Mississippi River Fishing Reports Pools 2 & 3

[Joe]

Can you help us out and share your success stories here.

Feel free to chime in with your fishing reports good, bad or ugly.

For the most current reports click the highest page number onthe upper or lower right of this thread.

[BigWormin]

Going to need a good warm snap to fish P2, it's locked up pretty good right now! Hopefully going to bust the boat out again in a couple weeks... might have to be P4 though.

[River Dan]

Sunday there were guys out on pool2, counted 4 rigs at the launch

[sparky27]

What section of pool 2 is fishable,and where can you launch from?

[fishdale]

Lillydale access is still iced in must be the 494 launch.

[River Dan]

That is correct, open water to st paul

[icefishing21]

is it open water at the ford dam? like up by shore also?

[River Dan]

Friend of mine caught a 27 1/2" walleye on the first cast this week, fished another 3 1/2 hours and nothing, great start to open water on pool2

[walleyelabman]

Sad to report it was not me

[PierBridge]

is it open water at the ford dam? like up by shore also?

Above the Ford dam its still frozen solid across.

Directly below the Dam and to the St. Paul side of the Island is ice free and totally open. On the MPLS side of the island its still frozen all the way from the Lock doors down to about the first bend and then it appears open down past the Hidden Falls ramp.It probably ice's up again near the Confluence would be my guess.

The Hidden Falls ramp is un-passable at this point but with a little more warm weather and some effort the ramp COULD be usable in the Near futre.

[icefishing21]

alright thanks for the info

[wastewaterguru]

Came down from the Cedar ramp on the Minnesota River yesterday and the Mississippi was still solid ice at the confluence. It looked pretty solid.

[St_Croix_Banks]

Hi:

I fished pool 2 last spring and we launched at Lilydale. I dont generally fish the river past the spring but I was wondering if that area (Lilydale and north) will be fishable by the 1st week in April. Is the Lilydale launch open then? What are your thoughts? Thank you.

[OLY]

It all depends on the year. First week of april you could be dealing with really high water and dangerous currents, or it could be like last year were I was fishing early april with no problems. The best thing to do is go to rivergages website and you can monitor water levels and current before you decide to go.

[TheWarrior]

Can you launch at Hidden Falls right now? and can you fish where the Ford dam is? Thanks

[TheWarrior]

When is the best time to fish below the ford dam around the island?

[Flaco651]

I heard a few days ago the Hidden Falls launch was unusable yet. I haven't actually been down there to see it though.

[Loon18]

I stopped down there this morning and yes you can launch and get to the ford dam. Maybe ice on the Minneapolis side. The ramp is ok and after today it should be in fantastic shape.

[tommyk]

To start, the 494 landing was in perfect shape with both ramps open and no ice along the beach either! Navigation was good as well. There were icebergs here and there, but nothing to complain about. Water temps ranged from 36 to just over 37 degrees. And fishing wasn't half bad.

The bite was one here one there but enough to be satisfied. Seemed that was similar for the others around me too. I ended up catching five walleyes from 17 to 22", all males. While I was putting things away to leave a boat just down from me did land a large female. My technique for the day consisted of vertical "holding" (not jigging, they liked it motionless) with the current and then dragging back up to where I wanted to start over again. The current was right wgere it left off last fall...slllooooowww. I used a 1/8th oz. jig with a 3" Gulp! Alive Minnow in either Smelt or Watermelon Pearl vertical going down current, Dragging back up I still able to use the 1/8th oz. size and I chose to use a mini paddle tail that Dean at Everts gave me to try when I was down on Pool 4. The paddle tail's tail would wiggle dragging against the current while the minnow had nothing that wiggled. One fish seemed to like it anyways. But going down stream the same speed as the current there was no action out of it at all and that is why I stuck with the minnow since neither baits had moving parts then, but the Gulp! had the scent thing going. The three bigger eyes came from a bit shallower of water right on a break from 12' to 16' and the smaller two came out from the basin of that break in 16' to 18'. The break consited of rock and the basin area I would say was pretty snag free with light scattered rock.

Presentations...

