Chasing Fall Fish on the Mississippi River Around Minneapolis

Artificial Lure here with your Wednesday, October 15th fishing report, live from the heart of the Mississippi River around Minneapolis. Sunrise rolled in at 7:24 a.m., bringing a misty autumn chill to the banks. Expect a high near 54°F today, with brisk west winds topping 15 mph — that’ll put a chop on the water and help fire up the bite. A weak cold front is still lingering; water temps are riding in the mid-60s but dropping fast. Sunset sets at 6:30 tonight, so it’s a noticeably shorter day for chasing those fall fish. There’s no meaningful tidal swing up here on this stretch of the river, but solunar forecasts from SolunarForecast.com call for a solid “Better” rating today. Minor feeding windows hit around 6:26 to 7:26 a.m. and again from 9:38 to 10:38 p.m., with the major bite peaking from 1:26 to 3:26 p.m.—so plan to be in a good spot about lunchtime. You’ll find walleye, smallmouth bass, sauger, catfish, crappie, and an occasional northern pike bending rods this week. Outdoor News ran a headline on a recent 22-inch walleye caught just upriver from downtown – that’s a good sign the fall run’s coming on strong. Reports from river regulars mention good numbers, with mixed bags coming off the wing dams, deep holes below the dams, and eddies at creek mouths. Walleye are the main draw, clustering in 12 to 20 feet of water along deeper runs and current seams. Best approach: vertical jigging with a 1/4-ounce jig tipped with a fathead or rainbow minnow. If you can get your hands on frozen emerald shiners at the local bait shop, those are hammering the keepers right now — they’re matching the river forage perfectly, according to Lake of the Woods guides, and it’s just as true in the Mississippi system. Lure selection: chartreuse/gold, orange, and glow white jigs are putting fish in the net. If you’re casting artificials, go with paddle-tail swimbaits or soft jerkbaits in natural shad or perch patterns. Bass anglers should downsize and work Ned rigs or tubes along riprap and rock piles. Crappie are beginning their annual push into shallower backwaters and creek mouths; small crappie jigs tipped with a wax worm are a deadly combo. Live bait edges out plastics today, given the water temp dips, but crankbaits can still work around afternoon when the water warms a hair on sunny stretches. For hot spots, head below the Ford Dam (Lock & Dam #1) — this area’s famous for late-season mixed bags, especially if you target the deeper outside bends below the dam. Another reliable stretch is right off Boom Island Park down to the Plymouth Avenue Bridge — plenty of rocky structure, current breaks, and baitfish. Don’t overlook the mouth of Minnehaha Creek for a shot at bonus catfish and some slab crappie in the wood. River level’s low near downtown St. Paul (fourth lowest ever, per CBS Minnesota), so some back channels might be tough to access by boat but perfect for shoreline casting. The low, clear conditions mean approach quietly — lighter line and longer This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.