Mississippi River Minneapolis Fishing Report Today

Mississippi River Minneapolis Fishing Report Today

Download on the App Store

Mississippi River Minneapolis Fishing Report Today episodes

  • Mississippi River Fishing Report: Walleye, Bass, and Panfish Bites Strong Ahead of Fall Turnover
    Artificial Lure here, ready with your Mississippi River, Minneapolis fishing report for Saturday, October 4, 2025.
    Sunrise hit at 7:16 AM with sunset coming just after 6:50 PM. Early hours are crisp, warming up into the 70s by afternoon, but expect *strong winds* gusting 25 to 35 mph today. Fire danger is high across Minnesota due to dry conditions and low humidity—so keep safety front of mind if you’re out there on the river this weekend, especially if you’re bank fishing or hiking to your spot. The river won’t have ocean tides, but wind-driven current is real in these conditions, and water levels are typical for early October, still on the warmer side for the season according to Outdoor News’ October 1 update.
    Despite that warmth delaying the classic fall turnover, the *multi-species bite is on!* Walleye and sauger are staging deeper—look for 17-27 feet along river bends and the base of wing dams. The walleye bite has been excellent the past week, with fish packing on the pounds before winter. Standard river rigs tipped with fathead minnows or a half-nightcrawler are producing, but artificial lures are pulling their weight too: chartreuse or firetiger jig heads tipped with plastic minnows, and blade baits bounced close to bottom have been hot, especially in the wind when you need noisy, flashy lures. Sauger are mixed in those same holes and seams.
    For bass anglers, largemouth and smallmouth alike are keying on baitfish crowded into the main channels and off current breaks. The Fishbrain community has logged thousands of largemouth bass, northern pike, and bluegill in this stretch—so tie on a shallow crankbait or a white spinnerbait and work shore cover early, then shift deeper as the sun rises. With the sun higher, crawfish-imitating plastics and ned rigs are favorites for consistent bites. Northern pike are crushing jerkbaits and spoons over submerged weed beds near channel edges.
    Panfish hunters will want to hit the backwaters and slower pools. The October episode of “Panfish Paradise on the River” showed slab crappie and bluegill hitting small tube jigs in black and chartreuse or soft plastics dropped under a slip bobber. Target brush piles, sunken timber, and shaded cuts for your best chance, especially with the unstable weather.
    Out on the water, Eagle Lake, North Mississippi Regional Park, and Boom Island are producing well this week. For a guaranteed shot, head north to Coon Rapids Dam—arguably the most consistent multi-species action anywhere in the metro. Closer to downtown, Hidden Falls and Minnehaha Creek’s confluence are true hot spots, especially early or just before dusk.
    Best bait for numbers has been small live minnows and worms, especially as the fish fatten up for winter. If you’re a lure diehard like me, bring a box of jig heads in chartreuse, firetiger, and bright orange, plus a trusty set of crankbaits and a few blade baits for that windy chop.
    To sum up: Fish are still acting like it’s late summer, but the pre-winte
    This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.
    5 min
  • Catching Catfish, Walleye, and Bass on the Crisp Mississippi River in Minneapolis
    Hey there, folks Artificial Lure here. Today, October 3rd, looks like a great day for fishing around the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. The weather is crisp with lows around 40°F and highs around 69°F, making it perfect for a day on the water. Sunrise is at about 7:14 AM, and sunset is at 6:53 PM.
    While the Mississippi River doesn't experience tides, the fish activity is picking up with the cooling weather. Anglers are catching a variety of species, including catfish, walleye, and bass. Currently, light tackle fishing with artificial lures or live bait like nightcrawlers is effective. For lures, consider using spinnerbaits or soft plastics.
    Hot spots include the bends near St. Paul and the river's confluence with the Minnesota River. Be sure to check local fishing regulations and obtain any necessary permits.
    Thanks for tuning in Don't forget to subscribe for more fishing reports. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.
    Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
    This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.
    2 min
  • Fall Bite on the Minneapolis Mississippi: Walleyes, Crappie, and More on the Mighty River
    This is Artificial Lure, checking in from the banks of the mighty Mississippi up here in Minneapolis. Today’s sunrise rolled in at 7:09AM and sunset’s set for 6:54PM, marking these shorter fall days anglers love. The forecast is shaping up nicely—mid-60s at dawn, building to a high near 77 with clear skies and light winds. No tides on the river, but flows are steady, water clarity is decent, and temps are holding in the mid-to-upper 60s, warmer than usual for early October according to Minnesota’s statewide fishing reports on September 24, 2025. That’s got fish shifting out of deep summer patterns but not quite in late fall mode yet.
