Artificial Lure here, reporting on the fishing scene for November 18th, 2025, in and around the Mississippi River, Minneapolis. Locals are waking up to true late-fall weather: chilly mornings, a brisk northwest breeze, and water temps in the low-to-mid 50s. Sunrise hit at 7:14 AM and sunset is set for 4:41 PM, giving anglers a short, prime window to wet a line, especially around dawn and dusk. The day’s got a partly cloudy forecast—the cloud cover should help extend active bite periods, with daytime highs hovering in the low 40s.

There’s no tidal swing on the Mississippi up here, but fish activity is still keyed into lunar cycles. FishingReminder lists major feeding times today from 6:52 to 8:52 AM and again from 7:03 to 9:03 PM. Add in the average solunar rating, and you’ve got solid odds for action around early panels and after-work stints.

Late autumn means the river’s transitioned through turnover, and fish are stacking on inside turns, channel edges, and wind-washed points. Walleye are the main story: strong numbers are coming down from Pool 1, and locals report snap bites in 10–18 feet. The best tactic remains working 1/8–1/4 ounce jigs tipped with fresh fathead minnows, or bouncing Jigging Raps just off hard-bottom breaks near Saint Anthony Falls and up by the Upper Lock and Dam. If you’re on a shore spot at Nicollet Island or Boom Island, try casting downstream to seams where current slows.

Smallmouth bass are pushing up to rubble stretches and current seams. This time of year, they respond to finesse: ned rigs, especially green pumpkin, and 3–4 inch swimbaits worked slow just off bottom pull strikes from fish keyed up on shiners and drifting bait. Muskie reports are trickling in from metro lakes and deep bends—musky chasers dragging glide baits or slow-bucktails over open water and bait clouds have found a few late-season suburban giants.

Northern pike are prowling channels and remaining green weed beds in slack water, like Powderhorn Lake and Lake Harriet. If you’re after pike, firing spinnerbaits over the tops of the vegetation or working large flashy spoons near the first drop-off is yielding fatties. For crappie, anglers that’ve dialed in side imaging are finding schools sliding into mid-depth basins—try small hair jigs, plastics suspended under slip bobbers, and don’t be afraid to add a little crappie nibble for scent.

Recent catches, according to threads on FishingMinnesota, include good numbers of keeper walleye, quite a few chunky smallmouth, and occasional pike over 30 inches. Crappie counts are on the rise as fall progresses.

On lures and bait, here are the best bets:
- **Walleye:** 1/8–1/4 oz jig + fathead minnow, Jigging Rap.
- **Smallmouth:** Ned rig, 3–4” paddle tail swimbait, green pumpkin.
- **Muskie:** Glide bait, slow-rolled bucktail, Magnum rubber.
- **Pike:** White or chartreuse spinnerbait, 5” spoon.
- **Crappie:** 1/32 oz hair jig, tube jig, live minnow under slip float.

Insider tip: after turnover, seek out slightly clearer water and tip your jigs with scent or live bait to hook reluctant strikers. Use heavier fluorocarbon for skipping jigs under docks, especially when bass are holding tight in shade, as suggested by dock skipping experts in Major League Fishing publications.

Hotspots? Try Saint Anthony Falls/Upper Lock and Dam; river bends at Nicollet Island; Boom Island for shore and kayak casting; plus Lake Nokomis and Lake Harriet for multispecies action. These spots consistently deliver, especially when river traffic’s low and chop moves bait shallow.

That’s the November 18th report from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in—don’t forget to subscribe for weekly updates and tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI