Late Fall Bite on the Mighty Mississippi Around Minneapolis

Artificial Lure here with your November 20th, 2025 fishing report for the mighty Mississippi River around Minneapolis, served local-style and straight to the point. Sunrise hit at 7:16 AM and sunset’s coming early at 4:39 PM today, so those daylight hours are precious for any angler hoping to cash in on the late-fall bite. We’re under a first quarter moon, which tends to encourage a good bit of fish activity, and FishingReminder notes major bite windows from about 6:52 to 8:52 AM and again from 7:03 to 9:03 PM. If you’re watching the river, expect that early daylight or sundown window to be money[1][4]. Weather this week is classic November—cool but steady, with water temps hanging in the low to mid-50s. Cloud cover has been on our side, helping the bite hang on longer through the morning. According to Instagram fishing reports, water levels on the Mississippi are still running a bit low for the season—fish are stacking up on deeper channel edges and mid-river structure[2]. On the river itself and the immediate metro lakes, the walleye bite has stayed strong. Folks are pulling nice eaters—nothing record-breaking, but plenty in the 15 to 20-inch range, and the occasional lunker from deeper pools. Minnows on a jig are still the standard, but you can’t beat the classic Jigging Rap fished vertical on inside turns around 10 to 18 feet of water. Smallmouth bass are chasing Ned rigs and 3-inch paddle-tail swimbaits, especially near current seams and rubble piles. Muskie reports are picking up with the cool-off; glide baits and slow-rolled bucktails are getting whacked over deep holes, especially if you’re working baits near bait clouds in that 12 to 20-foot range[1]. Crappie aficionados: they’re sliding out to the mid-depth basins now. Use your electronics to find schools suspended over 18 to 25 feet, and try hair jigs under a float for steady action. Northern pike are still holding weed, though the green stuff is thinning—burn a big spinnerbait just over remaining coontail and you’re liable to stick a few gators[1]. When it comes to bait, nothing beats live fatheads for numbers, especially on a light jig. But scent-enhanced soft plastics and gulp minnows are a solid choice too; these help in the post-turnover clarity and colder water, giving fish just a little more reason to commit. Best spots this week: - **Saint Anthony Falls Upper Lock and Dam**: Walleye and smallie action right in town, especially on the downstream side of turbulent water. - **Boom Island**: Current breaks and eddies are holding fish—especially productive around sunset. Also, don’t sleep on Nicollet Island or Hall Island for shore-bound efforts, if you want a direct shot at evening walleyes or bonus crappie schools working up from deeper holes. Plenty of seasoned anglers are also reporting out of Lake Nokomis and Lake Harriet for those targeting metro muskies and a mixed bag of panfish[1]. Reminder: the bite is best dawn and dusk, with overcast keeping fish active a little This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.