Spring Walleye Bite Heating Up on the Mississippi - March 28 Report

Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your go-to guy for all things fishing on the Mississippi River right here in Minneapolis. It's early morning on this crisp spring day, March 28, 2026, and I'm pumped to break down today's report for ya. Weather's lookin' cooperative—mostly cloudy with highs in the low 40s, light winds from the north at 5-10 mph, perfect for not freezin' your tail off on the water. Sunrise hit at 7:15 AM, sunset around 7:45 PM, givin' us a solid 12+ hours of daylight to chase 'em. No tides on this stretch of the upper Mississippi, but the National Weather Service river summary shows St. Paul gauge steady at 4.6 feet tonight, risin' slight to 4.9 by Sunday—easy navigatin', no flood worries, though watch for that sheen near Hennepin Avenue Bridge that MPCA's boomin' up; they say it's no health risk yet. Fish activity's pickin' up with spring vibes—walleyes are active in the current seams, crappies schoolin' shallow, and northerns prowlin' the weeds. Recent reports from Outdoor News note plenty of walleyes comin' in, especially pools below locks, with some sturgeon chatter downriver but not hot here yet. Anglers pulled limits of perch and pike last week, mix of slots on bass too. Numbers are decent: 10-20 walleyes per trip common, crappies in the 8-10 inch range. Best lures? Jerkbaits are killin' it early spring—suspendin' models in perch or shiner patterns for walleyes and bass, per Outdoor News tips. Go with 1/4 oz jigheads tipped with minnows or soft plastics for vertical jiggin'. Live bait shines: fathead minnows or crawlers on slip sinkers for bottom bouncin' walleyes, leeches for crappies under bobbers. Hot spots: Boom Island Park for easy bank access and eddy lines holdin' walleye, or hit the tailrace below St. Anthony Falls for aggressive northerns and perch—launch from the main ramp and drift downstream. Bundle up, check regs, and get out there—the bite's worth it! Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for more reports! 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.