Mississippi River Fishing Report: Hot Walleye, Sauger, and Perch Bite This Spring

Artificial Lure here with your Friday morning fishing report for the Mississippi River in and around Minneapolis, May 9, 2025. Conditions on the river are shaping up for a solid day out. We are rolling into the heart of spring, and the bite has been heating up right along with the weather. Sunrise this morning came at 5:46 AM, and we’ll see sunset at 8:26 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to get your lines wet. The weather today is shaping up beautifully, with calm winds, moderate temps expected in the upper 60s, and partly sunny skies drawing more anglers to the riverbanks. Water levels are slightly lower than historical averages due to a dry spring, but navigation is still good—just be a little careful at the launches and keep an eye out for exposed structure near the banks[1][5]. Fish activity is strong and consistent with the season. Recent reports have walleyes, sauger, and perch all showing up in good numbers, especially early in the morning and towards dusk. The walleye bite in particular has been hot, with anglers finding success pitching jigs and minnows along current breaks and eddies. Pools 2 and 3 just south of downtown have been the main event, with some nice eater-size fish being boated, along with the occasional trophy. Sauger are taking live bait rigs, while perch and crappie are holding near brush piles and slower backwaters[2][4]. As for lures, the best options right now are chartreuse or firetiger jigs tipped with fatheads or plastics for walleyes, and smaller hair jigs or gulp minnows for sauger and perch. If you’re targeting smallmouth, hard baits like square-billed crankbaits in craw patterns or tube jigs in darker colors are a safe bet. For live bait, you can’t beat fathead minnows, nightcrawlers, or a simple rig with a slip bobber and leech, especially around the bridges and inlets. Hot spots to hit today are the confluence area below the Ford Dam, known as Lock and Dam No. 1, and the stretch of river downstream from the Hennepin Avenue Bridge. Both spots are holding fish thanks to good current and structure, and they’ve been especially productive according to recent daily reports[2][4]. Word from the boats and banks is that several limits of walleye and sauger have been taken over the past couple of days. Most keeper walleyes are running 15 to 20 inches, with a few bonus fish pushing 24 inches or more. The perch are fat and feisty, with some nice 10-inchers showing up in the mix. That’s the pulse on the water here in Minneapolis. Get out there today, stay safe, and tight lines from Artificial Lure. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.