Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Mississippi River Minneapolis fishing report. We’re looking at a classic early‑summer pattern on pool 1 and the stretch around downtown. Light north to northwest breeze, comfortable mixed clouds, and stable barometer—good conditions to get fish moving up on current seams and shallow rock. Air temps are swinging from cool early to warm afternoons, with only a slight chance of a pop‑up shower later in the day. According to the National Weather Service forecast for Minneapolis, winds should stay moderate, so boat control won’t be a nightmare if you’re working wing dams or mid‑river structure. Sunrise is right around the mid‑5 a.m. hour, with sunset near the mid‑9 p.m. mark, giving you a long low‑light window on both ends of the day. That first 2–3 hours after sunrise and the last hour before dark are lining up as prime time for aggressive bites, especially for smallmouth and walleyes pushing shallow on riprap and current breaks. The Mississippi here isn’t tidal, so no tide tables to worry about, but river level and flow are the key. River stage has been near normal for early summer, with manageable current; that’s got fish relating tight to classic structure—wing dams, bridge pilings, and the heads and tails of islands. With the water warming, the bite is shifting from slow live bait to faster presentations, and fish are willing to chase. Recent reports from local anglers and shops around Minneapolis say smallmouth bass action has been solid, with numbers days not uncommon and plenty of 14–18 inch fish, plus the occasional bigger bronzeback. Walleyes and saugers are still coming from deeper current breaks and the upstream edges of wing dams, mostly eaters in the 14–20 inch range, with a few slot‑class fish mixed in. Channel cats and flatheads are picking up too, especially after dark along deeper bends and loggy banks. For lures, think “reaction and flash.” For smallmouth, throw 1/4–3/8 oz chartreuse or white spinnerbaits, medium‑running crankbaits in shad or craw patterns, and 3–4 inch paddle‑tail swimbaits on jig heads. Ned rigs and tube jigs in green pumpkin or brown still clean up when the bite slows. Walleyes are hitting 1/4–3/8 oz jigs tipped with fatheads or plastics, as well as #5 and #7 shad‑style cranks trolled or cast along current edges. For cats, cut sucker, cut goldeye, or chicken liver on a simple slip‑sinker rig is putting fish in the net. Best baits right now: - Live fathead minnows or small leeches on jigs or live‑bait rigs for walleyes and saugers. - Nightcrawlers and cut bait for channel cats. - For smallmouth, it’s hard to beat a simple green pumpkin tube or a minnow‑imitating swimbait worked along rock. A couple of local hot spots to circle: - The stretch just below the Ford Dam (Lock and Dam 1): strong current, classic seams, and a mix of walleyes, smallmouth, and cats. Work the current edges with jigs and plastics, and crank the rocky banks for bronzebacks. - The downtown Minneapolis stretch near the bridges and riprap: smallmouth stack on the rocks and around pilings. Cast crankbaits and spinnerbaits parallel to shore, and pitch tubes into any chunk rock or eddies you can find. Focus on low‑light, fish the current edges, and don’t be afraid to move until you bump into active fish. 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