Mississippi River Minneapolis Fishing Report Today

Name’s Artificial Lure, coming to you with your Mississippi River fishing report for the Minneapolis stretch. We’re in a classic early-summer pattern on Pool 1 and just above and below the Ford Dam. Flows are moderate and water clarity is decent, with a light stain that’s perfect for reaction baits. The river isn’t tidal up here, so no tide swings to worry about—think in terms of current seams, dam releases, and boat traffic instead of tides. Weather-wise, we’re looking at a mild start, light winds and comfortable temps building into a warm afternoon. Skies lean partly cloudy, which is ideal: just enough cover to keep fish comfortable but still push them to feed in windows. Humidity is up, so expect a little haze over the water early. Sunrise hits right around that 5:25 a.m. mark, with sunset close to 9:00 p.m., giving a long low-light bite on both ends. The strongest feeding windows are that first two hours after sunrise and the last couple before dark. Midday can still produce if you slide deeper or tuck into shade and current breaks. Recent chatter from local anglers along the University stretch and near Boom Island has been solid. Folks are reporting mixed bags of **smallmouth bass**, **walleye**, and plenty of **channel cats**, with bonus **sheepshead** and a few **pike** tossed in. Numbers have been good rather than huge—think a half-dozen to a dozen keeper-size smallies or walleyes per serious outing, plus cats if you soak bait. Smallmouth have been active on rocky shorelines, bridge pilings, and riprap near the locks. A lot of fish are in that 14–18 inch range, with an occasional 19 or 20 showing up for those working slow and thorough. Walleye catches have come mostly from current edges below the dam faces and deeper bends. Catfish action has been consistent in the slower holes and behind big current breaks. Best artificial lures right now: - For smallmouth: **green pumpkin** or **brown tube jigs**, 3–4 inch **Ned rigs**, and small **crankbaits** in craw or shad patterns. Topwater **walkers** and **poppers** can shine right at dawn and dusk along calmer banks and eddies. - For walleye: **1/8–1/4 oz jigs** tipped with plastics in chartreuse, white, or motor oil, slowly worked along the bottom. Deep-diving crankbaits in natural shad or perch colors are producing after dark. - For pike: **spinnerbaits** and flashy spoons tossed near weed edges and current transitions. Best live or natural bait: - **Nightcrawlers** on a simple slip-sinker rig for both walleye and cats. - **Fathead minnows** or small **shiners** on jigs or live bait rigs for walleye. - **Cut bait**—sucker or goldeye chunks—for channel cats in deeper holes and behind big boulders or bridge pilings. Couple of local hot spots to keep in your back pocket: - The stretch **below Lock and Dam No. 1 (Ford Dam)**: classic seams, rocks, and depth changes for walleye and smallies. Work the edges of the main current and the first major breaks off it. - The **University/Franklin Avenue bridge area**: rocky banks and pilings hold smallmouth, with cats stacking in deeper pockets and eddies. Cast tight to structure and let your bait drift naturally with the current. As always on this river, watch your footing and boat position—the current can shift fast with any change in upstream flow. Keep your presentations just off bottom, match your jig weight to the flow, and don’t be afraid to move until you contact fish. Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure’s Mississippi River report, and make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the next one. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Mississippi River Minneapolis fishing Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Mississippi River Minneapolis fishing report. We’re sitting on a stable, early‑summer pattern right now. The river’s running a bit stained but very fishable through the Minneapolis pool—flows not ripping, not slack, just enough current to set up nice seams off the wing dams and below the dams. No real tides to worry about this far upriver, so think in terms of current changes from power releases and any bumps from recent rain. Weather around the metro is classic June: mild morning temps sliding up into a warm, comfortable afternoon, with light to moderate winds and a mix of sun and clouds. Humidity’s up enough to keep the bugs around but not brutal. Sunrise is right around the early 5:20 a.m. hour, with sunset pushing close to 9 p.m., giving you a long window to work dawn and dusk—prime time on this stretch. Early and late are your best bets. Low light