Late Fall Fishing on the Mississippi in Minneapolis

Artificial Lure here with your Mississippi River, Minneapolis fishing report for Sunday, November 16, 2025. We’re waking up to a classic late fall scene along the river—air temps chilly this morning near 34°F, topping out around 56°F this afternoon. Winds light, and we’re looking at mostly sunny skies, perfect for working the banks or dropping a line off your favorite bridge. Sunrise came at 7:14 AM, sunset hits at 4:44 PM, so make those daylight hours count. No tides to track here, but the seasonal solunar forecast says our major fish activity periods today are from 1:49 to 3:49 AM and again 2:12 to 4:12 PM, with minor activity from 6:51 to 7:51 AM and 10:44 to 11:44 PM—the afternoon major window should be your target for the hottest bite, especially with water temps dipping into the 40s and fish popping into winter feed mode. In the stretch from St. Anthony Falls up through the Ford Dam, anglers report steady action on walleyes, saugers, and a bonus smallmouth here and there—especially below the dams and around deeper current seams. According to Outdoor News Minnesota from this weekend, local guides are putting clients on a mixed bag: mostly eating-size walleyes, the odd trophy over 25 inches, along with some big river catfish. Folks have also picked up the last of the season’s white bass, with channel cats still hitting on cut bait after dark. Right now, best results are with bright jig-and-minnow combos—chartreuse, orange, and firetiger curly tails paired with fatheads or river shiners are pulling fish from the slow edges and just outside heavy current. When the bite slows, switch to blade baits or heavy lipless cranks fished deep and slow. River regulars like a live sucker minnow under a slip float off heavy structure after sunset—it’s a classic for a reason. Don’t forget: the state consumption advisory for river-caught fish is in play, updated April 2025 by the Minnesota Department of Health, especially for larger walleyes and catfish, so check those guidelines if you’re keeping your catch. If you’re looking for hotspots, locals are loving Boom Island near downtown for easy access and good numbers, as well as below Lock & Dam No. 1, where eddies and deep holes hold hungry walleyes in November. Another under-the-radar spot is the mouth of Minnehaha Creek, which is great for shore anglers targeting a mixed bag on jigs and soft plastics. The river is busy with waterfowlers and late-season pleasure boaters, so fish with courtesy. Be sure your license is current and brush up on bag and slot limits before you hit the water. Local bait shops are well-stocked with fathead minnows, and keeper-sized fish have been surprisingly cooperative on both plastics and live bait. Thanks for tuning in to your Mississippi River fishing update. Be sure to subscribe for more reports—this has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.