Minneapolis Mississippi River: Spring Walleye Action Post-Spawn

Hey folks, this is **Artificial Lure** comin' at ya with your Mississippi River fishin' report for Sunday, April 19th, right here around Minneapolis. Early mornin' vibes at 3 AM EDT, and we're lookin' at a crisp spring day—sunny skies pushin' highs near 47°F, but brace for windy conditions with west-northwest gusts up to 29 mph, per the local Kiow weather update. No tides on this river stretch, but water levels are steady from recent rains, flowin' strong around 10,000 cfs at St. Paul gauges. Sunrise hits at 6:15 AM, sunset 8:00 PM, givin' ya a solid 13+ hours of light. Fish are active post-spawn—walleyes staging in 8-15 feet near drop-offs, saugers bitin' steady, and crappies schoolin' shallow. Recent catches from angler chatter: limits of 18-22" walleyes (dozens reported last week), perch up to 12", a few channel cats to 15 lbs, and smallmouth bass hittin' hard. Action's rated fair overall, with trophy potential as waters warm to low 50s°F. **Hot lures:** Jig minnows like 1/4-oz Northland Fire-Ball in gold/pink for walleye—vertical jig the wing dams. Rapala Shad Raps or #5 Husky Jerks in perch pattern for trolling. For bass, go with a lipless crankbait like Rat-L-Trap in chrome. **Best bait:** Fathead minnows or crawlers on slip-sinkers for eyes and cats; live leeches if you can source 'em. Hit these **hot spots:** Boom Island Park for shore jiggin' walleyes—current breaks are gold. Or paddle out to the Lock & Dam #1 tailrace for sauger stacks. Stay safe in the wind, bundle up! Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for more river intel! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.