What are some boat launch options that are more towards the bottom end of pool 2?

Hi Jim, is this tournament still a go? How many boats are signed up?

I would assume the no wake would be lifted?

I went out last night and played around near the bottom of Pool2 pitching jigs and casting cranks at wing dams. Made me think, how many people soak willowcats up here on Pool 2 and 3?

Went out yesterday evening on P4. Launched at the east channel ramp and went all the way down to Lake Pepin in front of Frontenac, had 33.5 – 34.5degF water the mouth. I caught a few saugers on glide baits (one that was 18.5).

I checked a bunch of spots on the way back up to the dam. Seems like the walleyes are very spread out, saugers seemed to be concentrated in any deeper aggregation near the main channel.

The Y had a ton of boats, and only a few were consistently catching fish. Controlled drifts with a single jig and plastic seemed to do it for me. Only had 1 walleye north of everts and it came on a jig and a plastic pitched up against the shoreline.

Lock side water temps were nearing 38 and stained.
Roller side water temps were 36-37ish and a little less stain.

Water is low… More flow would help I think.
https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?gage=redm5&wfo=mpx

Well I went out the evening of 02/06 for the first time on P2. I had water temps were 34.5 – 36.5. I launched at the 494 ramp. I just beached my boat on the sand on the down river side of the ramp and it worked nicely. No ice chunks floating down river either.

I fished north 494, at the inlet of Pigs Eye, and north of the liftbridge on the wing dams and flats that are on the east side of the river somewhat near the base of the airport.

I drove around a lot and used SI to try and eliminate dead water. I went all the way up towards the top of the airport, on both sides of the channel. I didn’t really find any pods of fish that looked like the X for the day. I found fish, but they were mainly in the sand/rocks transition along the deeper sides of the main channel. I mainly covered 12-22’ of water. I only got 1 sauger to commit on a glide bait. Tried Jig&plastics, Berkeley finishers, blade baits… maybe I should have tried shallower, but it just didn’t feel right to for this time of year.

There was so much junk fish in the slack water areas, suspended in the water column, and the manatee’s (carp) near the bottom.

I’ll try again soon, probably head south next time and pitch at wingdams. Seems like there’s always a few resident fish on them.

I have fished pool 4 a lot, but never traveled to Pool 2. I want to come up and chase a trophy, I’d be leaving from the Rochester area.

I have a few general questions below.

Does this Pool generally have the main community up to the lock? Is there more or less wing dams, gravel/sand flats? Does anyone fish both Pools and see any major similarities or differences?

Are there any launches to avoid or go to due to ease of launch? I suppose once I find the launch I’ll use I’d plan a scouting trip to spend 15 min at a bunch of different spots based off that route.

Thanks for the conversations!

Yes sir, I was in the all black one.