    This week's catch logs show a fair spread among the river’s fickle residents. Walleyes have kicked up action again, especially early and late in the day near deeper holes and under those signature Minneapolis bridges. Most are running keeper size, between 14 and 20 inches, with nothing huge reported locally but plenty of action to fill the limit. The fall bite’s favoring vertical jigging—try 3/8 ounce jigs tipped with a lively fathead or rainbow minnow. Some folks are still lobbing crankbaits with perch patterns and working sand flats, especially if you’re trolling after dawn.
    Crappie numbers are scattered but picking up. Look for them in shallower weed corridors, sometimes just five to seven feet down, ducking into cover as water stays warm. This week, downsized plastics and small hair jigs—especially white or chartreuse—were pulling fish from the edge grass beds near Boom Island and the east locks. Most keepers are ten to twelve inches. Sunfish have hunkered in the same areas, lately preferring bits of crawler under bobbers, with perch rounding out mixed bags for those probing celery weed patches upstream from the city.
    Smallmouth bass activity’s heating back up with the stable weather. Drop shots around midriver rock piles, Ned rigs worked slow along deeper ledges by the Stone Arch, and spinnerbaits ticking the edge of riprap are top choices. If you favor bigger bites, largemouths are hanging on thick weedlines, particularly near hidden backwater cuts south of the University. Go with black/blue soft plastics or chartreuse spinners in stained water.
    Northern pike are still snapping leaders—best numbers are coming from slack water and confluence areas in the north end stretches past Lowry Ave. Steady success with larger bucktail spinners, gold spoons, and, for the brave, white Mister Twister-style plastics. Just be sure to use steel leaders to avoid heartbreak; several anglers reported bites offs, especially when probing the mouth of Minnehaha Creek.
    For those after a mixed haul, vertical jigging with a fathead minnow or drifting a crawler harness remains solid across species. The bait shops in St. Anthony and along West River Parkway are reporting big runs on emerald shiners and nightcrawlers, in line with what’s been working this week.
    As for hot spots, get yourself to Boom Island for those crappie and sunfi
    This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.
    5 min
  • "Fall Fishing on the Mighty Mississippi: Your Weekend Angling Outlook"
    Artificial Lure here, coming to you from the banks of the mighty Mississippi River in Minneapolis with your fishing report for Sunday, September 28, 2025.
    It’s a picture-perfect start to fall around the river. Sunrise hit at 7:05 AM this morning, and it’ll slide behind the horizon at 6:57 PM. The weather is clear, with a mild start around 52°F, warming up to about 73°F by late afternoon. Wind’s gentle out of the south-southwest at 6–10 mph, making for comfortable casting and easy drifts. Water temps around the Twin Cities section of the Mississippi are holding warmer than normal for this season—expect mid to upper 60s at surface, which keeps the bite lively.
    No tide to worry about on freshwater stretches, but river flow is steady, and clarity is decent outside a few recent rain pockets. According to Outdoor News, this week brought a good multi-species bite around the metro, with anglers reporting solid action on walleyes, smallmouth and largemouth bass, and even the occasional northern and plenty of panfish.
    Focusing on walleyes, most fish were caught between 17 and 27 feet. Crappies and sunfish are staging up on deeper edge transitions but working their way closer to the banks as temps dip at night. Mixed bags include decent numbers—last couple days saw groups landing 4–10 keeper walleyes per boat, plenty of eaters in the 14–18 inch class, and solid numbers of smallies especially below the falls and around bridge pilings.
    Top lures this week: jigging with a 1/8 or 1/4-ounce jig tipped with a fathead minnow or soft plastic, especially chartreuse or orange. For the aggressive fish, round out your tackle box with medium-diving crankbaits in shad or perch colors, especially early and late in the day. Bass are leaning toward moving baits—try spinnerbaits, swim jigs, and ned rigs along rocky shorelines and eddy seams. If you like plastics, a dark green pumpkin tube or a curly tail grub will get things done.
    Live bait is king right now: fathead minnows for walleyes and bass, and waxies or small pieces of crawler for panfish. Big fish hunters are running sucker minnows along riprap and below the lock and dam, pulling in both walleye and the occasional toothy pike.
    For hotspots, two perennial favorites: Boom Island Park—shore casting below the Plymouth Avenue bridge is lights out for mixed species, and small boaters or kayak anglers are doing well above and below the St. Anthony Falls area, especially tucked inside the channel cuts behind Nicollet Island. Downriver, the stretch around Minnehaha Regional Park is heating up, with good current breaks and gravel bars holding hungry fish.
