Early June Smallmouth Fire on the Mississippi: Minneapolis River Report

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