Fall Fishing on the Mississippi - Minneapolis Report 2025

Mississippi River anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Saturday, October 11th, 2025 fishing report straight from Minneapolis. The Twin Cities is enjoying classic fall weather: early-morning temps dipping just above freezing before climbing to an afternoon high in the upper 60s, all under sunny skies. Sunrise hit at 7:22 a.m. today, and sunset will come at 6:38 p.m. We’ve had a stretch of dry, pleasant days, and that’s ignited fantastic fall color in the trees and brisk movement of both bait and sport fish, according to KAXE’s phenology update. So bundle up early, but expect layers to come off by noon. Water levels on the Mississippi are steady but have recovered from the near-historic lows of September. CBS Minnesota notes that local flooding concerns have receded since last week's crest, making shore and bank access safer—though keep an eye out for persistent soft mud and the occasional debris pile left from high water. Fish activity is strong with cooling water temperatures kicking up the metabolism of our resident species. Recent reports from the Mississippi River Minneapolis Daily Fishing Report show catfish, walleye, and both largemouth and smallmouth bass active through dawn and dusk, with northern pike and decent numbers of crappie coming off deeper eddies and slackwater pockets. A few muskie have been sighted too, though the bite is mostly hit-or-miss. Best action has come on moderate-sized jigs tipped with plastics, especially paddle tails in white, chartreuse, and gold. If you’re targeting walleye, try a firetiger or perch-pattern crankbait, or bounce a jig-and-minnow along the current breaks. Many anglers leaning into live bait have done well—fathead minnows and cut sucker for catfish, nightcrawlers for a solid mixed bag. For bass, a 3–4 inch green pumpkin tube or a spinnerbait slow-rolled through structure will draw strikes. Topwater action is fading but you might still coax a smallie up during evening warmth. Recent catches in the area have included channel cats averaging 2 to 6 pounds, walleye mostly in the 15–22 inch bracket, and bass with both numbers and good size—plenty of 1.5 to 3 pounders, a handful over four. Crappie are starting to pile up tight to submerged wood, especially near creek mouths. Two hot spots worth your time: - **Boom Island to the Plymouth Avenue Bridge**—Shore anglers are reporting steady bass and pike on swim jigs and chatterbaits along the weed edges. Plenty of accessible rock and current seams. - **Below the Ford Dam (Lock & Dam No. 1)**—Classic fall walleye run territory, especially in the early morning. Drift a jig-and-minnow or work a Deep Diver along the edges; some reports hint at bonus sauger mixed in. Word to the wise: after sunrise, move deeper as fish transition off shallow rocks and move to deeper pools and current shadows. By mid-morning, focus on vertical presentation—jigging or slowly-drifting soft plastics near the bottom. No tidal swings here, but river flow and clarity sho This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.