Lake St Clair

[willettizer13]

I am a non-resident.  I've heard the 9 mile ramp is nice.  That is just hear say though.  I just hope once I get on the lake the fishing is as good as I have heard it is! 

[djkimmel]

I am a non-resident.  I've heard the 9 mile ramp is nice.  That is just hear say though.  I just hope once I get on the lake the fishing is as good as I have heard it is! 

9 Mile Road ramp is nice for parking and launching. It is $10 per day to launch though not hard to justify if you fish in that area with the present gas prices. It is a very long walk from parking to the docks. Some boaters help each other out with rides I have heard. Timing and gregariousness probably helps.

The fishing is as good but it is a huge body of water that, like any other water, has smaller key areas. You can catch fish just about anywhere at times but the key areas take some time to find.

You can cut the curve by:
1) Reading the fishing reports history on this website forum section;
2) Watching Lake St. Clair Bass Fishing videos;
3) Good maps, map chips or even a major shortcut like the 410 GPS/detailed Lake St. Clair Marked Maps chartbook you can buy.
4) Hanging out on this forum, meeting and getting to know new anglers including some of the best bass anglers who fish Lake St. Clair and connecting waters!

[willettizer13]

Thanks for the info.  What ramp do you guys recommend or like the most?  Are they all pretty much the same price all the way around?  I have found some marina's that have launch ramps.  Are these good to launch at?

[Waterfoul]

I like the Crocker Ramp best myself.  I don't like the guy who ran over and crushed my trailer fender last fall, but I do like the ramp itself.  Puts you right at the top of the "Mile Roads" area of the lake... which can be a good place to fish in the fall (or any time of year for that matter).

[djkimmel]

Thanks for the info.  What ramp do you guys recommend or like the most?  Are they all pretty much the same price all the way around?  I have found some marina's that have launch ramps.  Are these good to launch at?

I mentioned some about pricing and ramps already earlier in this thread - http://www.greatlakesbass.com/forum/index.php?topic=14767.msg87247#msg87247 .

Not too many of the marinas encourage launching at their ramps and you will mostly find they charge at least $15 to launch with limited parking. Most of them mainly use their ramps for their docked customers and service.

Here's a directory of many of the public ramps on Lake St. Clair.

[willettizer13]

Do people not watch these ramps?  I hear lots of stories about people getting their property messed up.

[Skulley]

I have never had an issue on any ramp......knock on wood. Although I've heard stories about the 9 mile ramp, I have never launched there.



BD.                          

[djkimmel]

Do people not watch these ramps?  I hear lots of stories about people getting their property messed up.

I have not heard lots of stories. Late or early in the year, there are less people moving through but other than St. Jeans near the head of the Detroit River, I rarely hear about incidents in the boat ramp parking lots. The occasional dented fender or busted light but considering the number of boaters who use these ramps overall I don't hear it a lot.

Many of the boat ramps are attended less often than they used to, especially in the spring and fall. Everybody's budget is tight. I don't think your odds are great that something will happen. I walked pass a really nice rig the other day where the owner left his windows down on one of the St. Clair ramps. Kind of surprised but nothing appeared amiss when I came back in.

I'm not quite that trusting anywhere though considering I have launched a zillion times at a zillion ramps, I can only recall 2, maybe 3 incidents ever to my stuff, and they were minor.

[Got Fish??]

Hello IU7038. Sorry you can't fish lake St Clair this year. Don't give up the chance of a life time. Make plans to come next summer.

[Skulley]

The stories I've heard about 9 mile have been that people have had stuff stolen off their boats. It's a long walk from the parking lot to the ramp and it's occurred to people during that walk. It's only what I've heard. I've never launched there so I have no experience there. Now I've also heard stories about St. Jean. I've launched there but have never had anything happen there. There is an attendant. There are a lot of people that do launch there. The ramp is very steep and the docks are terrible. If the state can get their hands on that and make it part of William Millikin State Park, I'm sure improvements may be imminent.



BD.                     

[motocross269]

I haven't heard of alot of issues at ramps.....The worse one that I have heard though is a guy got his Aluminum triple axle trailer stolen...Probably for scrap.  He had to park his 100k dollar cigarrette boat at a nearby marina for a few days until insurance came through and he got another trailer..
I have been locking my trailer and hitch since I heard about that...

I haven't seen a DNR officer at the ramps this year....The guy at the Selfridge launch was great..He kept things rolling along there on busy days...

[djkimmel]

The MDNR has cut way back because of their budget problems.

It would be nice to see St. Jeans safe and improved. The two times I've launched there that wasn't during the big NBAA tournament, there was no attendant.

If things have been taken from boats at 9 Mile at the docks, wouldn't that mean it had to be from other boaters? I've never launched there but there doesn't appear to be much from the parking lot down to the ramps. That would be a shame.

I've always locked my trailer to reduce my odds. I try not to get much out of my boxes on my boat until I'm back in it leaving the dock whenever I can. Again, to reduce the odds. The very few times I've been at a remote ramp or during the slow time of the year pretty much anywhere, if I think someone looks a little shady nearby, I'm pretty good about dawdling over some odd task in the boat until the risky person(s) moves on. I've also found that talking to some of them for a minute or two can make me feel more comfortable about their presence.

[Skulley]

The MDNR has cut way back because of their budget problems.

It would be nice to see St. Jeans safe and improved. The two times I've launched there that wasn't during the big NBAA tournament, there was no attendant.

If things have been taken from boats at 9 Mile at the docks, wouldn't that mean it had to be from other boaters? I've never launched there but there doesn't appear to be much from the parking lot down to the ramps. That would be a shame.

I've always locked my trailer to reduce my odds. I try not to get much out of my boxes on my boat until I'm back in it leaving the dock whenever I can. Again, to reduce the odds. The very few times I've been at a remote ramp or during the slow time of the year pretty much anywhere, if I think someone looks a little shady nearby, I'm pretty good about dawdling over some odd task in the boat until the risky person(s) moves on. I've also found that talking to some of them for a minute or two can make me feel more comfortable about their presence.

There has always been an attendant when I've launched at St. Jean.  Never had an issue there.  Crappy docks though.  I hate them. 

I don't know the set-up at the dock at 9 mile.  Never been there.  Deductive reasoning would tell me that it would have to be other boaters.  How isolated is it??  Are there other accesses to the docks or pathways to the docks or around the launch area??

I suppose I should just launch there someday.


BD                            

[dartag]

was headed to St jeans this morning.  There was a huge thunder storm over leamington with lots of lightning.  the weather said it was headed north east.  Ended up going to the DNR launch at Deckers on the north channel.  Small launch but nice and easy to get in and out.  Only  a couple fishing boat trailers there.  Got chased off by another Huge storm at 2:00.  The roads were flooded when I got back to I-94 and 23 mile road. 

[willettizer13]

Is the Selfridge launch ramp nice?  I will be coming up next thursday and fishing through Sunday so we will probably be hitting up the River mostly.  I have seen a few reports saying thats the hot spot this time of year.  Anyone have any other opinions?

[motocross269]

The Selfridge launch is my preferred launch.....Easy to get too right off M59 and 94. It is probably one of the most secure launches on the lake...
As far as where to fish...I haven't been out in a couple of weeks....I would say the river is a good choice...The fish may be moving back to the lake but it is hard to say without being out there...

If you are going to focus on the river consider launching at Algonac, Marine City or St Clair...All three are decent launches...St Clair city launch costs 7 bucks to launch but it is a very nice launch.