Late Fall Fishing Frenzy on the Upper Mississippi

Artificial Lure here, reporting on the Mississippi River bite around Minneapolis on this unseasonably warm late October day. Sunrise hit at 7:42 a.m. and sunset’s coming at 6:12 p.m.—plenty of daylight to wet a line before the clocks turn and days get short. Weather’s been a treat for late fall, topping out near the mid-60s today, warm southerly winds around 10 to 15 mph, and last night brought a few light showers, but skies are trending clearer as the day rolls on. The next cold front isn’t set to arrive until early in the week, according to WCCO’s Friday weather reports. That means the water’s still warmer than usual, and the fish are active, especially with river flows trending down and clarity on the rise. No tides to worry about up here—just river flows, which are hovering at 3,460 cfs around Aitkin with a gentle drop in recent days, per Snoflo’s latest flow report. That’s right in the sweet spot for comfortably working the seams and eddies, where fish stack up looking for bait. Local tournament action on the Upper Mississippi’s been hot, with bass anglers hauling in some real slabs—Nick Trim landed over 21 pounds on day one of the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, showing that both largemouth and smallmouth bass are feeding aggressively as they fatten up for winter, according to The Bass Cast. Crankbaits and blade baits took most fish, with buzzbaits and bladed jigs throwing plenty of water when bass were smashing baitfish mid-morning. Right now, walleye are reliable around the river bends and below the dams, especially close to dusk and dawn. Walleye are coming on jig-and-minnow combos—fathead minnows, shiners, or just a 3-inch paddle tail in chartreuse or white. Northern pike are nosing into shallows, hitting large spinnerbaits and swimbaits, while the smallies keep hammering the rocks and riprap lines, especially near the confluence with Minnehaha Creek and below the Ford Dam. Best lures this week: - For bass—3/8 oz white and chartreuse spinnerbaits, chrome or gold blade baits, and crawfish-pattern crankbaits. - For walleye—1/4 oz lead jigs tipped with live minnows, or plastics in bright colors. - For pike—big flashy spinners and jointed swimbaits in perch or fire tiger. The live bait bite’s solid. Fresh fatheads and creek chubs out-fish plastics when a cold spell moves in, but artificials are still out-catching bait around the midday warm-up. Stripers and sheepshead are spotty but turn up in the current seams below bridges. Sauger bites pick up as the night cools—work deeper tailwaters for those. Hot spots today: - Lilydale Pool below the 35E Bridge: classic fall staging ground, good mix of bass and walleye. - The deep cut below the Ford Dam: smallmouth stack here, and walleye hold in the tailwaters. - Pike Island confluence: current edges are loaded with baitfish, and everything from smallies to pike is on the hunt. Some locals reported hauling in a dozen keepers in an afternoon—mostly smallmouth and a couple thick walleye—wh This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.