Late Spring Mississippi River Minneapolis Bite Heats Up Fast

Artificial Lure here with your Mississippi River Minneapolis fishing report. We’re in that sweet late‑spring window where the river bite is turning on fast. River levels have been bouncing just a bit but are very fishable, with decent clarity in back eddies and along shorelines. The Mississippi through town isn’t tidal, so no tide chart to worry about—just pay attention to current seams and any recent rain pushing a little extra flow. Weather today is classic spring mixed bag: cool early, climbing into the 60s by afternoon with light to moderate southwest wind. Skies running partly cloudy, with a chance of a passing shower but nothing that should blow out the bite. Sunrise is right around 5:40 a.m., sunset near 8:45 p.m., so you’ve got a long window. The best feeding periods should be first light until mid‑morning and then that last couple hours before dark when the wind lays down and the bugs get going. Water temps on the main river are hovering in the mid‑50s to low‑60s. That’s prime time for smallmouth bass and post‑spawn walleyes to chew. Local anglers have been reporting solid smallie numbers below the dams—lots of 14–18 inch fish with a few bruisers over 19. Walleyes and sauger have been coming on deeper breaks and current edges, with eater‑sized fish in the 14–20 inch range showing up in decent numbers, especially in low‑light. Channel cats are also starting to wake up. Folks soaking cut bait along slower outside bends and behind wing dams have been picking up fish in the 3–8 pound class, with the occasional bigger one. A few flatheads are beginning to show but the real push for them is still just ahead. For lures, keep it simple and match the river. For smallmouth, 3–4 inch paddle‑tail swimbaits on 1/4 oz jig heads in natural shad or green pumpkin are money. Tube jigs and 1/4 oz hair jigs in brown or olive are also putting fish in the net. Walleyes are eating 1/4–3/8 oz jigs tipped with fatheads or plastics; chartreuse, firetiger, and white are all solid, especially in slightly stained water. A slowly worked jig and minnow just off bottom is tough to beat. If you’re a live bait angler, grab fathead minnows and nightcrawlers. Slip bobbers with leeches around current breaks and riprap are turning both smallmouth and the occasional walleye. For cats, cut sucker, goldeye, or chicken liver on a simple slip‑sinker rig in slower holes is the ticket. A couple hot spots to keep on your radar: 1. Below Lock and Dam 1 by the Ford Bridge: Work the current seams, eddies, and riprap. Great mix of smallmouth and walleyes, especially early and late in the day. 2. Above and below the Lowry Avenue Bridge: Plenty of rocky shoreline and subtle current breaks. Toss swimbaits and crankbaits along the rocks for smallies, or drag jigs a bit deeper for walleyes. As always, mind the flow, wear your life jacket, and respect the shoreline anglers and boat ramps. The river’s in good shape, the fish are active, and it’s a great time to sneak out before the summer crowds hit full stride. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn