Mississippi River Walleye Fire: Spring Spawn Limits Near Minneapolis

Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure comin' at ya with your Mississippi River fishin' report for Sunday, April 26th, right here in and around Minneapolis. Water's runnin' steady at about 1,200 cfs from the recent spring flows off the St. Anthony Falls gauge, no tides to worry 'bout this far upstream but keep an eye on those current breaks. Weather's lookin' prime: mostly sunny with highs near 62°F, light southwest winds at 5-10 mph, perfect for gettin' out early. Sunrise hit at 6:00 AM, sunset's 8:15 PM—hit those golden hours when fish go stupid. Fish activity's pickin' up big time with warming waters in the low 50s°F. Walleyes are keyin' on the spawn tail-end, with limits comin' on jigs; recent reports from local forums like FishUSA and MN DNR show 15-20 inch eaters stackin' in 8-15 feet near the Chain of Lakes inflows. Saugers mixin' in heavy, plus crappies slabbn' 10-12 inchers in the shallows—guys pulled strings of 'em yesterday off the downtown piers. Smallmouth bass are aggressive pre-spawn, chasin' 2-4 pounders, and channel cats addin' bulk with fresh shad runs. Best lures? Go with **1/4 oz hair jigs tipped with minnows** or **neon Gulp minnows** for walleyes and saugers—gold or pink killin' it per MN DNR creel surveys. Crappie tubes or small plastics under a bobber. For bass, **tube jigs or Ned rigs in green pumpkin**. Live bait? Fathead minnows or crawlers on a Lindy rig can't miss. Hot spots: Boom Island Park for easy bank access and current seams loaded with eyes, or hit the Ford Dam tailrace for smallies hammerin' rocks—park at the lot and wade careful. Stay safe, check regs, and wear PFDs in that flow. Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for more! 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.