Late October Lures on the Mighty Mississippi

This is Artificial Lure, reporting from the banks and bluffs along the mighty Mississippi in Minneapolis on this brisk Wednesday, October 29th, 2025. We’re headed into peak fall—a favorite stretch for local anglers chasing quality bites before ice-up, and today’s conditions couldn’t set the scene any better.

Weather at dawn is classic late October: temps in the low 40s, climbing to the mid-50s by afternoon, with cloudy skies giving way to a bit of sun and a gentle northwest breeze. CBS News Minnesota says the overnight rain has moved on, so the river edges are muddy, and flows are a tick up from last week but still on the low side—a pattern we’ve seen all fall with Minnesota DNR reporting near-record lows downstream in St. Paul. Expect sunrise at 7:44 AM and sunset at 6:07 PM. Plan to hit the water early for that classic fall bite window.

No tides to talk about here—it's a river system, but with the water low, structure and current breaks become magnets for fish. Shallow flats with nearby deep water are prime now. Jeff Sundin’s recent Minnesota Fishing Report notes water temps heading for the low 50s, which is when the big walleyes and saugers get feisty and the jumbo perch and crappies start sliding to accessible spots.

Fish activity’s been solid: Walleyes and saugers are the main ticket, with many reports of excellent catches on river bends and holes just down from vertical structures like the Franklin Avenue and Ford Parkway bridges. Several anglers this week tallied up mixed bags—three- and four-pound walleyes, saugers for the fryer, and the occasional crappie from the backwaters. The shallows just outside Minnehaha Creek and the flats below the Plymouth Avenue Bridge fished hot both morning and evening.

Best lures right now? Hands-down, vertical jigging with a frozen emerald shiner or fathead minnow is killer. Sundin points out that glow, gold and chartreuse jigs are converting most of the bigger fish, while pink and orange can turn slow streaks around, especially in stained water. You’ll want to tip your jig with a real minnow—live bait’s been out-producing soft plastics, but don’t count out a paddle tail or flutter spoon if you’re marking aggressive fish and the bite’s on.

Don’t forget about jumbo perch—when they go picky, a jig and a wax worm or sliver of crawler does the job. Pike are still lurking near weedbeds closer to shore; toss out a larger swimbait or spinner if you want to tangle with something bigger.

A couple of hot spots this week:
- **Hidden Falls Regional Park stretch (just above the locks):** Lots of current seams and drop-offs, frequent walleye catches, and bonus sauger mixed in.
- **Boom Island backwater:** Reliable for crappie, perch, and the odd smallmouth—but you’ll have to move slow and watch your electronics for suspended schools.

Bass action’s winding down, but some chunky smallmouth were reported at the mouth of Minnehaha Creek on tubes and Ned rigs—try a green pumpkin or smoke with silver flakes.

Keep an eye on the clock—a Solunar forecast puts the major activity between 5:23 AM-7:23 AM and again late afternoon 5:49 PM-7:49 PM. That sunrise and sunset window’s your best bet for a limit or trophy.

Thanks for tuning in, and if you enjoyed the report, don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss the local low-down. 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):
This is artificial lore, reporting from the banks and bluffs
along the Mighty Mississippi in Minneapolis on this brisk Wednesday,
October twenty ninth, twenty twenty five. We're headed into peak fall,
a favorite stretch for local anglers chasing quality bites before
ice up, and today's conditions couldn't set the scene any better.
Weather at dawn is classic late October tempts in the

(00:22):
low forties, climbing to the mid fifties by afternoon, with
cloudy skies giving way to a bit of sun and
a gentle northwest breeze. CBS News Minnesota says the overnight
rain has moved on, so the river edges are muddy
and floes are tick up from last week, but still
on the low side, a pattern we've seen all fall,
with Minnesota dn R reporting near record lows downstream in

(00:45):
Saint Paul. Expect sunrise at seven forty four a m.
And sunset at six zero seven pm. Plan to hit
the water early for that classic fall bite window. No
tides to talk about here. It's a river system, but
with the water low, structure and current breaks become magnets
for fish. Shallow flats with nearby deep water are prime now.

(01:07):
Jeff Sunden's recent Minnesota fishing report notes water temps heading
for the low fifties, which is when the big walleyes
and saugers get feisty and the jumble perch and crappies
starts sliding to accessible spots. Fish activities been solid. Walleyes
and saugers are the main ticket, with many reports of
excellent catches on river bends and holes just down from

(01:27):
vertical structures like the Franklin Avenue and Ford Parkway bridges.
Several anglers this week tallied up mixed bags three and
four pound walleyes saugers for the fryer and the occasional
crappy from the backwaters. The shallows just outside Minahaw Creek
and the flats below the Plymouth Avenue Bridge fished hot
both morning and evening. Best lures right now hands down

(01:50):
vertical jigging with a frozen emerald shiner or fatthad minnow
as killer. Sunden points out that glow, gold and chartreuse
jigs are converting most of the bigger fish, while pink
and orange can turn slow streaks around, especially in stained water.
You'll want to tip your jig with a real minnow.
Live baits been out producing soft plastics, but don't count

(02:10):
out a paddle tail or flutterspoon if you're marking aggressive
fish in the bites on. Don't forget about jumbo perch
when they go picky. A jig in a waxworm or
sliver of crawler does the job. Piker's still working near
weed beds closer to shore, toss out a larger swim
bait or spinner if you want to tangle with something bigger.
A couple of hot spots this week Hidden Falls Regional

(02:31):
Park stretched just above the locks. Lots of currant seams
and drop offs. Frequent walleye catches and boatis Sauger mixed
in Boom Island backwater reliable for crappy perch in the
odd small mouth, but you'll have to move slow and
watch your electronics for suspended schools. Fast actions winding down,
but some chunky small mouth were reported at the mouth

(02:52):
of many Howy Creek on tubes and med rigs. Try
a green pumpkin or smoke with silver flakes. Keeep an
eye on the clock. A sol whin her forecast puts
the major activity between five twenty three am to seven
twenty three am and again late afternoon five forty nine
pm to seven forty nine pm. That sunrise and sunset

(03:12):
windows your best bet for a limit or trophy. Thanks
for tuning in and if you enjoyed the report, don't
forget to subscribe so you never missed the local lowdown.
This has been a quiet please production. For more check
out Quiet please dot ai