Mississippi Pool 2 Fishing Info. All You Wanted To Know About Pool 2!

[Shack]

Mississippi River Pool 2

Location:

Pool 2 is that portion of the Mississippi River above the dam at Hastings and extends upstream to the Ford Dam. Backwaters lakes included are Baldwin Lake, River Lake, Spring Lake, Mooers Lake, and Grey Cloud Slough. Pig?'s Eye Lake has a separate DNR identification number, but is also considered part of Pool 2 for fish management purposes.

Species Present:

Walleye: above normal abundance, above average size including some trophy fish.

Sauger: above normal abundance, above average size including some trophy fish.

Smallmouth Bass: average abundance, a variety of sizes.

Largemouth Bass: below average abundance, average size.

White Bass: average abundance, average size.

Bluegill: lower than average abundance, average size.

Crappie: lower than average abundance, average size with some larger individuals present.

Northern Pike: lower than average abundance, average size but larger fish present in some areas.

Catfish: above average abundance, all sizes present including some real whoppers. (edit from Shack: I love this from the DNR )

Boat Access:

Hidden Falls Park (North) A city owned site accessed from East River Road south of Ford Parkway.

Watergate Marina: This is a city owned facility operated by a contracted vendor. There is a fee to launch at this site.

Fort Snelling State Park: This facility is actually on the Minnesota River just upstream of the confluence with the Mississippi. Entrance to the park is off Post Road off Highway 5.

Lilydale Regional Park: This access is on the south shore of the river between I-35E and Harriet Island Park. Turn off Olson Memorial Highway onto Lilydale Road just east of I-35. You may also reach this site by traveling west of Harriet Island Park on Water Street.

Harriet Island Park: This facility is currently being re-developed. No access is available at this time.

South St. Paul access: This ramp is located just south of the I-694 bridge on the west shore of the river. Exit I-694 at Concord Street and follow the signs to Hardman Ave. Turn east off Hardman onto the first road north of I-694 (Villaume Ave). Follow Villaume Ave. under the I-694 bridge to the access.

Twin City Marina; River Heights Marina: These are private facilities adjacent to each other in Inver Grove Heights. Both have ramps and charge a fee for launching. These facilities can be reached by turning north off 66th Street east of Concord Blvd.

Lions Park (St. Paul Park): Exit off Highway 61 at the St. Paul Park exit. Turn right on Park Road, then right again on Broadway. Follow Broadway to 3rd Street and turn left. Travel two blocks to 7th Ave. and go to the end of the road.

Willies Hidden Harbor: A private facility just south of Lions Park. Continue south on 3rd Street to 9th Ave., turn right and go to the end of the road. There is a fee to use this facility.

River Lake Marina: This is a private facility which charges a fee to launch. Turn east off Inver Grove Trail on 102nd Street (marked Private Road). The facility is located at the end of the road.

Spring Lake Access: This is DNR facility which is not suitable for larger boats. Turn north off County Road 42 on Hillary Path (a road not maintained for public use). Follow Hillary Path to the access.

Shore Fishing:

Minnehaha Park A city of Minneapolis facility just south of the Ford Dam. Good fishing at the mouth of Minnehaha Creek. It takes a considerable walk to reach the creek mouth. Anglers may park at the pay lot across from the Waban Picnic Area, then walk down the path to the river. The creek mouth can also be reached from the Lower Glen area off Minnehaha Ave north of 54th Street. Anglers must walk down several flights of steps to reach the creek, then follow the creek downstream to reach the river.

Hidden Falls Park (North): There is considerable shoreline available for shore anglers. Ambitious anglers may walk upstream to nearly the Ford Dam. There is considerable current at some locations.

Hidden Falls Park (South): Access to this area is off East River Road just north of Fort Road. Anglers often fish under and on both sides of the Fort Road bridge. This area is directly across the river from Fort Snelling.

Fort Snelling State Park:Another popular spot is directly below the historic fort. Anglers park in the lot for the historic site, then walk down the bike path to reach the river. Anglers may also enter the park (off Post Road and Highway 5). Park at the visitor center lot and walk the trail to the river.

