Midday Bite on the Mississippi: A Fishing Report for Minneapolis

This is Artificial Lure with your November 7th fishing report for the Mississippi River in and around Minneapolis. Today’s sunrise was at 6:58 AM and sunset hits at 4:53 PM, making for a crisp 10-hour fishing window. Temps will start out brisk in the mid-30s and warm up to the low 50s by afternoon, with partly cloudy skies overhead—perfect for angling, as the fish tend to be more active without direct, hot sunlight baking the water. Winds are expected to stay light from the west at 5-10 mph, so there’s no red flag on water safety this morning. Tides up here on the Mississippi aren’t a factor, but water levels are near seasonal averages after last week’s spotty showers. Water clarity is decent, but cooler nights mean fish are starting to slide deep or tuck into eddies and slack water. Based on solunar data for Minneapolis, the **major feeding window is midday: 12:43 to 2:43 PM, with a minor spike around dawn—so if you’re working a morning bite, get out early and be flexible**. Fishbrain logs show strong bites just before and after sunrise and again late in the afternoon this week. For catches, the locals have been hauling in impressive numbers. Over 30,000 largemouth bass have been logged on Fishbrain within city limits this fall. Some real brutes came out near Boom Island and down by the University area docks, with bucketmouths over 4 lbs not uncommon. Northern pike activity is on an uptick too, with over 10,000 catches reported this season. A few over 36 inches came in below the North Loop and near the mouth of Minnehaha Creek. Panfish anglers are still putting up numbers for bluegill and crappie, especially around backwater sloughs. **Best lures right now:** - Medium-diving crankbaits in silver/blue or firetiger for bass and pike. - Jig-and-paddle tail combos (3–4 inch) in white or chartreuse for river smallmouth and walleyes. - Live bait—fathead minnows or nightcrawlers—are out-fishing artificials for bottom dwellers and picky sauger. - For crappies and bluegills: Small hair jigs tipped with a waxworm or soft plastic in pink or white. Seasonal patterns matter—work **rocky current seams and deep pools during the midday lull, and target shallower woody cover at first and last light**. Top recommendations are ChatterBaits around submerged wood (especially just upstream from the Stone Arch Bridge), and 1/8 oz jigheads with 3-inch shad bodies for that deeper channel bite. For a little extra edge, local anglers favor adding a dab of Pro Cure bait scent—several on the BBC Boards say it helps hang onto a few extra strikes, especially in these colder waters. A couple of hot spots to circle on your phone: - **Boom Island Park landing:** Reliable for multi-species action, especially bass and rough fish on the outer edges of the channel. - **Below the Ford Dam:** Consistently productive for walleye and pike, especially pitching jigs along the current breaks just downstream. Keep an eye on access: The Mississippi River Northwoods Trail is closed as This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.