# Clinton River's Smallmouth Fishery



## Reel Addiction (Mar 5, 2008)

With Lake St Clair being a top Smallmouth/Muskie/Walleye Fishery, why dont we see or hear about the clinton river being a better smallmouth fishery like the Huron River?? There was a previous post that sparked my curiousity. Obviously the Trout Population have a tough time handleing the 70+ degree Water in the summer I know there are enough memebers who live in the area that can put in their two cents. im curious as to why. IMHO, i think the Clinton is a beautiful river in many spots. we are lucky to have it around and so close by. Maybe i am missing a secret about it, and if i am please PM me. I would think the Clinton would be loaded with smallmouth. especially from Macomb/Oakland COunty line on down. and those of you who do target smallmouth with success, please feel free to share what tackle is being used, both on the fly and spinning gear. 

i look forward to all the responses.


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

There are smallies in the Clinton. Not a lot of them of any real size All these years and I have never broken 20" above M-53, most of them seem to be in the 6-12" range. I don't know why, it's not like they get much pressure from the meat fishermen.They like craw patterns and green or white flashy streamers. There are also a suprising number of rockies and gils. Again, no real big fish but they can kep you busy on a light rod.


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## DE82 (Nov 28, 2007)

ESOX said:


> There are smallies in the Clinton. Not a lot of them of any real size





I've caught a good number of smallies in a few different spots on the Clinton but never anything much over 15-16inches, my Dad caught a couple around the 20inch mark. I have seen big Northerns, Carp ect... in the river though. Personally I like the Clinton for the trout/panfish it has to offer - Bryon


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## i want to catch fish (Apr 17, 2008)

ya during the summer right after the sucker run which this year was riduclas there where everywhere did take a 28 in northern and there where alot of bluegil in there


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## creek trekker (Sep 18, 2008)

I caught a 3 LB smallie at Yates about two weeks before the Biblical floods we had last month. What a FIGHT. He hit a gold PM on a partly cloudy day.


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## back2spool (May 7, 2005)

I wonder if it is the Clinton's lack of grassy vegetation that keeps the smallmouth away. The river is clearly cold enough to hold trout through summer months in many areas, so why not smallies?

Just wondering if anyone had any theories?


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## wanderboy (Sep 24, 2008)

back2spool said:


> I wonder if it is the Clinton's lack of grassy vegetation that keeps the smallmouth away. The river is clearly cold enough to hold trout through summer months in many areas, so why not smallies?
> 
> Just wondering if anyone had any theories?


if you looking for "grassy vegetations" on clinton river, you can try the sections go pass Clinton twp. a good area is Metro Parkway (michigan) turn at Harper. 1/2 mile down pass a bridge. I been fishing there for years, never got any bass though... but that place is FULL of the grass vegetation you are looking for.... (oddly enough, some years ago, I saw 2 steelhead pulled from that place.....and it's in summertime!!!:SHOCKED

I am not convinced there's bass in the river, maybe there are holes that I don't know, or I just can't hook a bass even it's right at front of me..


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## wannabapro (Feb 26, 2003)

I consider myself to be a decent smallmouth stream fisherman when I lived in Ohio, and have only taken a few 10"ers from the Clinton. I have had a hard time finding rocks. If you can find some 4 foot deep holes with rocks the size of a basketball, you should be able to catch bass but can't find any pools like that. The main river and the north branch both seem too silty and sandy. And where I have found some rock and gravel, there is not enough water.

My $0.02


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

Therein lies the problem. I know sections where the bottom is literally covered with rocks and crawfish in the 1-4" range. Perfect smallie forage, but the runs are very long and barely deep enough to cover a 12" smallies back. There are fish in the pools at the ends of the runs, but nothing you would expect to find with such abundant forage. Even the deep holes lack sizable fish. What I find odd is I fish another SE watershed very similar to the Clinton in size, gradient and bottom composition, and it has some darn nice fish, and a lot more fish.


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## Reel Addiction (Mar 5, 2008)

ESOX said:


> Therein lies the problem. I know sections where the bottom is literally covered with rocks and crawfish in the 1-4" range. Perfect smallie forage, but the runs are very long and barely deep enough to cover a 12" smallies back. There are fish in the pools at the ends of the runs, but nothing you would expect to find with such abundant forage. Even the deep holes lack sizable fish. What I find odd is I fish another SE watershed very similar to the Clinton in size, gradient and bottom composition, and it has some darn nice fish, and a lot more fish.


 

I just dont get it.......


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## Connor4501 (Dec 15, 2003)

Does the fact that the spillway, created with a manmade dam caused the lack of smallies upstream? The spillway caused the downstream stretches of the mainstream to the mouth to become stagnant and not as desirable for spring fish to migrate like smallies and such...I will leave this question for Esox for he fishes the Clinton River and knows the river better than most of us...


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## DE82 (Nov 28, 2007)

Connor4501 said:


> Does the fact that the spillway, created with a manmade dam caused the lack of smallies upstream? The spillway caused the downstream stretches of the mainstream to the mouth to become stagnant and not as desirable for spring fish to migrate like smallies and such...I will leave this question for Esox for he fishes the Clinton River and knows the river better than most of us...


I've done my best smallie fishing in the north branch of the clinton, also my biggest have come there. Some rocks up there and some deeper holes. Just about year round I can get some bass up there. - Bryon


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