Late October Lures on the Mighty Mississippi

This is Artificial Lure, reporting from the banks and bluffs along the mighty Mississippi in Minneapolis on this brisk Wednesday, October 29th, 2025. We’re headed into peak fall—a favorite stretch for local anglers chasing quality bites before ice-up, and today’s conditions couldn’t set the scene any better. Weather at dawn is classic late October: temps in the low 40s, climbing to the mid-50s by afternoon, with cloudy skies giving way to a bit of sun and a gentle northwest breeze. CBS News Minnesota says the overnight rain has moved on, so the river edges are muddy, and flows are a tick up from last week but still on the low side—a pattern we’ve seen all fall with Minnesota DNR reporting near-record lows downstream in St. Paul. Expect sunrise at 7:44 AM and sunset at 6:07 PM. Plan to hit the water early for that classic fall bite window. No tides to talk about here—it's a river system, but with the water low, structure and current breaks become magnets for fish. Shallow flats with nearby deep water are prime now. Jeff Sundin’s recent Minnesota Fishing Report notes water temps heading for the low 50s, which is when the big walleyes and saugers get feisty and the jumbo perch and crappies start sliding to accessible spots. Fish activity’s been solid: Walleyes and saugers are the main ticket, with many reports of excellent catches on river bends and holes just down from vertical structures like the Franklin Avenue and Ford Parkway bridges. Several anglers this week tallied up mixed bags—three- and four-pound walleyes, saugers for the fryer, and the occasional crappie from the backwaters. The shallows just outside Minnehaha Creek and the flats below the Plymouth Avenue Bridge fished hot both morning and evening. Best lures right now? Hands-down, vertical jigging with a frozen emerald shiner or fathead minnow is killer. Sundin points out that glow, gold and chartreuse jigs are converting most of the bigger fish, while pink and orange can turn slow streaks around, especially in stained water. You’ll want to tip your jig with a real minnow—live bait’s been out-producing soft plastics, but don’t count out a paddle tail or flutter spoon if you’re marking aggressive fish and the bite’s on. Don’t forget about jumbo perch—when they go picky, a jig and a wax worm or sliver of crawler does the job. Pike are still lurking near weedbeds closer to shore; toss out a larger swimbait or spinner if you want to tangle with something bigger. A couple of hot spots this week: - **Hidden Falls Regional Park stretch (just above the locks):** Lots of current seams and drop-offs, frequent walleye catches, and bonus sauger mixed in. - **Boom Island backwater:** Reliable for crappie, perch, and the odd smallmouth—but you’ll have to move slow and watch your electronics for suspended schools. Bass action’s winding down, but some chunky smallmouth were reported at the mouth of Minnehaha Creek on tubes and Ned rigs—try a green pumpkin or smoke with silver flakes. Keep an e This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.