Early River Report

[musky hunter]

I launched at Boy Scout and checked the regular spots out this afternoon. Water temps are about 49.5 degrees, slightly warmer as you go downstream. There has been no significant warm up in a week. The water level was moderately high for the river but perhaps a little lower than average for this time of year. The current was rather swift and I would have had trouble holding the boat with just the trolling motor in many places. I went up as high as the 23 bridge and had no problem getting up there, but a word of caution: there seems to be some shifting of the river bed and some areas as you get closer to the 23 bridge are considerably shallower than I remember them from last year. And then I found a few new holes that I didn't know of, so some things must have changed from last year. If you go up pay attention to your graph!

And where I found depth I sometimes marked a lot of fish, but most were suspended.

I saw a fair number of people fishing the banks and one boat trolling and I cannot believe that they are all targeting suckers and catfish in traditoinal walleye areas. But I never saw anyone land a fish. Being real suspicious of the two guys trolling in the Tracker with the Merc 135, I dropped my trolling motor and headed in their direction, but they never let me get real close and the only thing I saw them land was a stick, but if they had caught a walleye and were going to keep it I'd have told them to release it. Undoubedly there is some early season poaching going on and while I can't stop it, if I see it I will report it.

[Luck e 1]

Thanks for the report...this is exactly the kinda report I was looking for.

We will be up there in a G3 jon boat.

[Jim Hudson]

Always a good idea to write down a registration number on those boats.. Description of anglers too. Wardens love little tips like that. Who knows, they may already be working a case involving certain individuals. More tips just make their jobs easier.

Thanks for the info on the river!!!