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According to Mike Pittiglio, charter captain for Muskie Mania Charters out of St. Clair Shores, this lake is in a class all by itself.

"We had the best year ever," said Pittiglio. "We caught 646 muskies last year, and 25 of them were over 30 pounds. Our biggest was 36 pounds."

Lake St. Clair spans over 200,000 acres of water and separates Detroit from southern Canada. The U.S. side covers 162 square miles of water, while the Canadian side covers 268 square miles.

"Muskie fishing is nothing short of spectacular," said Jim Francis, a DNR fisheries biologist. "While muskie fishing is still time-consuming, your odds do not get much better than on Lake St. Clair."

LaSage agrees.

"Lake St. Clair is probably the best-known muskie lake," said LaSage. "This lake has seen higher catch rates for muskies in recent years and, according to biologists in that area, in numbers and size of muskies it is hard to beat."

The lake averages just 10 feet, with its deepest spot only 23 feet deep. Trolling the weedbeds is the preferred method of angling on Lake St. Clair due to its sheer size. Guides like Pittiglio work at speeds between 3 and 5 miles per hour.

"We're crying if we don't get 10 to 12 fish a day," said Pittiglio. "In July and August, when the water warms up, I like to fish midlake. You don't get as many out there, but they're nearly all big - 45 inches or more.

"The fish are getting bigger," continued Pittiglio. "Ten or 12 years ago a 30-pounder was something. The minimum size was raised up to 42 inches, and 30-pounders became pretty common."

Lake St. Clair anglers troll an assortment of big lures. Lures with red, green or yellow get the thumbs up, but at times the color doesn't seem to matter. Pittiglio feels that some muskies hit more out of sheer meanness than hunger. At other times the fish can be extremely fussy and will only take a certain size and color of bait. During those times, Lederer casts his vote for Terminators, Jakes and Believers in green or fire-tiger to imitate perch, a main muskie snack.

Anglers not familiar with the lake are encouraged to charter a trip or hire a guide. It's easy to cross into Canadian waters, where a Canadian fishing license and an I-68 form are required. In Canadian waters, only one rod per person is allowed. The lake can also get rough quickly, so you should make sure you have all of the required safety equipment aboard.

Additional information can be obtained from the Lake Erie Management Unit at (734) 953-0241. Call the Detroit Visitor's Bureau for accommodation listings at 1-800-338-7048.

This is a portion of the article written by Jim Barta.
To view the entire article, click here.