Watergate Marina: Anglers park in the lot adjacent to the marina store (no fee), and walk down the bike path to a backwater area just upstream of the marina complex. Anglers also fish in the river adjacent to the marina complex. You can reach the marina by turning off Shepard Road just west of Davern Ave.

Crosby Farm Park Continue past Watergate Marina to the parking area at the end of the road. Anglers must hike some distance down trails to reach the river. There is another entrance to this area just south of the intersection of Shepard Road and Elway St.

Lilydale Park: There is considerable shoreline in this park, but fishing from shore is limited by available parking, overhanging trees, and debris in the river. This park is located along Lilydale Road between I-35E and the Harriet Island park on the west side of St. Paul.

Harriet Island Park: This park is located across the Wabasha Bridge from downtown St. Paul. It contains a city pier and additional public shoreline.

Lower Landing: This area is located along Warner Road between downtown St. Paul and Child?'s Road. Park in the lower landing parking area at Warner Road and Sibley Street and walk the paved path. Fishing in this area is limited by barges parked along the shore in many areas.

South St. Paul Access: There is an area adjacent to the boat ramp for anglers to fish from shore. See the boat access section for directions to this site.

Lions Park (St. Paul Park): There is a footbridge from the boat launching lot to an island with picnic tables and public shoreline where anglers may fish from shore.

River Road (Inver Grove): There is city owned shoreline with limited development along River Road south of 77th street where angler may fish. This can be a good area as the main channel comes close to shore at this site.

Grey Cloud Island: This is a very popular site with several areas to fish. Anglers fish on both sides of Grey Cloud Island Drive at the outlet to Mooers Lake. The downstream side of the road is quite deep. Anglers also fish on both sides of the Grey Cloud Trail bridge over Grey Cloud Slough.

Spring Lake AccessFishing is limited at this site by shoreline debris and shallow water.

Special Regulation:

Pool 2 is open to year around fishing. Fishing for walleye, sauger, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass is restricted to catch and release only. All walleye, sauger, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass must be returned to the water immediately.

Management Plans:

Population assessment in 2008.

Allow stocking of surplus muskellunge and hybrid muskellunge.

Monitor area for presence of asian carp.

Exotic Species Alert:

Pool 2 contains Eurasian water milfoil and zebra mussels. Remove all visible plant material from your boat, boat trailer, and other boating gear before leaving the river. In addition, drain water from the motor, livewell, bilge and transom wells at the ramp or access before leaving the river.

Comments:

The Mississippi River is an incredible resource. Pool 2 contains the best population of quality walleye and sauger in the area. The most popular time to fish walleye and sauger is in the fall and winter, when fish are concentrated in the area between the St. Paul airport and the I-694 bridge.

Catfish are abundant (both flathead catfish and channel catfish), with trophy specimens of both species present.

Smallmouth bass are present in good numbers, but are lightly fished. Largemouth bass are limited to the Grey Cloud Channel and Grey Cloud Slough.

Fishing Pool 2 can be limited by high levels of recreational boating and by barge traffic in some places at certain times of the year. Boaters should be alert. Many areas outside the marked channel are shallow and contain many obstacles.

Info gained from here!

As always, if you have any further questions, contact your local conservation officer or call the DNR at 1-888-MINNDNR.

I will dig into Pool 3 info also!

Good luck fishing everyone!

Shack!

[tommyk]

shackbash has the fishing covered. Here is a great source to help out with your navigation...

Pool 2 & 3 Navigation Maps

Maps No.9 to No.12 cover Pool 2

Maps No.13 to No.15 cover Pool 3

These maps are what I used to navigate the river while I was still new to it. The maps accurately show wingdams, channel markers, miles, marinas, launches, everything you will need to overcome the intimidation of running your boat up and down the river for the first few times, but of course these don't replace careful physical observation of the water and watching your sonar while you are cruising along!

[WalleyeChaser]

Good map site Tommy! Best i've seen. I'll have to keep that site in mind if i decide to fish the miss. this year. Don't make it down that way much maybe one or 2 times a year.

[KMR85]

thanks for posting this information shack and tommy. good stuff that you need to do a little digging on the dnr site for.