Asprin shaped jig cuts water better...

I would have tried an orange jig head since the water color probably was right for that, but I had poured a bunch of new jigs with the intention of painting them and never got around to it in time for today.

Nice 20"er...

Hope this helps. Pool 2 is open, go get 'em!

[PierBridge]

When is the best time to fish below the ford dam around the island?

Just remember its illegal to boat with-in 500 feet of the Dam. The Island and the wall on the St. Paul side have marker signs alerting you of this. If want to fish near the Dam park your boat on the Island and walk up and Fish near the Dam that way...

The CO's have really been watching these areas closely so be smart and save yourself a $200 Ticket and a Court appearance.

Good Luck!

[River Dan]

Figured with the weather coming the fish this afternoon would be biting so I put in at the 494 ramp and made my way up the river to one of my areas, marked bait and fish in 13' and threw several different plastic combos at them and managed to pull two small eyes, worked the area for for almost a hour head out searching and found fish, stripers to be exact and boated 5 nice ones and one heck of a gizzard shad, fished about 2 1/2 hours, lot of fun close to home!

[FatBassman]

If fishing within 500' below the dam is prohibited, then I have been guilty. Are you certain of this? The signs are clearly marked above the dam that you have to maintain 500'...but I have not seen any signs below the dam. Not saying your wrong...just want to be sure so I don't get a ticket.

[flatheadhunter87]

you guys catch any cats up there or dont you guys fish for them.

[tommyk]

I caught a fair amount of channels while fishing walleyes on wingdams last summer and got a monster of a flathead one morning too. I know alot of people do target them with good success and size at night.

[flatheadhunter87]

What is the biggest channel that you have caught on accident. Are there some deep holes throughout there? Where do you suggest i launch from up by liydale or down by harriet island. Thanks

[fishdale]

What is the biggest channel that you have caught on accident. Are there some deep holes throughout there? Where do you suggest i launch from up by liydale or down by harriet island. Thanks

Last year I caught my one and only flat head that was between 45 - 50 lbs on 6lb test while walleye fishing. There are some deep holes by the Lilydale launch just upstream. I don't know any thing about targeting them so can not give you any help in finding them.

[Shack]

If you want channels, nothing beets the down town area and cut bullhead

[DRS]

If fishing within 500' below the dam is prohibited, then I have been guilty. Are you certain of this? The signs are clearly marked above the dam that you have to maintain 500'...but I have not seen any signs below the dam. Not saying your wrong...just want to be sure so I don't get a ticket.

I have the Metro Area River Guide book from the DNR and in the book it says (The area 600 feet upstream and 150 feet downstream from the dam are restricted areas.)

[PierBridge]

Quote:

Originally Posted By: FatBassmanIf fishing within 500' below the dam is prohibited, then I have been guilty. Are you certain of this? The signs are clearly marked above the dam that you have to maintain 500'...but I have not seen any signs below the dam. Not saying your wrong...just want to be sure so I don't get a ticket.

Quote:

I have the Metro Area River Guide book from the DNR and in the book it says (The area 600 feet upstream and 150 feet downstream from the dam are restricted areas.)

100 percent certain for the area Below the Ford Dam.... And its BOATING not Fishing in a restricted area.

I was a passenger in a Boat that was ticketed for boating in this particular restricted area and have seen numerous other boats being detained by the Sheriff and DNR enforcement patrols over the years.

The State statue is 150' downstream stream of Dams but this is a Federal deal and the distance was increased after 911. My friend even brought the state Statue with him to court. But he decided not to use it in Court because we were way inside the 150' mark anyway.

You'll know when you see the Signs on the Island and directly across on the St Paul side that the Restricted area is NOT a 150' from the Dam and much closer to 500'.....on the Lock side "mpls" I believe the restricted area starts at the Lock Doors.

Be safe and be smart!

Let's get this thread back on track with some Good fishing Reports!

[flatheadhunter87]

Thanks for the info i dont have any maps on the river but that gives me little bit of an idea. I guess i will just search the water till i find them. I fish down in the redwing area alot for cats. Just wanted to find some new spots.