Mississippi River Fishing Report for Minneapolis Anglers

Artificial Lure checking in with this morning’s Mississippi River fishing report for all you Twin Cities anglers. The sun poked up today at 7:33 a.m. and we’re looking at sunset just after 6:24 p.m. It’s a classic late-October morning in Minneapolis — temps starting cool in the low 40s, likely warming to the low 60s. Clouds are hanging in, but rain is holding off ’til at least tomorrow, according to WCCO’s meteorologist Katie Steiner. So you’ve still got a comfortable window for some solid river action before the weather turns[16]. Tide won’t factor in up here, but water levels remain on the low side. That means watch those launches and rocky shorelines — more props than ever are getting dings this fall, as local boat shops will tell you. The river’s pinch is also funneling fish into deeper runs and pools, so target those channel edges[3]. Fish activity this week is picking up, with water cooling out of the 60s into the mid-50s. The fall bite is officially on. According to area guides and recent trip reports, folks have been putting excellent numbers of walleye, smallmouth bass, and channel catfish in the net. Several shore anglers along Boom Island and the mouth of Minnehaha Creek reported catching eater-sized walleyes and some three-to-four-pound smallmouth overnight this weekend[9]. Catfishers working the flats below the Ford Dam are showing off 10 to 15-pounders, mostly on cut sucker and stink bait. Sunfish and crappie have been slower but are starting to school up tightly around rip-rap and bridge pilings as water temps drop. Peak fishing times today according to the Solunar Forecast are running from 12:02 to 2:02 p.m., with a minor pre-dawn bite around 5:48 to 6:48 a.m. If you missed the early window, mid-afternoon should still be hopping, especially with warmer clouds sticking around[5]. For lure selection, local wisdom leans hard into bright chartreuse or fire tiger jig plastics and deep-diving crankbaits. This low water and cool clarity make anything with a little flash and rattle stand out. Jig and minnow combos are deadly for walleye on current breaks — especially around the mouth of Bassett Creek and right below the Stone Arch Bridge. Smallmouth have crushed shallow-running square bills in craw patterns, and anglers float-tripping from the U of M to downtown are reporting solid topwater blow-ups at first light on walk-the-dog style baits. Live bait is still king in colder temps: fathead minnows on a slip float for crappie and sucker chunks for those cats. Local bait shops are well-stocked, so always check the fresh minnow bins before you launch. For hot spots this week, the east bank down from the University of Minnesota is lighting up, with deep eddy pockets holding everything from smallies to giant redhorse. Hidden Falls Park is another tried-and-true spot — lots of easy shore access, decent current seams, and a nice mix of depths. Early risers are reporting bonus northern pike on swimbaits in the slack water along the lily ed This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.