[Shack]

Some more info about the history of Pool 2 from the MN DNR:

Field Notes: Urban Legend

Just because there's more concrete than conifers on the shoreline doesn't mean you can't catch big walleye, at least according to anglers who fish the Mississippi River from the Ford Dam in St. Paul to Lock and Dam No. 2 in Hastings.

The 35-mile river corridor known as pool 2 is gaining a reputation as a walleye hot spot. Steve D, a part-time guide who fishes the river about 150 days each year, says the attention is well-deserved.

"It's not usually a fast and furious bite. But there are places you can regularly catch 3-to 5-pound fish," says Dezurik, whose biggest walleye from pool 2 weighed 13 pounds. "And there's always potential to catch a real trophy."

The walleyes in pool 2 are just as big as or bigger than the ones downstream near Red Wing, Lake City, and Winona; and per acre, there are just as many of them, says DNR metro area fisheries manager Dave Zappetillo. The difference is that pool 2 flows through eight cities and suburbs with about 2 million residents.

"There's probably not another place in the United States with this kind of fishing opportunity in such a populated area," Zappetillo says.

But it hasn't always been an urban angling magnet. The first European settlers dumped sewage and industrial waste directly into the river. By 1920 the pool, created by the construction of the Ford Dam in 1917, became notorious for decaying mats of floating scum, oil slicks, and organic sludge made up of human, animal, and industrial waste.

Construction of the Pig's Eye Island wastewater treatment plant in 1938 temporarily alleviated the problem. But urban expansion in the 1950s overwhelmed the treatment plant. Oxygen-consuming organic waste and toxic contaminants such as ammonia polluted the waters and devastated aquatic life. A 1964 fisheries survey by the Minnesota Department of Conservation found virtually no game fish and only a few carp, buffalo, suckers, and sheepshead.

The river's recovery began with the 1972 federal Clean Water Act, which requires waters to be clean enough for fishing and swimming. In the next decade, federal and state agencies spent $300 million to improve wastewater treatment in the metro area.

Progress continued when public outcry in both Minnesota and Wisconsin prompted a 1985 state project to separate antiquated sanitary and storm-water sewer lines in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and South St. Paul. This project removed raw sewage from the annual discharge of an estimated 4.6 billion gallons of storm water into the Mississippi.

By the early 1990s, anglers were catching game fish in the pool. In 1993 the DNR, at the behest of the Minnesota Walleye Searchers and the Minnesota B.A.S.S. Federation, established special regulations that allowed year-round fishing but required immediate release of all walleye, sauger, and largemouth and smallmouth bass. The regulations remain in effect today.

"With the high population in the metro area, anglers became concerned that the potential fishing pressure could overwhelm fish populations without special regulations," Zappetillo says. "The special regulations are probably one reason we see so many nice fish caught in the pool."

While the cleanup of pool 2 and the recovery of game fish populations has been a success, DNR river surveys project supervisor Jack Enblom says the metro area's ever-expanding human population could put the river at risk in the future as increased pollutant loads require cities to upgrade sewage treatment to even more rigorous levels.

"Water quality in pool 2 has risen and fallen with changing times," says Enblom. "We've had great success recently, but we need to continue to protect the river by reducing sediment runoff from agricultural fields and managing storm water from new suburbs and urban areas."

Jason Abraham DNR staff writer

[Caleb S]

If you email the DNR they will mail you (at no charge) a booklet that has a ton of information on navigating the river. It has a map of the river, marks wing dams, safety info, etc... you can download the booklet online as well. It was helpful to me since I had never been on the river prior to last year.

Ask for the "Mississippi River Guide" [email protected]

Download it http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/education_safety/safety/boatwater/miss_river_guide.pdf

[moonboots]

Do you know what the regulations are for pool 1?

[tommyk]

You may get the answers you are looking for in the Mississippi River North Forum. I believe since it is all within Minnesota state boundary, it follows the regular state seasons/limits/etc. Pool 2 is an exception to that rule.

[River Musky 1971]

Quote:

South St. Paul access: This ramp is located just south of the I-694 bridge on the west shore of the river. Exit I-694 at Concord Street and follow the signs to Hardman Ave. Turn east off Hardman onto the first road north of I-694 (Villaume Ave). Follow Villaume Ave. under the I-694 bridge to the access.

South St. Paul launch is under I-494, not I-694.