    Best fishing windows today will be early (right at sunrise) and again from midday into late afternoon. Solunar tables are calling the peak bites from a bit after noon until 2:40 PM, so if you’ve only got a couple hours, aim for these slots.
    With autumn moving in, keep an eye out for schoolers and baitfish running shallow. Some of the biggest fall bass make surprise a
    This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.
    5 min
  • Late September Blitz on the Mississippi
    Here’s your Mississippi River Minneapolis fishing report for Saturday, September 27th, 2025.
    Dawn crept in at 7:07 AM, and you can expect to tuck those rods away by sunset at 7:04 PM. This final September Saturday started with a cool nip—lows overnight dipped to the low 50s, but we’re rolling into a crisp, clear day topping out in the low 70s. There’s no tide swing to speak of up this far, so the river flow stays steady, ideal for targeting active fish.
    According to the Mississippi River Minneapolis Daily Fishing Report, the bite is lively as autumn settles in, and local guides are echoing the same story: lots of fish on the move, and lots of rods bending. The walleye run picked up steam this week. Anglers drifting jigs tipped with nightcrawlers or fatheads in the main current seams are pulling in steady limits of keeper ‘eyes—most running 14 to 18 inches, with scattered slots to make you look twice. For those hungry for trophies, dawn and dusk have been the hot windows, especially around deeper drop-offs near Boom Island and the Ford Dam.
    Smallmouth bass are absolutely fired up. The top-water action is prime in the mornings—Outdoor News reported the frog bite is holding strong, so throw a black or green hollow-bodied frog tight to riprap or shoreline grass. Switch to white spinnerbaits or Ned rigs after the sun burns off the mist, probing rocky islands and wing dams stretching from St. Anthony Falls upstream towards the Camden Bridge. Average fish are running 12–16 inches, but keepers up to 20 inches have been hitting aggressive.
    Channel catfish are cruising deep holes mid-river. The best reports are coming from cut baits—sucker or goldeye—fished on bottom rigs after sundown. Bites have been steady, and cats to 10 pounds are not uncommon this week, especially around the downtown stretch and below the Lowry Bridge.
    Crappie are scattered, but if you work brush piles off the main channel with a light jig and minnow, you’ll find tight schools in 12 to 18 feet of water right now. Most are slabs—8 to 12 inches and filling buckets fast for those patient folks who like to pick through structure.
    For the lucky few after something different, bigmouth buffalo are there to be had, with no current bag limit in Minnesota according to the latest regs. Buffalo are mostly coming on nightcrawlers set deep off slow-moving channel edges, and a couple of impressive fish upwards of 30 pounds have been landed by patient regulars. Remember, these fish are ancient and declining—respect the catch, especially if you’re releasing.
    When it comes to bait and lures, locals are sticking to tradition, but adding a mix of late-season finesse. Try these best bets:
    - For walleye: 1/4 oz jigs tipped with fathead minnows or split-tail plastics in blue or chartreuse.
    - Smallmouth: Black and blue Ned rigs, white spinnerbaits, and top-water frogs in the early a.m.
    - Catfish: Fresh-caught cutbait or nightcrawlers on a slip-sinker rig.
    - Crappie: 1/16 oz tube jigs or plain hooks w
    This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.
    5 min
  • Twin Cities Autumn Fishing Report - Smallmouth, Walleye, & Cats Biting on the Mississippi
    Fishing is off to a lively start on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis this Friday, September 26th, 2025. Early autumn is settling in, and that means fish are on the move and feeding, with the river scenery starting to glow as the leaves turn golden. It’s Artificial Lure here with your morning river report.
    Weatherwise, you’re stepping out into a classic Twin Cities fall morning. Expect temperatures climbing from the low 40s to highs near 67°F as the day goes on. Bundle up in the morning, but be ready to shed a layer as the sun settles in. Winds are predicted light out of the west—nice and manageable for both bank and boat anglers. Sunrise hit us at 7:03 a.m., and sunset’s coming at about 7:01 p.m., so we’ve still got a hearty slab of daylight to fish. According to solunar forecasts, the prime major feeding window is right around 3:01 p.m. to 5:01 p.m., but minor action is already popping between 7:22 and 8:22 a.m.
    You won’t have to worry about tides—this far upriver, Mississippi flows are all about rainfall and dam releases, not the ocean. Levels are stable and clarity is fair. After some recent rain, the river's murky but manageable, which usually means the bite’s better close to shore and structure.