has the smallmouth pushing shallow on rock, and the walleyes and saugers sliding up on the tops and upstream edges of wing dams and current breaks. Midday, fish are dropping a little deeper into the holes, backside eddies, and the bases of riprap banks. Recent chatter from local anglers up and down the Minneapolis pool has been encouraging: - Solid **smallmouth bass** action, plenty of 14–18 inch fish with the occasional bruiser north of 19. Numbers have been good on rocky shorelines, bridge pilings, and current-swept points. - **Walleyes and saugers** have been coming in spurts—more of a grind than a slamfest—but guys dragging rigs are putting a few nice eaters in the livewell. - **Channel cats** are starting to wake up in a big way; cut bait in the deeper bends and below the dams is producing steady action after dark. - A mix of **white bass, sheepshead, and the odd pike** are filling in the gaps, especially for folks throwing moving baits. Best lures right now: - For smallmouth, go with **3–4 inch swimbaits**, **Ned rigs**, and compact **crankbaits** in natural shad, perch, or green pumpkin patterns. A simple tube dragged across rock is still money. - For walleyes, **jigs with plastics** or a **live-bait rig** pulled upstream along the edges of the wing dams and channel breaks. Chartreuse, white, and firetiger remain staples in this stained water. - For cats, **cut sucker**, **cut goldeye**, or a good, smelly prepared bait on a simple slip sinker rig will get it done. Best bait: - **Nightcrawlers** on a slip sinker or live-bait rig are putting both walleyes and bonus smallmouth in the boat. - **Leeches** on a jig or Lindy-style rig are consistent producers when the fish get fussy. - Don’t overlook **fatheads** or small **shiners** if you can find them—especially for sauger. Couple of local hot spots to circle: - The stretch just below **Upper St. Anthony and Lower St. Anthony** dams—anywhere you can find defined current seams, rock, and 8–14 feet of water. Work your way down until you mark bait and fish. - The **Ford Dam area (Lock and Dam 1)**: upstream wing dams, downstream current breaks, and shoreline riprap are all holding mixed bags of smallies, walleyes, and rough fish right now. Work those transitions—rock to sand, fast to slow water—and keep an eye on your electronics for bait clouds hugging bottom. If you’re not touching rock or feeling current, slide until you do. That’s the river as I’m seeing it today. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Mississippi River Minneapolis fishing report. We don’t worry about tides up here – pool levels and current are the deal. With no big rain lately, the river’s running a touch low and clear for early June, so expect a little extra finesse in the main channel and better action in current seams, wing‑dam tips, and below the dams. Weather around Minneapolis is classic early‑summer: cool morning in the 50s, pushing into the 70s this afternoon, light west to northwest breeze, mostly clear skies. That gives you good topwater windows at first and last light, then slower, deeper work once the sun gets high. Sunrise is right around a quarter after five, sunset just after nine, so you’ve got a long fishing day to play with. Fish activity’s been solid this week. Local reports and bait shops have been talking about: - Smallmouth bass putting on a show from above Ford Dam down past the U, hammering baits on rocky shorelines, riprap, and the upriver side of wing dams. Plenty of 12–17 inch fish with a few bigger bronzebacks mixed in. - Walleyes and saugers coming off the edges of deeper holes and current breaks, especially early and late. Not a lights‑out bite every day, but enough eaters for a fish fry if you stick with it. - Channel cats and a few flatheads waking up strong with the warmer water. Cut bait soakers have been doing well after dark and on cloudy stretches. - Panfish, mostly crappies and sunfish, tucked into marinas, slackwater, and behind islands. Great option if you’ve got kids in the boat. Best lures right now: - For smallmouth: 1/4 oz tube jigs in green pumpkin, Ned rigs, and small paddle‑tail swimbaits on light jig heads. When the river’s calm at dawn or dusk, walk‑the‑dog topwaters and small poppers can be lights out along riprap and points. - For walleyes: jig and plastic combos in natural minnows or chartreuse, dragged slowly upstream; or small crankbaits trolled along channel edges. Don’t overlook live‑bait rigs with leeches or nightcrawlers when the bite gets picky. - For cats: cut sucker, cut goldeye, or fresh chicken liver on a simple slip sinker rig, set just inside the main current. Bigger