Pool 2 Report (2023)

How was the bite today?
Could you make it to the airport or was it iced up?

Same as yesterday Jim. Heavy south wind made the bite challenging.

Thanks Mike. Thought about going out this afternoon and with the wind decided not to. Hopefully tomorrow is better.

Sunday sure was better wind wise. Better boat control made for a better bite to. We fished all day Sunday for 20 fish. Size was decent with most over 20″s. Just a nice day to be out in the boat.

Heard there was some funny business at the 494 last night. Sounds like someone tried jumping in a truck a the ramp. Watch your back and stuff down there.

Thanks for the warning Mike.
Could you make it to the airport?
Was there much ice floating downstream?

Not sure what the sun and temps did to the ice up that way yesterday Jim. We broke through to the 10 dam Saturday. If it hasn’t let loose yet its got to be real close.

I read these posts all the time,just curious why is Pool 2 catch and release only?

It gets a lot of pressure with much of the pool being directly located in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. They wanted to create a year-round trophy fishery and I think they’ve done a pretty great job meeting that goal. There was a time prior to the clean water act when this was essentially dead water that couldn’t support any significant aquatic life. When the comeback starting building there was some concern that the pressure and harvest levels would not be sustainable, and that got us to where we are now. That’s a simplified version. Lot of folks did a lot of work to get the fishery to this point!

We all owe a big Thank You to Minnesota fresh water hall of famers Dick “The Griz” Grzywinski and Dick Sternberg for the work they did early on. A great success story for the DNR.

Lot of info/articles out there if you start searching on those names and pool 2.

Here is an article from 2009 to get you started. Scroll down to “Whopper Walleye”.

https://webapps15.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteer_index_api/past_issues/article_pdf?id=4836

-J.

Ok ,interesting reading ,thanks for the info.

Guessing there was a good number of pissed off anglers when the pool went to catch and release. For me I’ve never known the pool to be anything but that. Spent 12 hours out there yesterday catching fantastic numbers of fish with a couple trophy size ones mixed and I’m more than happy with the catch and release regulations. The trade off of being able to fish 2 year round is fantastic to.

If anyone runs into the Griz make sure to thank him again for his work on this.

If you want to get out on Pool 2 better go the next few days. The wind Friday night might keep it from freezing but once the wind drops its going to lock up again. The bite the last few trips has been fantastic. We’ll over 100 fish on Saturday with over 28″s. Over 70 fish the other afternoon. The fish keep moving so locating them is key. Once found they seem to be very willing to bite. White/silver pulsar has been hot the last couple trips.

Good luck to whoever fishes! I’m done: wind today, cold tomorrow, wind on Friday then the cold sets in. Had good fishing yesterday and Monday. Amazing how they bite in the winter. It was a fun January!

Sure is tempting to go this afternoon. Wish I didn’t live so far from the ramp.

I read the MNDNR walleye and tracking study from 2000. For those that haven’t read it, here’s what I found interesting:
P2 Stats
32 miles long
Upper is dam to 35 E bridge, 4.3 miles
Middle is 35E bridge to upper channel Grey Cloud Slough, 15 miles
2 major tributaries, Minnehaha Creek and MN River

Range
Study length was 16 months (Feb ’98 through May ’99)
Walleye mean range 17 miles
Sauger mean range 25 miles
Walleye daily 114 feet
Sauger daily 167 feet
One sauger traveled 57 miles up the MN river and a walleye 46 miles!

Migration up MN River
40% average of saugers being tracked for 2 springs
Walleyes 25%
All fish returned to P2 by early May

Spawning
98% of walleye eggs collected near Minnehaha Creek
They had egg collection nets from the dam down to S. St. Paul
Did not collect any sauger eggs

Sauger
Summer: majority Lower P2 and in or near backwater lakes and areas
Fall: limited tracking
Winter: middle P2

Walleye
Summer: Lower and middle Pool 2.
Fall: limited tracking
Winter: middle P2

Highest catch rates are in winter (Dec. – Feb.) on middle P2. They stage there for the spawn.

Walleye Most Common Habitat
Winter: wing dam, main channel, channel border
Spring: Channel border, main channel; wing dam
Summer: wing dam, backwater, main channel
Fall: Main channel, wing dam, channel border

Most frequently found over sand/silt, walleyes also use gravel and cobblestone

Will have to see how accurate that report is next week.

Report summary….there’s a ton of fish all over all the time on P2!

I agree Matt. Might be quicker to list where they are not at.

I saw blah blah blah wingdam blah blah wingdam blah blah blah wingdam, and concluded I should fish some wingdams LOL

SR

Is there any opportunity to fish from shore this time of the year?

Jim wrote:

98% of walleye eggs collected near Minnehaha Creek

Wonder if this is because there’s more flow coming in from Minnehaha or the inflow there has more oxygen, or simply because its a better area for spawning? I only raise that point because Minnehaha Creek has completely dried up the past two years as a result of severe drought.

gim wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Jim wrote:</div>
98% of walleye eggs collected near Minnehaha Creek

Wonder if this is because there’s more flow coming in from Minnehaha or the inflow there has more oxygen, or simply because its a better area for spawning? I only raise that point because Minnehaha Creek has completely dried up the past two years as a result of severe drought.

Probably just the location they chose at the time. A vast majority of pool 2 spawning occurs up in the Minnesota.

-J.

Escape Outdoors wrote:

Is there any opportunity to fish from shore this time of the year?

Not this week but next week there should be plenty. Other places to look are Monticello and Black Dog road.

Mike did the river open up ? Did you guys get the launch opened ?

From Saturday. Let me know if you get down there today to check it out.

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This time of the year are you just pitching and dragging plastics? Mike I sent you a pm.

Fishing a little bit of everything. My approach this winter has really been to scan areas for fish with the side imaging. Then go back and fish the fishy looking water with whatever you think they want or whatever fishes well for the conditions, area you are in. I’m guessing if you are fairly new to running side scan on the river this time of year one of the first things you may come across is the huge schools of rough fish. Just massive schools at times. If you have a camera it’s interesting to drop it down and check these out. Many times I think the walleyes are using some of the same areas as these schools.

Mike W wrote:

Fishing a little bit of everything. My approach this winter has really been to scan areas for fish with the side imaging. Then go back and fish the fishy looking water with whatever you think they want or whatever fishes well for the conditions, area you are in. I’m guessing if you are fairly new to running side scan on the river this time of year one of the first things you may come across is the huge schools of rough fish. Just massive schools at times. If you have a camera it’s interesting to drop it down and check these out. Many times I think the <em class=”ido-tag-em”>walleyes are using some of the same areas as these schools.

Thanks Mike I appreciate all the input. I’m new to running p2 for sure. Only done it a handful of times. I have been very successful late season on the Croix but never this time of the year.

Mike W wrote:

Fishing a little bit of everything. My approach this winter has really been to scan areas for fish with the side imaging. Then go back and fish the fishy looking water with whatever you think they want or whatever fishes well for the conditions, area you are in. I’m guessing if you are fairly new to running side scan on the river this time of year one of the first things you may come across is the huge schools of rough fish. Just massive schools at times. If you have a camera it’s interesting to drop it down and check these out. Many times I think the <em class=”ido-tag-em”>walleyes are using some of the same areas as these schools.

I guess you need side imaging when there is 2-4″ of ice covering the hot spots!

Yes. Little frustrating to scan those fish hanging out under the ice.

Was hoping the river would open a little faster this week. Still only about 2 miles of river open around 494. Sounds like the sunkin barge is as far north as you can go without busting ice. Refinery to the south.