Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure with your Minneapolis stretch Mississippi River fishing report for Wednesday, November 19, 2025.

We’re heading into the back half of November, a time when the river starts transitioning— but the fishing’s hanging tough for savvy folks braving the chill! If you’re out early, sunrise clocks in at 7:13 AM, and sunset’s at 4:38 PM. We’ve just come off a round of light rain Tuesday, and now we’ve got mild, mostly cloudy weather settling in, with highs in the mid-to-upper 40s— actually a few clicks above average for this time of year, according to CBS Minnesota’s meteorologist Lisa Meadows. The wind’s out of the west, steady but not howling, and the forecast stays dry and seasonable for the next few days. Perfect river weather, layered flannel and all.

No tides to wrangle this far upriver, but flow levels are still lower than normal thanks to lingering drought, says the National Weather Service. That means wood piles and channel edges are extra productive, as fish are stacking up in deeper holes and slower currents. Water clarity is holding pretty solid.

Solunar activity today is ‘good’, with bite windows strongest from 1:26 PM to 3:26 PM, and a minor bite just after sunrise between 6:26 and 7:26 AM, per the Solunar Forecast.

Now for the real meat: fish activity. November is prime time for Mississippi River walleye— they’re staging before true winter sets in. This week, local reports and chat from the ramps have shown decent numbers of eater-sized **walleye** coming in, especially on the edge of current breaks and the deeper runs below dams and bridges. Folks are also picking up **sauger** mixed right in, often in the same spots. During mid-day, small schools of **smallmouth bass** and the odd slab **crappie** are still active, as long as you work slow and deep. Northern pike reports are quieter, but if you hit mouth of Minnehaha Creek or the backside of Boom Island, you’ve got a fair shot.

Best bites right now are classic cold-water tactics:
- **Jig and minnow**: a 1/8 to 1/4 oz jig with a fathead or shiner, slowly dragged along the bottom, is putting most of the walleye in the net.
- **Blade baits and soft plastics**: silver or gold blades work wonders when fish are hugging bottom, especially below the Ford Dam. Downsized soft plastics on finesse jigs are scoring both bass and sauger— try something with a little tail action.
- **Live bait rigs** work too, but you gotta fish painfully slow.

Anglers have landed up to a dozen legal ‘eyes between two folks over a couple hours during peak times— plenty in that 15-18 inch slot, and sauger usually running a bit smaller, but catching is consistent if you’re patient.

Hot spots? You can’t beat the Ford Dam tailwaters right now— the slack water eddies just downstream are loaded with bait and holding fish all day. If that’s crowded, the north side of Boom Island Park is a reliable backup for smallies and bonus pike, especially where current meets backwater channels.

One important note per the Minnesota DNR— new rules let you run non-motorized automatic hook setters for your tip-ups if you’re thinking ahead to hardwater, and rigs with up to 3 hooks spread over 18 inches. Still, open water regs apply for now.

For bait and tackle, local favorites like chartreuse, orange, or blue jigs tipped with minnows, or a brown craw pattern paddle tail, are always solid picks. If the sun peeks, don’t be afraid to tie on a gold or chrome blade bait for some flash.

That’s the scene this week on the upper Mississippi in Minneapolis— fishing’s steady, and with mild weather, it’s a great window to boat a few more before freeze-up. Thanks for tuning in to your local river report. Make sure to subscribe for weekly updates, and tight lines until next time!

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