live bait if you’re specifically hunting flatheads. Best baits: - Nightcrawlers and leeches for walleye and sauger. - Fathead or small shiner minnows if you can find them, especially on jigs in heavier current. - Crawlers, plastics, and little crankbaits for smallmouth. - Fresh cut bait for catfish, and waxies or small pieces of crawler under a float for panfish. Couple of local hot spots to circle: - The stretch around the Ford Dam, both upstream and down, working the rocky banks, current breaks, and the first couple of wing dams. Great multi‑species water – smallmouth, eyes, and cats all live there. - The University of Minnesota stretch, from the Washington Avenue Bridge down toward the 35W bridge. Focus on riprap, bridge pilings, and any visible current seams. Solid smallmouth water with bonus walleyes early and late. Boat or bank, keep safety in mind – this is a working river with heavy current in spots, so wear the life jacket and respect the flow. That’s the Mississippi River Minneapolis report from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next trip. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Mississippi River Minneapolis fishing report. We’re rolling into a classic early‑June pattern. Air temps around the metro are starting cool at dawn in the 50s, climbing into the low 70s with light northwest breeze and low humidity. Skies are mostly clear with a mix of sun and clouds, just enough chop on the water to give your presentations some life. Sunrise is right around 5:25 a.m., sunset near 9:00 p.m., so you’ve got a wide prime window at first and last light. No real tides to worry about on this stretch of the river, but flow and level matter. Expect moderate current; shorelines are mostly fishable, with a bit of stain to the water. That stain is your friend: lets you get close, throw heavier profiles, and fish a little faster. Fish activity has been solid. Recent reports from local anglers around the Upper and Lower St. Anthony pools and down through the Ford Dam stretch mention good numbers of **smallmouth bass**, **walleyes**, and plenty of **channel cats**, with the odd **flathead** showing up after dark. Folks are picking up bonus **sheepshead** and **white bass** in the heavier current seams too. Smallmouth have been the stars. Anglers are putting 10–25 bronzebacks in the boat or from shore on a good outing, with a handful in the 17–19 inch class and the occasional fish nudging 20. They’re holding on riprap banks, current breaks, and the downstream sides of bridge pilings. Work moving baits: - 3–4 inch swimbaits on 1/4 oz jigheads - Ned rigs in green pumpkin - Small squarebill crankbaits in craw or shad patterns Walleye reports are more hit‑and‑miss but steady. Think low‑light windows and current edges off deeper holes. A few anglers are sliding out in the evening and boating 3–6 eater‑sized fish, with the odd 25‑inch plus mixed in. Best plays: - Jig and half a nightcrawler or fathead - 1/4–3/8 oz jig tipped with plastic paddletail in chartreuse or white - Slowly worked stickbaits after dark along rocky shorelines Catfish are waking up strong. Channel cats in the 2–8 pound range are common, with some bigger fish around logjams and deeper bends. Cut sucker, chicken liver, or stink bait on a simple slip sinker rig will keep you busy. Flathead hunters should target dusk to well after dark with live sucker or bullhead on heavy gear near big wood and deep holes. For live bait, prioritize: - Nightcrawlers and fathead minnows for walleye - Leeches if you can find them - Cut bait and live baitfish for cats For artificials, pack: - **Green pumpkin** and **black/blue** finesse jigs and Ned rigs - **White** or **chartreuse** swimbaits - Topwater poppers and walking baits for the smallmouth early and late; calm evenings have kicked out some violent surface strikes. Couple of local hot spots to put on your list: - **Ford Dam / Hidden Falls area**: Work below the dam and along the riprap banks. Great mix of smallmouth, walleyes, and cats. Cast to current seams where fast water meets slow. - **Downtown stretch around the Hennepin Avenue and 3rd Avenue bridges**: Classic urban smallmouth water. Target bridge pilings, eddies, and any visible rock. Early morning, you can walk a topwater right along the seams and hang on. If you’re bank fishing, travel light and stay mobile. Hit a spot for 20–30 minutes; if you don’t contact fish, slide up or down to the next seam or piece of structure. Boat anglers, watch your electronics for bait pods and depth breaks off the main channel. That’s the river rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn