St. Louis River Fishing Reports

[Northlander]

Yes our Twin Ports walleye Association is having our anual catch photo release tourney this Sat. and Sun. 56 boats so far and we have 4 openings if anyone wants to join in the fun. Check out the website for more info if needed.

[tacklejunkie]

I haven't been on the river since before that big flood

How much has the fishing changed since then?

[Northlander]

You can still fish it as you always did but there are some opportunities to do things we didnt do a lot like jig wood and slip bobber wood. Some areas have a lot more wood in areas there wasnt before. Spirit Lake has many new areas loaded with wood now.

[WasteManagement]

Dumb question:

Can you or do people eat Ruffe?

Want my nephew to practice on a little fish. I learned cleaning little throat hooked perch and got good at cleaning anyting after that.

[Odonata]

I have never heard of anyone eating a ruffe, but nothing surprises me anymore.

[Cthulhu]

They are related to Perch... so I'd imagine they'd be ok. Though I've never caught one that seemed like it would be worth my time to clean. Give it a try - let us know how they taste!

[duluthangler]

From online MN fishing regs 2013:

"Possessing or transporting white perch, ruffe, round goby, black carp, bighead carp, grass carp, or silver carp is unlawful, except when taking them to the DNR."

[JAR JAR]

Pinch their heads and return them you cannot have them in your possession

[tacklejunkie]

From online MN fishing regs 2013:

"Possessing or transporting white perch, ruffe, round goby, black carp, bighead carp, grass carp, or silver carp is unlawful, except when taking them to the DNR."

Yeah but what happens if you make and consume a Ruffe Sushi on your boat while fishing...evidence gone

[WasteManagement]

I read the rules. If pursued by law it would look like this.

Regulatory Classification: Ruffe are a prohibited invasive species (DNR), which means import, possession, transport, and introduction into the wild is prohibited.

Possession; if you catch a ruffe and it is on your line. You have broken this rule. Whether targeting them or not. Guilty. There is no time line in the rule. The second its on your line, you broke the law. Possession

Transport; i catch one on my boat, and if i go anywhere i am now transporting. Guilty. There is no dead or alive claus

I know i will kill it right away and toss it back. Introduction into the wild. Also to take this one further, if i catch it, kill it and toss it on shore i am still introducing it to the wild. Wild is not specified as aquatic wild. Again no dead or alive claus.

Unless you can distengrate the ruffe immediatly before it is on your line there is no way around it, you are guilty.

I am not to worried about this one. I would never place one on a stringer, a live well, they would go into an iced cooler and be killed on the spot.

[Odonata]

Any fish holding around Water Street?

[Jarrid Houston]

Got out yesterday for a couple hours 12-215. Found 2 walleyes both 16 inches that are still swimming.

[Northlander]

yes there is. its a tuff bite with all the rain we have gotten. cranks seem to be doing better than spinners and jigs in the faster murky water we now have.

[Northlander]

Lets keep all up to date reports on this thread I locked the out dated one.

[FishinFreak17]

Headed out of Boy Scout today at 930am and went up river about a mile. Ended up with 2 keepers (17.5 and 23), caught a couple of pike, a perch and a ruffe. Mostly worm harnesses (gold) behind bottom bouncers or inline boards. 23 incher caught on a Bomber long A. Slow out there...pulled off the water around 4. I hope to get out tomorrow. Would like to hit the big lake if the wind and waves cooperate!

[Jack Stasney]

Hit the river tonight for a couple hours. Caught a few eyes, couple of northern, and a rock bass. Also found a new large tree on the topside of spirit lake that definitely wasn't there last week. It is right in the center of the channel as it starts to get deep again. Luckily I was trolling when I found it.

[fatfinger]

Jaxstas, is that tree submerged or visible? Also, all the times I've gone out since the river changed I've gone from boyscout or under highbrdge, is the smithville launch useable/passable?plan on goin for some muskies in afternoon and that's central to some areas.thank you.

[Northlander]

Yes you can use the clyde ave landing. People have also been using the oliver landing although I never do.

[Jack Stasney]

It is visible but just barely and looks like it would take out a lower unit if you hit it right.

[Jarrid Houston]

Hit her today for a few hrs........windy cold and terrible....boo

[Northlander]

Trolled sticks and cranks from the bong to water street. fish were pretty spread out but did best above 61. Best bait was a Rapala #7 Shad rap in blues or greens with white bellys.

Biggest was 26" with a lot of males in the mix. Advice would be slow down and keep the bait hitting bottom every so often. Didn't get any fish when off bottom. Leadcore worked better than long lining.

[musky hunter]

Finally got out for a couple outings. Weather, obligations, etc. sure got in the way of my fishing this year. But have been able to find a few fish on minnows and jigs. Slow was the key, most only timidly take the bait. Took a couple of 18's home for dinner, released a 24" male, still not spawned out. 1/8 oz to 1/4 oz jigs fished in slack water in slow current. Hit as many bass as walleyes, which is not too many compared to years past but fun to latch on to a bonus fish. Water is around 55 and I'd be slow and cold too if I was swimming in it.

[Jack Stasney]

Got out for about 2.5hrs today and managed a few eyes and a jumbo perch down by the airport. Ended up being a great day!

[musky hunter]

Generally speaking, an evening on the water beats an evening on the couch watching tv, and tonight was no exception. With water temps approaching 59, the eyes are getting slightly more active. Found some fish, nothing too big, one about 22", the rest from 14-20. All males. But for 20 minutes it was like the good old days. Must have boated 8 fish and then the sky opened up. Used an 1/8 oz jig and chub. Most hits were quite light.

[Mistermojo]

So northlander says slow cranks, couple others say slow jigs with minnows - sounds like the common theme is slow...

What area of the river seems to be producing best? I'm heading out both days this weekend.

[musky hunter]

My sense is that the females have spawned and have mostly moved downstream with the males hanging uptream still. Water flow is now beginning to subside slightly and will continue to do so unless we get significant rain in the near future. That normally means fish upstream begin migrating downstream. This does not mean that fish can't be caught upstream. It means you need to look to find them and if one spot doesn't produce, try another. Trolling covers lots of water, I fish jigs because I have a dislike for treble hooks. I have only fished from above Walleye Alley this year so I can't speak to the downstream conditions.

[Northlander]

Hit the river again yesterday and found the eyes, pike and bass all to be quite willing to bite. Started up at Boyscout and there are quite a few males from walleye alley to the buoy 61 area. A few females but not many. Spirit lake had more females and even arrowhead flats had fish on it. I trolled either flicker shads or shad raps in the 8-11' areas and smithwicks or floating raps in the shallow stuff up to 8' deep. Didn't matter the profile, stick or shad type, but natural colors seemed to beat out the hot colors.

I was able to catch fish a bit faster on the current edges than the other day. 1.9 to 2.1 seemed best. Man some of them smallies are HUGE! One must have been pushing 6 plus pounds.

The answer is to cover water to find holding areas. I do that with cranks and if I find a area holding fish I either keep hitting it with cranks or slow down and weed them out with spinners. I find the jig n minnow bite too slow for me this time of year, especially when the fish are so spread out.

Mon and Tues I will be out in my shorts and tank top hitting it hard. That's if the weather guessers are right. LOL.

Oh and don't forget to check out them shallow bays. They warm up quick and big mama like a good hot tub after spawning.

[Mistermojo]

Thanks for the info guys! Hopefully the weather and fish cooperate

[Improvedarock]

The upper St Louie near the source has been stuffing the freezer lately. Went out Tuesday and the channel cats took place of the the golden carp.

[DLD24]

I hit a new shore spot I found and got 6 eyes and few nice channel cats