Autumn Angling on the Mississippi: Walleye, Bass, and More in the Minneapolis Metro

Artificial Lure here with your October 30th fishing report for the mighty Mississippi River in and around Minneapolis. Right now, fall’s in full swing: the days are getting shorter, and we’re working with typical autumn Minnesota weather—overcast skies, highs close to 50°F, lows in the upper 30s, and just a whisper of wind out of the west. According to the National Weather Service, there’s a run of mostly cloudy days ahead, with maybe a sprinkle here or there, so bring a good rain jacket and layer up. Sunrise hit at 7:44 a.m. this morning and sunset will be around 6:03 p.m., giving you just over ten hours to wet a line.

No tides to worry about out here, but those river flows and a mild west wind keep bait pushing against those windblown banks and inside corners—classic fall feeding zones. Water temps in the Minneapolis metro are in the low-to-mid 50s, which has really turned on the fish. On the Mississippi, Pool 1 and those downstream stretches are seeing some excellent action right now.

According to Outdoor News, these cooler temps have walleye feeding heavy along breaks in 10–18 feet, especially on overcast mornings and evenings. Pair an 1/8–1/4 oz jig with a fathead minnow or a Jigging Rap, and work those inside turns and current seams. Best colors? Stick with chartreuse, gold, or plain glow, especially in stained water.

For bass anglers, both smallmouth and largemouth are cooperating. Omnia Fishing reports from Pool 6 just below us say bladed jigs and swimbaits are hot—try a Z-Man Jack Hammer Chatterbait or a 3- to 4-inch paddle-tail swimbait, slow-rolled just off laydowns and chunk rock in current. You’ll find smallmouth bunched up on midriver rubble—ned rigs and finesse swimbaits are the ticket.

Northern pike are still prowling the last green weedbeds—burn spinnerbaits tight to the edge, or try a slow-rolled bucktail. Muskie, meanwhile, are showing on deep metro lakes adjacent to the river, with rubber baits and glide baits working best over bait clouds in 12–20 feet.

Crappies are drifting deeper—target mid-depth basins with small hair jigs or plastics under a float, especially where you can mark schools on your electronics. Sunfish can be found hanging on the first break near coontail patches, especially if there’s a little wind making things choppy.

Some recent catches from area regulars:
- Multiple limits of eater walleye, with fish up to 22", reported in the Minneapolis stretch using jig-and-minnow combos.
- Two-pound largemouths coming on chatterbaits around laydowns and wood.
- Occasional big smallmouth (18"+) showing up on swimbaits.
- Crappie limits landed from shore and by boat in side channels on hair jigs tipped with a Maki plastic.
- Even the young anglers are catching pike on in-line spinners along windblown banks.

For bait selection, fathead minnows are tough to beat for walleye and crappie right now, especially when the bite’s slow. If you’re heading after bass, bring a handful of ned rigs and a few chatterbaits in shad and green pumpkin. When it’s muskie time, tie on a Super Shad or a big Medusa.

As for hot spots:
- Boom Island and the surrounding current breaks below the Plymouth Avenue bridge are reliable for walleye at dawn and dusk.
- The tailwaters below St. Anthony Falls are kicking out mixed bags—walleye, sauger, and the odd channel cat.
- Above the Lowry Avenue bridge, those river bends and submerged wood piles are loaded with bass and crappie.
- For shore anglers, the east bank just north of the Stone Arch Bridge is a great spot to drift minnows under a float.

Special tip for today: after turnover, fish are quick to short-strike. Add a dash of scent or tip your jigs with a live fathead to seal the deal.

Minnesota DNR just announced updated regulations are coming soon—pay attention to signage, especially in Pool 3 farther downriver, where special harvest rules for northern pike and panfish may apply.

