Late September Blitz on the Mississippi

Here’s your Mississippi River Minneapolis fishing report for Saturday, September 27th, 2025. Dawn crept in at 7:07 AM, and you can expect to tuck those rods away by sunset at 7:04 PM. This final September Saturday started with a cool nip—lows overnight dipped to the low 50s, but we’re rolling into a crisp, clear day topping out in the low 70s. There’s no tide swing to speak of up this far, so the river flow stays steady, ideal for targeting active fish. According to the Mississippi River Minneapolis Daily Fishing Report, the bite is lively as autumn settles in, and local guides are echoing the same story: lots of fish on the move, and lots of rods bending. The walleye run picked up steam this week. Anglers drifting jigs tipped with nightcrawlers or fatheads in the main current seams are pulling in steady limits of keeper ‘eyes—most running 14 to 18 inches, with scattered slots to make you look twice. For those hungry for trophies, dawn and dusk have been the hot windows, especially around deeper drop-offs near Boom Island and the Ford Dam. Smallmouth bass are absolutely fired up. The top-water action is prime in the mornings—Outdoor News reported the frog bite is holding strong, so throw a black or green hollow-bodied frog tight to riprap or shoreline grass. Switch to white spinnerbaits or Ned rigs after the sun burns off the mist, probing rocky islands and wing dams stretching from St. Anthony Falls upstream towards the Camden Bridge. Average fish are running 12–16 inches, but keepers up to 20 inches have been hitting aggressive. Channel catfish are cruising deep holes mid-river. The best reports are coming from cut baits—sucker or goldeye—fished on bottom rigs after sundown. Bites have been steady, and cats to 10 pounds are not uncommon this week, especially around the downtown stretch and below the Lowry Bridge. Crappie are scattered, but if you work brush piles off the main channel with a light jig and minnow, you’ll find tight schools in 12 to 18 feet of water right now. Most are slabs—8 to 12 inches and filling buckets fast for those patient folks who like to pick through structure. For the lucky few after something different, bigmouth buffalo are there to be had, with no current bag limit in Minnesota according to the latest regs. Buffalo are mostly coming on nightcrawlers set deep off slow-moving channel edges, and a couple of impressive fish upwards of 30 pounds have been landed by patient regulars. Remember, these fish are ancient and declining—respect the catch, especially if you’re releasing. When it comes to bait and lures, locals are sticking to tradition, but adding a mix of late-season finesse. Try these best bets: - For walleye: 1/4 oz jigs tipped with fathead minnows or split-tail plastics in blue or chartreuse. - Smallmouth: Black and blue Ned rigs, white spinnerbaits, and top-water frogs in the early a.m. - Catfish: Fresh-caught cutbait or nightcrawlers on a slip-sinker rig. - Crappie: 1/16 oz tube jigs or plain hooks w This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.