    Let’s talk fish. This week on the river, locals and visiting anglers alike have been reporting solid catches of smallmouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, and the occasional northern pike, according to guides working the metro pools. Some 30-bass outings have been reported just upstream on comparable waters, and in the river here, numbers are steady with great size on the smallmouth, and a nice push of eating-size walleye as they start to stage around current breaks and rock piles. Channel cats up to ten pounds have been caught after sundown. Northern pike are not always common but this season’s cooling has brought a few surprising, toothy hits.
    The hot lure choice right now is anything that mimics a baitfish, with white or chartreuse paddle tail swimbaits and tube jigs shining brightest for smallies and walleye. If you’re targeting cats, fresh cut sucker or chicken liver are hard to beat, while pike can’t resist a flashy spinnerbait slow-rolled near a weedline or slackwater. Don’t forget the tried-and-true live bait rigs: a jig and fathead minnow is still money for walleyes in these parts. If the bite gets tough, downsizing to a finesse worm or Ned rig can save your morning.
    Favorite hot spots today:
    - Boom Island Park: Fish the edges around the riprap for smallmouth and toss even into surprisingly shallow water—big smallies are moving up to feed.
    - The Ford Dam/Lock & Dam No. 1 stretch: Wade or boat near the tailwaters for a great mix of walleye and catfish, especially towards late afternoon.
    - Above the Stone Arch Bridge: Any rocky stretch here is classic for multi-species action. Early risers had luck today right at legal light.
    Community buzz has been strong this week with all sorts of anglers getting in on the action, from shore fishe
    This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.
    4 min
  • Mississippi River Minneapolis Fishing Report September 24, 2025
    Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure with your Mississippi River Minneapolis fishing report for Wednesday, September 24, 2025.
    We had a cool, crisp fall morning today, with the mercury starting out in the upper 50s and peaking in the low 70s by late afternoon, courtesy of some lingering clear high pressure. Sunrise came right at 7:02 a.m., and sunset will close the day out around 7:09 p.m. No tidal swings to speak of here in Minneapolis, but river flows are steady, keeping the water a tad high and fairly clear after some recent light rains.
    The fishing’s holding strong in the city stretches and upstream into the north metro. Word from several locals and shop regulars is that the **smallmouth bass** action is kicking up, especially early and late in the day. Most folks are reporting good catches on **medium-diving crankbaits** in shad or craw colors and **half-ounce spinnerbaits** with white or chartreuse skirts. Popular plastics like 4-inch Texas-rigged worms in june bug or green pumpkin have also picked up a lot of fish, particularly around the riprap and downed trees near Boom Island and Nicollet Island.
    Walleye anglers are doing well in the Mississippi’s deeper channels just below the Ford Dam (Lock and Dam No. 1) using **jigs with fathead minnows or soft plastics** in black and purple during dawn and dusk. A few pairs of regulars at the dam reported limits by 9:30 a.m. yesterday, with the biggest right on 22 inches. The steady flow has also pushed some decent **catfish** up near the confluences—try cut sucker or chicken liver on the river bends at Hidden Falls for a shot at a true Minneapolis whisker fish.
    Sunfish and crappie have been a bit slower in the city stretch, but anglers working the mouths of backwater cuts with small tube jigs or a plain hook and crappie minnow pulled in solid slabs mid-morning. If you find submerged timber off North Mississippi Regional Park, you’re likely to get on some action, especially if you drop a light slip bobber rig with a fathead minnow just above the structure.
    Largemouth reports are lighter, but fish are popping in the sloughs and oxbows above the Camden Bridge. Frogs and black buzzbaits tossed tight to lily edges produced some nice topwater blowups around dusk on last night’s outing, according to a father-daughter duo out of Riverfront Park.
    For hotspots, don’t skip the **Nicollet Island area**—there’s a mix of current, structure, and deep eddies that hold smallies and the odd walleye almost year-round. The flats below the **Ford Parkway Bridge** are a local favorite for multi-species action, especially if you chuck live bait under a float.
    Reminder to bank anglers: keep an eye out for zebra mussels—MN DNR recently confirmed more spread. Clean, drain, and dry your gear, every trip.
    Bait shops are recommending you stock up on **fathead minnows, nightcrawlers, and medium crayfish** for livebait options; crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and Ned rigged plastics are crushing it for artificial.
    That’s the b
    This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.
