mississippi river Mississippi River North Fishing Reports

[Joe]

Let's hear how you're doing. Please help by sharing your fishing report here.

 

Thanks.

[Stick in Mud]

I've been SLAUGHTERING the eel pout underneath the dam in Sartell. We got about fifteen the other night....and my buddy actually kept them and ate them! Needless to say, I let mine back down the hole.

[JIGGIN']

Any reports at the Blanchard Dam area? I am interested in ice fishing there. If anyone has some advice on that please let me know. I would mostly be interested in the ice conditions and any specific fishing techniques that are popular. I hear that there are some crappies to be caught there. Thanks!!

[Rick G]

Last time I was up top side of blanchard was about three weeks ago fished about 80-100 yds away from the dam on the east side in the deep pool. Most fish came from around 30 ft water. There are some large fish to be had up there but locating the school can be tricky. With the recent snows we have been having travel up there will be tough. Feb and march are the hot months for ice crappies on this section of the miss.

[whitetailfreak]

anyone been fishing below the paper mill dam? catching anything? how much ice is there?

[Stick in Mud]

Plenty of ice...the fishing has been sporadic. A few guys are always down there trying to "catch" catfish, though their methods looks fishily like snagging to me. The eel pout are still biting, though!

[JBMasterAngler]

I'm not 100% sure, but I do believe it is legal to snag catfish in the winter. But that might only be on the WI border, so don't quote me on that.

[whitetail_freak]

oh i see, yeah ive been kinda interested in trying down there some time.

[JBMasterAngler]

An update on the catfish snagging...I looked through the regulations and couldn't find anything about being able to snag cats, so I'm guessing it's not allowed anymore. But you can spear cats through the ice.

[Stick in Mud]

I think it's illegal to purposely snag any gamefish, no?

[JBMasterAngler]

I'm willing to bet $1.63 that snagging cats in the winter (at least on the WI border) was legal as little as 10 years ago. Like I said though, I couldn't find anything in the regs, so I'm assuming it's not legal anymore.

So if those guys were out there snagging them, they probably thought the same thing I did...that's why it pays to read the regs every year

[Rick G]

Was looking at old fishing regs back as far as 74 and even back then purposly foul hooking ( snaging) wasnt legal on inland waters for any game fish.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Can't speak for the past, but as of now, snagging cats is 100% illegal.

[whitetail_freak]

i fished the miss today, caught 4 walleyes and 2 nice pike in the morning, and this evening i caught 12 crappies. only kept 5 though.

[jfish21]

Anyone have any update on the ice conditions above Blanchard dam since the rain?

[Ost]

I was out on Thursday, ice is fine. Just broke through a thin sheet on top from the puddles. Fishing was slow.

[ToddyP5]

Hey Fellas-

I have a 2025 Lund and live north of Elk River. This year I wanted to make an effort to fish more local areas and the river as the drive to Mille Lacs to fight crowds and wind got really old last year. I have some questions about this streach of river...

Will a big boat work for this area?

Where are there landings that will work?

What type of fish/fishing is there to be expected?

Is the river that splits off in Otsego/Elk River right off HWY101 the Crow? Is it fishable?

I am obviously pretty naive to this river stuff but really want to give it a good try this spring/summer. I drive over the thing twice a day on the way to work when I would rather be on it!

Thanks all

[Ralph Wiggum]

If that were my boat, I would not run that stretch of river with it.

[polarsusd81]

You would not catch me running my 14' Lund with a 15 horse on that stretch of the river. If you are serious about fishing that stretch of the river, you might want to look at drift boats, float tubes, or canoes. A good majority of that stretch of the river is less than 2 feet deep. Lots of areas you could walk across and not get your knees wet.

This spring, hook up with a guide that has a drift boat, they will show you the river. That is probably your best bet at figuring out whether you want to risk it.

[Ralph Wiggum]

River Pro country! Lots and lots of nice smallies, though!!!

