current pulls from Lake St. Clair toward Lake Erie.
No one types these in by hand. If a source goes quiet, the page says so instead of showing you yesterday.