Shore Fishing at the U of M-Twin Cities...

[MurkyWaters]

I was wondering if anyone has any advice about shore fishing at the U of M-Twin Cities. I'm a student there and I would LOVE to be able to take some time out and fish every once and a while. With no boat, and not a lot of free time to travel to someone's cabin, I figure shore fishing around campus will be the way to go. Thanks for any help!

[EBass]

I don't know about the U, but Pool 2 by the Ford Dam has miles of shoreline to fish. It's the Hidden Falls park/launch. Or the stonearch bridge area has a few good spots too. The channel kitties were on fire a few weeks back.

[Lunker]

Not sure what species you're lookin for. Well, looking on to next summer, there are lots of oppurtunities in this city. As stated above pool 2 has bass(smallies), walleye, pike, cats, white bass, and all the rough fish you could ask for(carp,buffalo,sheepshead,etc). Above the dam up to campus there is plenty of shoreline and similar species, just have to explore a bit(but be careful, some rough people along the river)

It's a short haul to the MLPS chain of lakes. Calhoun, Harriet, Isles, and Cedar are bunched up and good for panfish,crappie,largemouth, pike, and muskie, not to mention the old carp and bullheads again. Downstream a ways is Nokomis, good for tiger muskie, walleye, panfish and crappie(and of course carp) and a little but more downstream is hiawatha, lots of smaller pike, a few walleyes and panfish, lots of carp and bullheads.

[email protected] if you want some more info on spots. Good luck

[Timrek]

Any one fish up near Nicollet Island Pavilion and the small side creeks near the train bridge and the Hennepin Ave Bridge as well as parts north of there?

[macgruber]

i fished off of nicollet island there a few times last summer, but got bothered on my last visit by a cracked out guy in his twenties who wouldn't leave me alone and kept insisting that i have some of his beer or vodka..... kept claiming that he lived down there and "i'd never find his home"...... i pulled a good smally out of the side channel on the eastern side there on my second cast, but left soon thereafter......

there's tons of good shore water to fish.... just get some soft plastics or some crawlers and have at it...... as long as you can get down to the shore, you'll catch something.... just beware of cracked out strangers, cuz for some reason they seem to love the river.....

[32inchEye]

I've had similar experience there. I was fishing caught a few decent smallies then there were a bunch of hoboes that just came out of the woods. My buddy and I got freaked out cuz they were drunk so we dipped. There's no telling what they would of done there were about ten of them. Their stench alone was enough to drive us out of there. I'd say bring a gun if you wanna go down there.

[Timrek]

I work close by and I thought I could hit the river on my lunch hour or before heading home some nights. Now I am thinking maybe I will just stick to the metro lakes and skip the river. But I hate missing out on some good fishing.

Thanks for the info and I think I will try and go during the day and maybe stick to the well populated areas.

If nothing else I will get some good stories.

[macgruber]

you can fish in that area, just maybe avoid nicollet island...... or make sure there are some other folks wandering around down there..... gets kinda creepy there when yer solo..... a wee tip-- go to the other shore.... take portland east and take a right at the very bottom of the hill..... that road dead ends at a free parking lot right by the river (out in front of the new guthrie)..... the fishing isn't as good there as by nicollet, but at least there aren't any weirdos hiding in the bushes......

i've caught just about everything aside from walleyes there, and i'm sure there are some walleyes hangin round too...... just don't expect to slay 'em.....

sorry to give away anyone's honey hole, but it is right downtown and it's not all that full of honey, just a decent, safer spot to drop a line....

[andrew chadwick]

just get a can of pepper spray or a conceal carry permit if it must come to it. What has the world come to when you need peper spray or a gun to go fishing on the river.

[fishinfey8]

no kidding, i live by st. thomas which is right by the ford (Contact Us Please), and i was thinking bout tryin out the river, is the ford (Contact Us Please) safe??

[SupaMan]

I fish down there all of the time.. It isnt too bad down there.. People in here just exagerate...

[htgeren]

I used to fish at hidden falls all the time and for the most part I never thought it was too bad either until the last time I went there. Dont think I've ever been as scared that something very bad was about to happen to me as I was that day.

That was almost three years ago and I haven't been back since, and I dont plan on ever going back unless I have a gun or at the least someone else with me.

[Katman]

you got me wondering..........so........what happened?

[htgeren]

First mistake was mine by going down there (minnehaha creek) early in the morning about 5:30 or so by myself. Thought the day was going to be awesome due to good weather and no one else was down there yet. It was good too, pulled out a couple walters right away.

After about 20 mins a couple of dudes popped up out of the woods and something wasnt right with them. Both looked strung out, twitching and talking a mile a minute. One was about my size and the other was quite a bit bigger. Anyways, I'm like, oh crap, just go back into the woods. Then they came over to where I was and stood on either side of me. And by either side I mean with in 12" of me on either side and started asking me how the fishing was. Then they started asking if I was down there with anyone, did anyone know I was there, wierd questions like that. I moved up the shore and they followed, I moved down and they followed again, the whole time right next to me, winking at each other, checking out my tackle box, talking about how one of them just beat up his wife or something and thats why they were down there. I was getting real nervous hoping someone else would show up, but no one did.