[polarsusd81]

Ralph, do you have a RiverPro. I have seen a few of them and desperately want to hook up with someone for a ride in that stretch. They are definitely the ultimate boat for that stretch. The OP already has a 2025 ProV though, so that was the reason I didn't say anything about them. If I had a choice, the RP would be my dream boat.

I wonder if anyone has run one on the Rum between Andover and St. Francis?

[river rat316]

That boat would be decent for the stretch in Anoka, from the CHamplin 169 Bridge south to the Coon Rapids dam, there is a landing on the Champlin side, and one in the RUm River on the Anoka side, the Rum is deep enough to make the 300 yards out to the Mississippi. If you do put your boat in down there make sure you carry at least 100 yhards of anchor rope and a big anchor, the river is nothing to mess with! Do not put that boat in at Elk River, I doubt you could even get it off the trailer at that wrotten landing, but if you do, in normal water conditions that boat will not go far in this area, I could run it about 1.5 miles down river in Elk River but thats it, if you don't know the river your area becomes a small portion of that! I would suggest looking into a small jon boat, float tube, or canoe/ Kayak, if you decide you like it enough, ditch the Pro V and get a RiverPro.

River fishing is a completely different animal if you think wind and traffic is bad, your just trading that in for Wind, Current, and Rocks. It can be rewarding as heck when you finally start to put peices of the puzzle together but you will take your share of bumps, bruises, and goose eggs to get there.

[jigginjim]

River rat, You hit that one out the park. I bought a 14ft flat bottom, to float down stream only. I will launch upstream and float down. Maybe wading in most areas. As far as the Pro-V stay with the lakes, if you like your boat, or you will have holes and a end up with a alum scrap pile. Sorry to sound mean but floating a Pro-V is a death wish for your boat.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Ralph, do you have a RiverPro.

I wish I did, but no. I have been on that stretch in one, though--it's impressive. I floated the same stretch a week later in a canoe and did a whole lot of walking

[ozzie]

Hey Fellas-

What type of fish/fishing is there to be expected?

Is the river that splits off in Otsego/Elk River right off HWY101 the Crow? Is it fishable?

Thanks all

monticello/elk river: this stretch of river you are mainly fishing for smallmouth and a few catfish.

the river that splits Otsego/Elk River is the Mighty Mississippi....the same one that flows to the Gulf of Mexico....Good Luck but I would opt for waders rather than a proV in this area for river fishing.....the Crow river splits Otsego/Rogers on 101

[Shack]

Do not put that boat in at Elk River,

You could launch a large boat right now in ER Just drove by and like you said in the Pool 2 forum, she is up in flood plains now just east of the 101/169 bridge on the north side of the river. I am sure she is up in the launch area also and rising.

ozzie is correct. Along with that you may find a walleye or two, tons of carp, some sucker and maybe some panfish if you are lucky.

[river rat316]

I think he is talking about when the river splits around the islands in Elk River, the only other river that dumps in is the ELk itself, but that is out of sight unless your on the river. The Crow's confluence is right at the Dayton Landing.

Yeah Shack you could get a cabin cruiser on the river right now .... and its only gonna get higher, this is going to be a big flood this spring.... hopefully she don't change to much, I wold hate to have to spend all summer on the river relearning new stretches

[bassmann77]

I am on that stretch of river once a week for work. We launch from Champlain and run the river to just North of the Monticello river launch. Along with the other posts, don't take your nice boat anywhere North of the Ferry Street bridge from the Champlain launch. If you want to take the boat on the river, launch it at the Brooklyn Park ramp and fish that stretch from the 610 bridge south to the CR Dam. That stretch is similar to fishing a lake. It gets pretty deep and you can fish a lot of docks and banks. After mid-June, the only boats that can run the big stretch from BP to Monticello is a Jon boat with a Jet motor or one of those River Rats.

[river rat316]

The 610 bridge is below the Coon Rapids Dam, I think you meant the 169 Bridge as previously stated. Look on a map, 169 bridge to CR dam is safe, anything above or below that is not safe... till you get down to the MPLS or above St Cloud. Clear as mud... right?

[MSRiverdog]

No jet yer gonna spend some repair money.