Chilly Front Stokes Fall Bite on the Mississippi near Minneapolis

This is Artificial Lure, your Mississippi River Minneapolis fishing expert, with your Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025 angling report. It’s been an abrupt seasonal shift—this morning kicked off with a chilly northwest breeze, cloudy skies, and a taste of autumn in the air. According to St. Cloud State’s forecast, highs today struggled into the upper 50s to low 60s, with wind gusts topping 30 mph and occasional scattered showers rolling through the afternoon. Air quality is a little smoky, so keep that in mind if you’re out for a long session. The sun rose at 6:38 a.m., with sunset expected around 7:41 p.m. today. Now, there’s no tide report here since we’re on the inland river, but elevated water levels continue—the Mississippi is running high this week, a result of upstream rainfall and the significant summer flood crest currently traveling through. The river in St. Paul is already at its fourth-lowest ever measured, but near Minneapolis it remains swollen, creating challenging but promising conditions for local anglers. With the cold front and dropping water temps, the fish are on the move. Mornings have been seein’ bursts of activity close to structure—current seams, wing dams, and rocky shorelines are holding mixed bags. Just two days ago, a new Minnesota catch-and-release record bowfin, 31 inches, was landed further upstream in Beltrami County, underscoring how good the current is for big, toothy critters. In Minneapolis pools, around Boom Island and the Hennepin Avenue Bridge, smallmouth bass action is reliable but spotty—numbers are up but size is mixed. Average smallies of 12-16 inches are coming in, mixed with occasional bruisers breaking 18 inches. White bass are schooling up where creek mouths dump in, and a few nice walleyes have been picked off the main channel edges after dusk. Near the downtown locks, anglers are reporting hefty freshwater drum and plenty of channel cats, with cut bait and nightcrawlers getting it done. Also keep an eye out for the surge in yellow bass—they’re native here and have been increasingly prominent, according to the DNR’s recent monitoring. Their numbers are up, and if you’re patient with ultralight gear and small blade baits, you can put together a mess of them in short order. Best lures today have been darker paddle tails and craw patterns—think black, green pumpkin, or purple—jigged slow as the water feels cool and a bit off-color. Topwater bite is nearly done for the season, but a walk-the-dog spook can still provoke reaction near sunrise. Natural shad patterns are good when the sun breaks through. Live bait is effective: sucker minnows for pike and muskie, fatheads or nightcrawlers for perch, panfish, and bass. With the water high, fish are seeking slack behind large rocks and logs, so target those spots. Artificial jerkbaits and small jigs tipped with twister tails are still consistent producers for smallmouth and walleye. If you’re looking for a hot spot, check out the flats just downstream of This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.