Each year its just more and more people shorefishing the dam area.
Me and the kiddo hiked around hidden falls yesterday for a bit, saw one fish caught between 20 or so anglers.
I feel like it’s the opposite. There’s always been a lot this time of year but feel like there used to be more, if not just the same. IMHO
I could tell you about a few shore spots that are sacred to me on p2 and now have a few worm containers and pop bottles and whatnot every time u go there, sadly.
One of those spots you’ll be actively defending and arguing with someone even if it’s not your litter and you’re on public property-not the most relaxing fishing spot but high quantity/quality if you hit it right. Another is decent, and the last one, nobody will come near you, especially if you get there first cuz it’s kind of hard to get to. It’s sad but it’s life. Pick up after yourselves, losers. Hope mother beaver bites you in the azz!!!!!! 
I can’t wait to get down there. I have a busted leg/ankle and some ribs but I’ll be down ASAP.. vehicle is out of commission so no boat either for now…
Just gotta do it when and how you can.
Are the docks in at 494 and Lions Levee?
Dock is in at Lions. Water looks extremely low for this time of year.
Are the docks in at 494 and Lions Levee?
Lions looks good…handful of trailers in the lot.
Fished Lilydale and went south no bites still tough for me talked to a woman at the ramp who caught one
Fished south of Lions on Friday. Only a single smallmouth was caught. In looking back at notes from last year, the conditions for flow and height, pretty similar, with 3 degrees warmer last year. Last year on the same locations a 40 fish day.
Slow day yesterday for me. 10 eyes almost all males. We’re pretty shallow 6-12 foot mid morning. Think I just need to keep moving around. Thought it would be a matter of time but the bite window was 15-30 min then only caught 2 more fish hours later.
Clear, low flow means short bite windows and mostly a low light bite.
Need the water to dirty up a bit to get a better day bite. Warming water would help, too.
Got a couple from shore Thursday. 22” ish chubby male and 17” ish. Jig and small plastic. Saw 4-5 boats and and 10-12 other shore fishermen while I was out and between them all I saw maybe 2-3 fish caught. Low and slow, but not all that clear where I was.
I saw you guys bopping around on Saturday. We had a similar day, slower than we’d like but not bad. All of our fish came vertical, we didn’t get a single fish pitching.
I saw you guys bopping around on Saturday. We had a similar day, slower than we’d like but not bad. All of our fish came vertical, we didn’t get a single fish pitching.
Cody are you referring to the shore fisherman or myself?
We got ours honestly pitching shallow. But. I’m not familiar with the north part of the river unlike the south / middle. I just need to spend lots of time uo that way to see what’s what I think. Went out at 4:00AM until lunch. Was real chilly early on. May try and get out during the week again and see if I can put something together.
We saw you out there, strangely saw a few other mud boats out there as well. I was with my buddy in his gray skeeter. Was cold cold in the morning on Saturday, that’s for sure. We caught more fish later in the morning than early on, I think that was based on location more than bite window though.
Ahhh that’s who you guys were I figured it was Josh’s rig.
Yeah it was tough on the hands and wore me out after a few hours. We ran around 40 miles in total that day trying different things but I we were shot by the time we started doing that.
I may have to swap to an outboard as the noise gets annoying. Great for hunting and getting to some crazy shallow spots as I only need 2-3” of water once I’m on plane. Use to do way more duck hunting hence the boat but I’ve really gotten bit by the fishing bug this last year and a half haha.
Likely get out tonight or tomorrow. See what I can come up with.
Any flood forecasts this year? I think rainfall drove much of the high water in 2024, my sense is that there might not be a lot of snow up north in 2025.
Has anyone seen or does anyone have a prediction for what 2025 might look like?
it’s not long range, but https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/stpm5
That was the page that sparked my curiosity! Seeing lakes opening up in the southern half of MN, snow should start melting in the west and NW and bring some water at some point.
Been a tough bite for me lately. Got out twice this week. Managed 5 and 9 but nothing worth noting for size. Seems to be I can get into some smaller males and some sauger but can’t seem to get any females. Is this typical of right near or during the spawn? Water temp last night I had at 47 so have to assume it’s getting close side note lots of shore fishing on the upper end of the pool. Fair amount of people at the confluence.
My guess is we are 2 weeks from the spawn. Seems to usually fall around the 10th of April. The males have moved up and are anticipating the females to be coming through.
You also have to remember a lot of the spawn happens up the Minnesota. So, while there will be some big females on the Mississippi side, many are not. You don’t get a big run to the dam on P2 like you do on pool 4.
Been a tough bite for me lately. Got out twice this week. Managed 5 and 9 but nothing worth noting for size. Seems to be I can get into some smaller males and some sauger but can’t seem to get any females. Is this typical of right near or during the spawn? Water temp last night I had at 47 so have to assume it’s getting close side note lots of shore fishing on the upper end of the pool. Fair amount of people at the confluence.
Bites been tough for me too I got hailed on last night at the ramp to really kick me while I’m down. Not sure if they’re in this forum but thank you to whoever stayed at the parking lot to make sure I was all good when packing up.
494 ramp is a ghost town today.
Matt, I’ve seen the old survey about that. With that said why not fish the legal areas in the Minnesota? Or because the water is so muddy you think they can’t even find the baits? I’d think if they run up it you’d be able to ambush a few as they are running up it? But then again they may have already moved up it a while ago.
Matt, I’ve seen the old survey about that. With that said why not fish the legal areas in the Minnesota? Or because the water is so muddy you think they can’t even find the baits? I’d think if they run up it you’d be able to ambush a few as they are running up it? But then again they may have already moved up it a while ago.
I believe the Minnesota is all inland waters so you can’t fish it until opener.
You will ambush some fish on the way up but they don’t stack up and spawn in the Mississippi like they do up the Minnesota. I would guess they are moving now and in a couple weeks when the water warms and we get enough sunlight the spawn will start.
Matt, book says down stream from the mendota bridge. Gives a guy a little room to play with at least. If they stack up not far in it’s open and legal.
Matt, book says down stream from the mendota bridge. Gives a guy a little room to play with at least. If they stack up not far in it’s open and legal.
Yeah, just a short stretch there. It’s worth a shot. They’ll find baits in the dirty water. My guess is this year it’s a little cleaner with the lack of a runoff.
My guess is we are 2 weeks from the spawn. Seems to usually fall around the 10th of April. The males have moved up and are anticipating the females to be coming through.
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A grandson was at Red Wing last Saturday and supposedly the water temp was 56 degrees. No idea how the temp was gotten, but that would put walleyes in post spawn.
I don’t think that’s right…my buddy was down Thursday and the temps they found were 39-42. Every female they caught still had eggs and none of the males were milting. I’ve never heard of a spawn this early.
45 ish today . Even with the odd spring last year I remember catching pre spawn fish April 9th with 50 plus degree water temps on p4 .
As mentioned, I have no idea where they got the water temp. I know in the backwaters we/I was seeing temps in the mid-to upper 40’s over the last few days.
The main channel is a weird creature that’s pretty much at the beck and call of what the weather tosses at it. Wind, every other day with fluctuating air temps can really mess with consistent water temps. And of course there are the fish that will spawn when they think it’s right.
I’m more inclined to agree with you Matt.
Minnesota is definitely to dirty. You will never catch anything. If you would happen to catch one absolutely dont keep it. It will taste terrible. Be sure to tell all your friends.
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