Fishing the Frigid Mississippi for Walleye, Sauger, and Jumbo Perch

# Artificial Lure's Mississippi River Fishing Report Well hey there, folks. It's Artificial Lure coming to you on this December morning, and let me tell you, the Mississippi River around Minneapolis is calling our names right now. First things first—we're looking at early winter conditions here, and that means the water's cold and the fish are concentrated. The Minnesota Department of Health has flagged some PFAS contamination in Pool 2 stretching from the Ford Dam in St. Paul down to Hastings Dam, so if you're fishing that stretch, you'll want to check current advisories before keeping anything for the table. Now, here's what's been happening on the water. Early ice is forming in various spots, and that's opening up some serious opportunity. We're seeing good action on walleyes, saugers, and jumbo perch in the early-ice zones. Those are your money fish right now—they're hungry and concentrated as the water temps drop. For lures, you can't beat classic light tackle presentations. Small jigging spoons tipped with live bait are absolutely crushing it. If you're working artificial, try your white and chartreuse soft plastics on a quarter-ounce jig head. For bait, live minnows are your bread and butter—shiners work fantastic, and don't sleep on fathead minnows either. As for hot spots around Minneapolis, you've got to check out the deeper pools and structure near the Ford Dam area—that's where the walleyes are staging right now. The backwater areas along the St. Paul riverfront are also producing early-season action as the water cools down and fish move to deeper holding zones. Get out there, stay safe on the ice, and respect those fishing regulations. Thanks for tuning in, and make sure you subscribe for more reports like this one. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease.ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.