Post-spawn bass and walleye prime at Grand River mouth

What's Biting

What's Next

With the Grand River at 3,760 cfs — well off spring-peak highs — conditions should continue improving over the next several days as flows edge toward typical early-summer levels. Lower, clearer water concentrates fish on predictable structure: walleye and smallmouth stack along current breaks, channel edges, riprap transitions, and the rock-and-gravel seam where the river meets Lake Michigan.

Per Tactical Bassin's early-June guidance, the post-spawn bass window is one of the year's most productive periods. Target isolated offshore rock piles, points, and ledges with a dropshot or neko rig for finesse presentations, or run a chatterbait across outside weedline transitions for a reaction bite. On calm mornings, topwater can produce aggressive surface strikes from both smallmouth and largemouth through mid-month as water temperatures push toward summer highs.

For walleye — the Grand River mouth's signature species — evening low-light windows are traditionally the most consistent bite periods. Jig-and-minnow combinations or live crawlers on bottom-bouncing rigs, worked along current seams and gravel flats, are the go-to approach as post-spawn fish recover and begin tracking the forage base into the mouth area.

Salmon and steelhead action is winding down by early June as the spring tributary run concludes and fish move back offshore to cooler, deeper lake water. If you're rigged for open-lake trolling, WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report data from 2024 showed exceptional Chinook and coho numbers — suggesting robust year-classes still moving through the system — making trolling spreads worth setting when lake conditions allow.

For weekend planning, aim to be on the water at first light Saturday for topwater on calmer river stretches and shallow lake-mouth structure. As the sun climbs and bass push to deeper rock, transition to bottom-contact rigs. Sunday evening could be the standout walleye session of the week if flow continues to ease and clarity improves. The Last Quarter moon (June 8) compresses solunar windows — plan your sharpest presentations for the 30–45 minutes around dawn and dusk rather than expecting midday action.

Context

The Grand River mouth is one of Michigan's most versatile freshwater fisheries, offering year-round access to Lake Michigan-run salmonids alongside resident walleye, smallmouth bass, and perch. A typical early-June pattern here shifts attention away from the spring steelhead and coho surge — which peaks through April and May — toward warm-water species in post-spawn recovery and the onset of summer feeding routines.

A flow of 3,760 cfs is moderate for the Grand River at this time of year. Spring runoff typically peaks in March–April and recedes through May and into June; by midsummer the river often settles into the 1,500–2,500 cfs range, so current flow is somewhat elevated relative to peak-summer baseline but well within normal early-June parameters and entirely fishable for walleye, bass, and river perch.

For historical context on the Lake Michigan fishery, WI DNR Lake Michigan Fishing Report noted that the 2024 season produced record coho numbers (over 210,000 harvested) and the strongest Chinook harvest since 2012 (over 160,000), driven by improved alewife forage survival. If 2025–2026 stocking classes followed similar trajectories, the late-summer and fall Chinook run at the Grand River mouth could again be a highlight worth planning around.

One policy development worth tracking: Wired 2 Fish reported that Michigan House Bills 5801 and 5802 would extend commercial netting rights to walleye and lake trout — species historically protected from commercial harvest in Michigan state waters. Recreational anglers have pushed back sharply. The outcome of that legislation could affect long-term walleye and lake trout management throughout the Grand River system and is worth monitoring as the season unfolds.