    5 min
  • Late September Heats Up the Mississippi River Bite in Minneapolis
    Artificial Lure here with your Mississippi River, Minneapolis fishing report for Sunday, September 21st, 2025.
    We rolled out under hazy late September skies, with temps peaking near 76°F this afternoon—warm for the season, but the morning started cool and crisp in the low 60s. Winds have been out of the south at 6–10 mph, bringing a slight chop that’s made boat positioning a little tricky. No real tidal effect on this stretch, but current flows have been steady with recent rains, bumping up the turbidity—great for triggering aggressive fish. Sunrise cracked at 6:57 AM and sunset is tagged for 7:09 PM, so there’s still plenty of daylight to sneak in another cast[Spreaker, Late September Heats Up the Mississippi River Bite in Minneapolis].
    Fish activity is peaking mid-morning through mid-afternoon. According to local anglers and shop chatter, smallmouth bass have been fired up, hanging tight to rock piles and fast-water seams. Best action has been on moving baits: chartreuse squarebill crankbaits and 4" white or green paddle-tail swimbaits have produced multiples. If you’re targeting bigger bronzebacks, upsize to a black-blue jig worked along deep ledges. Bass in the 2–4 lb range are common, and one report yesterday mentioned a chunky 20-incher landed near the Plymouth Avenue Bridge[Outdoor News].
    Walleye are starting to slide shallower as water temps drop, so hit inside bends with a firetiger jig tipped with half a nightcrawler or a fathead minnow. Best window for walleyes lately runs just before dusk—one group fishing below the Stone Arch Bridge boxed three keepers between 16–22" last night.
    Sheepshead and channel cats are still active near the deeper pools around Boom Island Park and under the University bridges. Cut bait—especially shad chunks—or stinkbait is pulling cats up to 8 pounds. Fresh clams and earthworms work for sheepshead if you just want some rod-bending fun.
    Crappie and bluegill are scattered but can be caught on small black or chartreuse tube jigs near docks and slackwater eddies. Folks fishing by canoe pulled out a mess of hand-sized bluegills just upstream from Nicollet Island yesterday. Not as thick as midsummer, but enough for a fry.
    As for muskie, the river’s sleepers are out there: one 42-incher was caught and released in early September close to the Camden Bridge, with the angler reporting the fish smashed a bucktail spinner on the edge of a flooded woodpile[Outdoor News]. Muskie pressure is still light, so if you put in the time, big results are possible.
    Baitwise, you can’t beat live fathead minnows or nightcrawlers for multispecies work right now. If going artificial, bring jerkbaits in shad or perch patterns and work them fast in the current for bass and walleye.
    **Local hot spots:**
    - **Below the Stone Arch Bridge:** Prime for evening walleye, reliable for larger smallmouth.
    - **Boom Island Park and Plymouth Avenue area:** Great for cats, smallies, and incidental muskie.
    - **Nicollet Island upstream sloughs:**
    This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.
    5 min
  • Late September Heats Up the Mississippi River Bite in Minneapolis
    Artificial Lure here with your Mississippi River, Minneapolis fishing report for Saturday, September 20th, 2025.
    We’re rolling into a classic late September pattern on the Mississippi—right now, summer-like weather has made a strong comeback. According to the latest area reports, water temperatures are climbing back into the **upper 60s**, putting a temporary pause on some of the fall transitions we started to see last week. Algae blooms are lingering and, while the water is clearing, visibility is still moderately stained. Today, **sunrise was at 6:54 a.m. and sunset will hit at 7:13 p.m.**—that means you’ve got plenty of low-light hours this weekend to cash in on a solid bite.
    Mississippi River sections above St. Anthony Falls have been seeing **good multi-species action**. Walleyes are moving and feeding hard, responding to the stable weather after an early-September cool spell botched up the bite. Fish are pushing up along current breaks, wing dams, and rocky shallows at sunrise and again before sunset. The most productive depths have shifted from 6–10 feet out to about **14–22 feet** in some spots along the deeper edges thanks to the warmth.
    The **walleye bite’s coming on strong**—jig and minnow combos have bested spinners lately. Local guides recommend **3/8-ounce jigs tipped with a 4–6 inch creek chub, fathead, or even sucker minnows**. Live bait still rules, even if the fish have seen plenty of lures lately. If you prefer artificials, paddle tail swimbaits and firetiger or chartreuse crankbaits on leadcore are hot, especially for targeting those suspending bigger fish when trolling flats just out from the main current. Some folks are reporting up to **a dozen keeper walleyes per trip** in the metro pools.
