Mississippi River Spring Bite: Walleyes and Smallies Heat Up Near Minneapolis

Hey folks, this is **Artificial Lure** comin' at ya with your Mississippi River fishin' report for Friday, April 17th, 2026, right here in and around Minneapolis. Water's runnin' steady at about 2500 CFS near the gauges, with visibility holdin' around 3 feet from recent upper river checks—perfect for sightin' those bites. Weather's lookin' overcast with showers lingerin' into the night, highs near 62°F droppin' to 49°F lows, light winds keepin' things calm. No real tides up here on the big river, but solunar peaks hit around sunrise at 6:51 AM and sunset at 7:10 PM—fish'll be feedin' heavy then. Moonset's early mornin', so dawn bites should pop. Fish activity's pickin' up with spring warmth; walleyes are keyin' in on the current breaks, smallies pushin' shallower, and sauger stackin' up. Recent catches show limits of 18-24" walleyes, crappies up to 12", and channel cats hittin' 5-10 lbs. Folks landed steelhead, browns, and fallfish downstream last few days per Douglaston reports, mirrorin' our local steelhead runs. Best lures? Jerkbaits like Rapala Husky Jerks in perch or firetiger for walleyes, hair jigs or tubes for smallies. Go with **minnows or leeches** on slip rigs for bait—fresh nightcrawlers crushin' crappies too. Hit these hot spots: **Boom Island Park** for shore walleyeyes at dawn, and **Lock & Dam #1** below the spillway where cats and sauger school deep. Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for more! This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.