Mississippi River Fishing Report for Minneapolis Anglers

Artificial Lure checking in with this morning’s Mississippi River fishing report for all you Twin Cities anglers. The sun poked up today at 7:33 a.m. and we’re looking at sunset just after 6:24 p.m. It’s a classic late-October morning in Minneapolis — temps starting cool in the low 40s, likely warming to the low 60s. Clouds are hanging in, but rain is holding off ’til at least tomorrow, according to WCCO’s meteorologist Katie Steiner. So you’ve still got a comfortable window for some solid river action before the weather turns[16].

Tide won’t factor in up here, but water levels remain on the low side. That means watch those launches and rocky shorelines — more props than ever are getting dings this fall, as local boat shops will tell you. The river’s pinch is also funneling fish into deeper runs and pools, so target those channel edges[3].

Fish activity this week is picking up, with water cooling out of the 60s into the mid-50s. The fall bite is officially on. According to area guides and recent trip reports, folks have been putting excellent numbers of walleye, smallmouth bass, and channel catfish in the net. Several shore anglers along Boom Island and the mouth of Minnehaha Creek reported catching eater-sized walleyes and some three-to-four-pound smallmouth overnight this weekend[9]. Catfishers working the flats below the Ford Dam are showing off 10 to 15-pounders, mostly on cut sucker and stink bait. Sunfish and crappie have been slower but are starting to school up tightly around rip-rap and bridge pilings as water temps drop.

Peak fishing times today according to the Solunar Forecast are running from 12:02 to 2:02 p.m., with a minor pre-dawn bite around 5:48 to 6:48 a.m. If you missed the early window, mid-afternoon should still be hopping, especially with warmer clouds sticking around[5].

For lure selection, local wisdom leans hard into bright chartreuse or fire tiger jig plastics and deep-diving crankbaits. This low water and cool clarity make anything with a little flash and rattle stand out. Jig and minnow combos are deadly for walleye on current breaks — especially around the mouth of Bassett Creek and right below the Stone Arch Bridge. Smallmouth have crushed shallow-running square bills in craw patterns, and anglers float-tripping from the U of M to downtown are reporting solid topwater blow-ups at first light on walk-the-dog style baits.

Live bait is still king in colder temps: fathead minnows on a slip float for crappie and sucker chunks for those cats. Local bait shops are well-stocked, so always check the fresh minnow bins before you launch.

For hot spots this week, the east bank down from the University of Minnesota is lighting up, with deep eddy pockets holding everything from smallies to giant redhorse. Hidden Falls Park is another tried-and-true spot — lots of easy shore access, decent current seams, and a nice mix of depths. Early risers are reporting bonus northern pike on swimbaits in the slack water along the lily edges.

Safety reminder: the river banks are slick, and flows are down but tricky. There was a recent rescue near East River Flats Park, so watch your footing and keep it safe, especially if you’re bouncing between rocks or launching solo[13].

Thanks for tuning in to your Mississippi River Minneapolis fishing report. Be sure to subscribe and never miss the next update. 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 lord. Checking in with this morning's Mississippi River fishing
report for all you Twin Cities anglers. The sun poked
up today at seven thirty three am and we're looking
at sunset just after six twenty four pm. It's a
classic late October morning in Minneapolis. Tempt starting cool in
the low forties, likely warming to the low sixties. Clouds

(00:21):
are hanging in, but rain is holding off till at
least tomorrow, according to WCCOS meteorologist Katie Steiner, So you've
still got a comfortable window for some solid river action
before the weather turns and five tide won't factor in
up here, but water levels remain on the low side.
That means watch those launches and rocky shorelines. More props

(00:44):
than ever are getting things this fall, as local boat
shops will tell you. The river's pinch is also funneling
fish into deeper runs and pools, so target those channel edges. Three.
Fish activity this week is picking up, with water cooling
out of the sixties in the mid fifties. The fall
byte is officially on, according to area guides. In recent

(01:06):
trip reports, folks have been putting excellent numbers of walleye
smallmouth bass, and channel catfish in the net. Several shore
anglers along Boom Island and the mouth of Minnahow Creek
reported catching eater sized walleyes and some three to four
pound small mouth overnight this weekend. Night catfishers working the
flats below the four Dam are showing off ten to

(01:28):
fifteen pounders, mostly on cutsucker and stink bait. Sunfish and
crappie have been slower, but are starting to school up
tightly around rip wrap and bridge pilings as water temps drop.
Peak fishing times today, according to the Soul in her forecast,
are running from twelve zero two to two zero two PM,
with a minor pre dawn bite around five forty eight

(01:48):
to six forty eight am. If you missed the early window,
mid afternoons should still be hopping, especially with warmer clouds
sticking around five for lower selection. Local rhysthomly hard into
bright chart trews or fire tiger jig plastics and deep
diving crank baits. This low water and cool clarity make
anything with a little flash and rattle standout. Jig and

(02:10):
minnow combos are deadly for walleye on current breaks, especially
around the mouth of Bass Creek and right below the
Stone Arch Bridge, small mouth of crushed shallow running square
bills and craw patterns, and anglers. Float tripping from the
U of M to downtown are reporting solid topwater blow
ups at first light on walk The dog style baits
live bait is still king in colder temps, fat head

(02:32):
minnows on a slip float for crappy and sucker chunks
for those cats. Local bait shops are well stocked, so
always check the fresh minnow bends before you launch for hotspots.
This week, the East Bank down from the University of
Minnesota is lighting up with deep eddy pockets holding everything
from smallies to giant red horse. Kidden Falls Park is

(02:53):
another tried and true spot, lots of easy shore access,
decent current seams, and a nice mix of depths. Early
risers are reporting bonus Northern Pike on swim baits and
the slack water along the Lily Edges. Safety reminder, the
river banks are slick and flows are down but tricky.
There was a recent rescue near East River Flats Park,

(03:15):
so watch your footing and keep it safe, especially if
you're bouncing between rocks or launching solo. Thirteen. Thanks for
tuning in to your Mississippi River Minneapolis Fishing report. Be
sure to subscribe and never miss the next update. This
has been a quiet please production. For more check out
Quiet please dot ai