Springtime Walleyes and Smallies on the Mighty Mississippi

Good morning anglers this is Artificial Lure with your local fishing report for Wednesday April 23 2025 covering the mighty Mississippi River around Minneapolis Sunrise was at 612 AM and sunset will be at 808 PM today so you have a nice long spring day to get lines wet. The weather this morning is cool but should warm up quickly with partly cloudy skies and light winds. The river level is typical for April with a bit of extra flow from recent rains but water clarity is holding up well. Unlike coastal rivers there are no true tides on the Mississippi here but expect water to move throughout the day influenced by upstream snowmelt and dam releases. Fish activity has ramped up with spring in full swing. The walleye bite in Pool 2 is really picking up now through the end of April. Good numbers of fish are being caught from shore especially between the Ford Dam and the confluence with the Minnesota River. This is prime time to connect with a big walleye and remember Pool 2 is catch-and-release only for walleyes and saugers so bring your camera for those trophy shots. Pools 3 and 4 downriver are also fishing well with mixed bags of walleyes and saugers pushing into shallower water to spawn. Up in Pool 4 near Red Wing and Lake Pepin anglers are reporting phenomenal size and quantity of walleyes on both jigs and live bait[3][4]. Smallmouth bass should be starting to stir with rising water temperatures especially in rocky areas and creek mouths. Some anglers are seeing the first few pike moving in to warm backwaters but the main pike run is still a week or two off. The best lures right now for walleyes are bright-colored jigs tipped with minnows or plastics especially early and late in the day. Pulling crankbaits along current seams or working a jig and plastic right off the bottom is producing well. Live bait rigs with fatheads or nightcrawlers are also a safe bet if you want to keep it simple. For smallmouths start trying out tube jigs and suspending jerkbaits near riprap shorelines. A couple of hot spots to try today include Hidden Falls Park for good shore access and a shot at big pre-spawn walleyes and the area just below the Ford Dam where the flow attracts active fish. Downriver the St Paul Airport stretch has good variety with easy access and lots of structure. That’s the latest from Artificial Lure. Get out there and good luck chasing that next river giant. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.