fall walleye questions

[jwmiller33]

i am planning on going up to rainy to chase some walleyes around next weekend. talked with a local resort up there (on monday) and he said the current water temp in the river was around 57 degrees. he also said the walleyes start to head in from the lake around 50, and the action really starts to heat up around 45 degrees. is this pretty accurate information? i was up there for the spring run this past march and we did our best when the water temp was around 39-41.

how is the fall run of walleyes up the river compared to the spring run? are guys mostly vertical jigging for the eyes in the fall like they are in the spring? are rainbows the hot bait of choice?

one last question.. is the sturgeon season still open up on the rainy this time of year? if so, when does it close?

[tacklejunkie]

From my experience, the resort guy is pretty accurate. In fact, the closer to ice up the better.

I've done the spring thing a couple of times and found the fall better but it seems the fall is more prone to some pretty big changes re; cold fronts and stuff.

Can never go wrong with frozen shiners and jigs

[hnd]

we fish it in the fall the 1st week of october every year. its not the most ideal time as we generally are a week or so early but some years we hit it. it seems to me that when the water temps are 56 degrees, you can have some decent success in the mornings and later afternoons. when it hits 53 degrees it seems the river fish get more active and some of the lake fish start releasing out of the gap. when the lake hits 50 and the river is close, within a day or so you can feel the affects of it. the action is hot and it doesnt' seem to matter the color.

this year is looking like a nice near 50-52 degree year. i still think we'll be early but i think it will beat the last 2 years in which we've had water temps in the 56 degree range all week.

[Milkdud]

What is the Temp. of the river currently?

Thanks!

[hnd]

here is a gauge at manitou rapids

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/mn/nwis/uv?cb_...ite_no=05133500

and here is a gauge at wheelers point

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?cb_000...ite_no=05137500

[tacklejunkie]

Looks like the temp is dropping

[CANOPY SAM]

Our air temps have been down a little this fall, and haven't really come up much for the last couple weeks. I'm thinkin', and hoping we'll see a nice run of fish into the river a little earlier this year?

Geez. That's great info (hnd). Thanks.

[hnd]

yeah its real nice to have up to the minute water temps without having to call the baitshops.

we head up in a week and a half. hope to hit it right.

[bigeggs]

when you staying at Clemenston. We will be there 10-2

[hnd]

10-2....matya group. we'll have one of the big pontoons. so much more comfortable for 4 than hauling up a rig. the other group out of mason city will have a pontoon as well.

[tacklejunkie]

So at what temp do the shiners start entering the river?

[bigeggs]

I'm sure we have seen each other. Up there the same time, 1st week in Oct, for the past 12 years. Usually stay at the Dutchman and fish at Clementson, Haddies hole or the airport. Airport hasn't produced much for the past couple of years. C ya guys on Sat

[CANOPY SAM]

Sunny, warmer temps have pushed the river water temps back up a bit. Forecast for next week is for even warmer weather. Sounds like a few pinheads might be moving in, with pretty heavy current, but nothing significant yet.

[jwmiller33]

did anybody get out this weekend?

it's looking like since Oct 29th, the temp has dropped from 45-42. I would be assuming that the big push of fish to enter the river has started.... am i correct? does anybody know if the shiners have started running?

i am going up on wednesday for 3 or 4 nights, and hopefully get into some great fishing!