I finally reeled in my line, grabbed my box, and told them I had to get going. They followed me through the trail along the creek right behind me and I got to the stairs and took off. I figured I may be in a little better shape than them, turned out I was.

Never been back.

[Katman]

I'm glad you got out of that situation ok. I can only hope to never come across anyone like that. I usually don't go fishing without a partner now. Not that I'm scared or anything....but I'd rather be safe then sorry.

[bassfisher]

my buddy and i saved a drunk lady that feel off the trail a couple years back. we were at the end of our long trek up those stairs and heard a horrible crashing sound going down the hill side.... ran to the right of the stairs up the trail about 15-30 yards and there she was half way down the hill side. there are some weird people there. still go down there once and a while, but not without my good friend s&w and his 6 friends.

[macgruber]

perhaps some exaggeration here, but from my experience not much..... you can't be too careful with drugged up folks with nothing to lose..... i would just watch yourself if you are fishing solo, i.e. bring some form of protection- the pepper spray idea is a good one.....

[bassfisher]

you dont know me at all....but why would i b.s. anyone about this incident? One other time, the same buddy that helped me pull this women from the hillside, were fishing after dark there for cats... people were throwing bottles and other objects at us through the woods. we shut our lantern off and crept away very quietly. TOUGH GUY OR NOT...STILL NOT A SAFE PLACE TO BE WITHOUT PROTECTION

[Timrek]

With all the stories and other things I have reconsidered going down there at any time but lunch time, when there are plenty of people around. I go fishing to relax and have fun. None of what every one has said sounds fun or relaxing and even if it does not happen to me I don't want to be standing there fishing and having to constantly worry about any of it.

I guess I will stick to fishing on the metro lakes for the most part. The worst distractions there are the female joggers and hey that is a good distraction.

[Katman]

hahahaahhah

[Lunker]

I still fish it, but yes it is rough, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Just be careful. I personally watch my back at all times and carry a knife(conceal and carry hopefully by this summer). Some might think I'm overexaggerating but personally I have had the mild things happen to me(offers to buy/sell drugs, drunks, etc) and the scary. I had a knife pulled on me by two guys near the Minnehaha creek outlet. Thankfully I had mine and pulled mine out and my buddy came running with his, after a short standoff they backed off, I think because we were so aggressive. My buddy was also followed on the St. Paul side by a man pleasing himself to the sight of my friend. It is creepy down there, so be careful. But the fishing can be good, haha

[macgruber]

bassman, i was responding more to supaman's questioning of the validity of these stories more than i was to you..... i believe you, that's why i said bring pepper spray.....

timrek, if you work downtown, there's no reason to worry about the other spot i mentioned off portland...... it's wide open, plenty of traffic and people walking around-- fish the channel coming in the side (street runoff?) that dumps in the river and all they way down that side of the river off the wingdams...... there's plenty of fish and no sketchballs that i've seen.......

[bassfisher]

its cool mac.... where abouts are you talkin on fishing at? sounds safer, maybe the bite might be decent too....thanks

[Timrek]

Thanks Mac and every one. I am going to give it a try on my lunch some time next week. I will let you all know how it goes fishing wise and weirdoes wise.

I think I am going to try down on basset creek before it hits the main river and work my way south from there.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Mac,

I believe you're speaking about Mill Ruins Park. Never had a problem there, either.

[macgruber]

that sounds about right..... mill city museum is over that way too, so that's prolly what it is..... just don't get tricked into paying for parking by the locks at the base of portland ave. there...... take a right where the road T's at the bottom of the hill and there's a little lot down below with about 8-10 free parking spots....... it's right by where you want to fish anyway.....

again, it's not a superb spot, but worth it for a lunch break stop.... i caught something every time i wandered down there last year.....

[macgruber]

if you all are looking for more info, check this little link out...... it's pretty handy, and gives warnings on spots which you need to be careful at...... http://www.geocities.com/shimizunet/shoremapindex.html

hope they are okay with posting links..... it's not a site selling anything-- just offering info....

[Timrek]

Great site Mac thanks! I usually fish Harriet on the weekends if any one is ever out there give me a wave!

[macgruber]

i'll do that..... i've been out there (harriet) a couple times wading in the shallows with a fly rod...... haven't done much- couple tiny panfish and an occasional small bass, but it should get better here the next few weeks......

[Ralph Wiggum]

Quote:

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that sounds about right..... mill city museum is over that way too, so that's prolly what it is..... just don't get tricked into paying for parking by the locks at the base of portland ave. there...... take a right where the road T's at the bottom of the hill and there's a little lot down below with about 8-10 free parking spots....... it's right by where you want to fish anyway.....

again, it's not a superb spot, but worth it for a lunch break stop.... i caught something every time i wandered down there last year.....

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Yep, that's the spot. Lots of shoreline to fish.