Mississippi River Spring Walleye Bite Heats Up Near Minneapolis

Hey folks, this is **Artificial Lure** comin' at ya with your Mississippi River fishin' report for Thursday, April 23rd, 2026, right here in and around Minneapolis. Water levels are steady at about 12 feet on the gauge near St. Paul, flowin' moderate after that spring runoff—perfect for wadin' in without gettin' swept away. Weather's lookin' prime: highs in the upper 50s, light northwest breeze at 5-10 mph, partly cloudy skies. No rain in sight, so bundle up for that early mornin' chill. Sunrise at 6:05 AM, sunset 8:15 PM—plenty of daylight to chase 'em. River ain't tidal up here, but current's pushin' strong; fish the eddies and drop-offs. Fish activity's heatin' up with the new moon phase and warmin' trend—bass are pre-spawn aggressive, per BassForecast outlooks. Walleyes are keyin' on minnows in 8-15 feet near structure. Recent catches? Locals report 15-20 walleyes per boat last weekend off Boom Island, plus smallies up to 4 pounds hittin' jigs. Saugers and channel cats mixin' in, with a few crappies stackin' slabs pre-spawn. Limits on walleyes for most crews, nothin' huge but steady action. Best lures: **jig-minnow combos** like 1/4-oz Northland Fire-Ball Jigs tipped with fatheads or shiners—gold or chartreuse for stained water. For bass, go **Rapala Shad Raps** in perch pattern or tubes on 3/16-oz heads. Live bait kings it: nightcrawlers for cats, leeches for eyes. Troll slow at 1.2 mph. Hit these hot spots: **Boom Island Park** for shore jiggin' walleyes at the gravel points, and **Lock & Dam #1** downstream—current seams loaded with smallies and sauger. Sneak in early, stay stealthy. Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for weekly updates! 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.