    **Smallmouth bass** are “on fire.” Briar rocks and riprap are prime territory, with the Ned rig, drop shot, and topwater poppers all getting hammered, especially around dawn. Largemouth are tucked in the weedlines of backwaters; spinnerbaits and wacky rigs get the nod here. If you’re chasing **panfish**, crappie and bluegill are stacking up near submerged trees and brush, mostly caught on a slip bobber with a chunk of crawler or small tube jigs. **Yellow perch** numbers are strong in shallow eelgrass patches, with some jumbos being fooled by either jigs and minnows or a classic live bait drop.
    **Northern pike** are slashing spinnerbaits and large spoons over sand/mud transitions. If your pike keep biting off your tackle, try switching to a steel or heavy fluorocarbon leader—local anglers swear by it to keep those “scissor bills” from running off with your favorite lure.
    In terms of bait, **nightcrawlers, creek chubs, and fatheads** are all outperforming plastics for numbers, but don’t underestimate a flashy crankbait on the troll, especially in deeper runs and current seams. Hot lure colors for the week: firetiger, chartreuse, and gold for walleyes; white, chartreuse, and craw-colored for bass; and classic perch pattern for crankba
    This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.
    5 min
  • Fishing Report: Late Summer Bite on the Mississippi in Minneapolis
    This is Artificial Lure with your Friday fishing report for the mighty Mississippi around Minneapolis. It’s September 19th, and fall’s flirting with us, but this week's weather keeps holding onto summer—a string of warm days, hovering in the low 70s, cool nights in the low 50s, just brightening those river colors. According to CBS Minnesota, more rain’s headed our way through the weekend, and after the spotty storms yesterday, everyone’s watching those river levels carefully. In fact, water’s running high—so use caution with launching and currents, especially near flooded banks.
    Sunrise hit at 6:56 a.m., with sunset coming at 7:17 p.m. today. According to Solunar Forecast, your best major fishing time runs midday, from 12:43 to 2:43 p.m. Expect a minor flurry just after dawn, 6:06 to 7:06 a.m., and again just after dusk. With the recent up-and-downs in the barometer and water levels, fish are feeding in quick spells, then hunkering down until pressure stabilizes.
    The Outdoor News metro report from this week says it’s been a good multi-species bite, though warmer waters have fish a touch sluggish at times. Walleye and smallmouth bass have been the main draw in the Twin Cities stretch. Evening anglers caught several walleyes in deeper troughs in Pool 2, and the pools above and below the city are giving up some hefty smallies—one angler reported landing a chunky 19-incher near the Franklin Avenue Bridge.
    Numbers-wise, expect mostly eater-size walleye—14 to 18 inches—but don’t be surprised if you hook into a bruiser, especially after sundown. Channel catfish have remained active, with multiple folks reporting double-digit catches on cut sucker around Lilydale, and Pool 2 regulars are quietly bagging some crappie near snags and backwaters.
    If you’re chasing pike, troll slowly along weed breaks and current seams with large spinnerbaits—there are reports of respectable northerns up to 32 inches pulled from the Camden Bridge area. Muskie are still rare this far upriver, but as Tim Lesmeister mentioned in Outdoor News, don’t pass up a big bucktail or oversized soft plastic in shadowy spots right before dark—you might get a shock.
    Top baits right now include firetiger-colored crankbaits for walleye and smallies, and black/blue jig-and-craw combos fished slow on the bottom with the current. Live bait’s hard to beat: a fathead or nightcrawler under a slip float is a classic for river walleye and panfish, especially after a rain when water gets stained. For catfish, nothing beats fresh cut bait.
    If you’re looking for hotspots, check beneath the Ford Dam—there’s a deep pocket there walleye stack up in, especially late afternoon into dusk. Another productive stretch is below the Plymouth Avenue Bridge, especially for smallmouth and the occasional pike. Backwaters near Boom Island and the mouth of Minnehaha Creek are also producing nice panfish in early evenings.
    Remember, water’s running high and can be unpredictable—wear those life jackets and keep one
    This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.
    5 min

About Mississippi River Minneapolis Fishing Report Today

From the publisher's feed

"Mississippi River, Minneapolis Fishing Report Today" brings you the latest news, tips, and insights for anglers on the iconic waterway. Stay updated with daily reports on fishing conditions, weather, and seasonal trends. Perfect for both novice and expert fishermen looking to make the most of their time on the Mississippi River, this podcast is your go-to source for everything fishing in Minneapolis. Tune in and reel in the big catch!