That’s today’s river rundown. Thanks for tuning in—be sure to subscribe so you never miss a beat on metro fishing action. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Artificial war here with your October thirtieth fishing report for
the mighty Mississippi River in and around Minneapolis. Right now
falls in full swing. The days are getting shorter, and
we're working with typical autumn Minnesota weather. Overcast skies, highs
close to fifty degrees fahreheight, lows in the upper thirties,

(00:20):
and just a whisper of wind out of the west.
According to the National Weather Service, there's a run of
mostly cloudy days ahead with maybe a sprinkle here or there,
So bring a good rain jacket and layer up. Sunrise
head at seven forty four am this morning and sunset
will be around six zero three pm, giving you just
over ten hours to wet a line. No tides to

(00:41):
worry about out here, but those river flows in a
mild west wind keep bait pushing against those windblown banks
and inside corners classic fall feeding zoes. Water temperatures in
the Minneapples metro are in the low to mid fifties,
which is really turned on the fish on the Mississippi
Pool one and those downstream stretches are seen some excellent
action right now. According to Outdoor News, these cooler tempts

(01:04):
of walleye feeding heavy along breaks in ten eighteen feet,
especially on overcast mornings and evenings. Pair in one eighth
one fourth ounces, jig with a fat head minnow or
a jigging rap and work those inside turns and current seams.
Best colors stick with shartruse, gold or plain glow, especially

(01:25):
in stained water. For bass anglers, both small mouth and
largemouth are cooperating. Omnia fishing. Reports from Pool six just
below us say bladed jigs and swim baits are hot.
Try a z man jackhammer chatter bait or three to
four into paddle tail swim bait slow roll just off
laydowns and chunk rock and current. You'll find small mouth

(01:47):
bunched up on mid river rubble ned rigs and finest
swim baits are the ticket. Northern pike are still prowling
the last green weed beds. Burn spinner bates tight to
the edge, or try a slow rolled bucktail. Musky meanwhile
are showing on deep netro lakes adjacent to the river,
with rubber baits and glide baits working best. Over bait
clouds and twelve twenty feet Crappies are drifting deeper target

(02:10):
mid depth basins with small hair jigs or plastics under
a float, especially where you can mark schools on your electronics.
Sunfish can be found hanging on the first break near
coontail patches, especially if there's a little wind making things choppy.
Some recent catches from area irregulars. Multiple limits of eater
walleye with fish up to twenty two one reported in

(02:32):
the Minneapolis Stretch using jig and minnow combos. Two pound
large mouse coming on chatter baits around laydowns and wood.
Occasional big small mouth eighteen bus showing up on swim baits.
Negative crappy limits landed from shore and by boat in
side channels on hair jigs tipped with a maky plastic.
Even the young anglers are catching pike on inline spinners

(02:54):
along wind blown banks. For bait selection, fat head minnows
are tough to beat for walleye and crappy right now,
especially when the bite's slow. If you're heading after bass,
bring a handful of ned rigs and a few chatter
baits and shad and green pumpkin. When it's musky time,
tie on a super shad or a big medusa. As
for hotspots, Boom Island and the surrounding current breaks below

(03:17):
the Plymouth Avenue Bridge are reliable for walleye at dawn
and dusk. The tailwaters below Saint Anthony Falls are kicking
out Nick's bags, walleye, Sager and the Odd Channel cat
Above the Lowry Avenue Bridge. Those river bends and submerged
woodpiles are loaded with bass and crappy. For shore anglers,
the east bank just north of the Stone Arch Bridge

(03:40):
is a great spot to drift minnows under a float.
Special tip for today. After turnover, fish are quick to
short strike, Add a dash of scent or tip your
jigs with a live fat head to seal the deal.
Minnesota D and R just announced updated regulations are coming soon.
Pay attention to signage, especially in pool three farther downriver

(04:03):
where special harvest rules for northern pike and panfish may apply.
That's today's river rundown. Thanks for tuning in. Be sure
to subscribe so you never miss a beat on metro
fishing action. This has been a quiet please production. For
more check out Quiet please dot ai