Mississippi River north of Sartell paper mill

[Brad B]

I've seen musky sized ones so yes they would work for northerns. my prefered northern tactics include throwing spinner baits in the shallows around docks as if I was bass fishing. I wait for bass season to be open before I do this because I do get bass also. last year I worked this one shore line of the lake I was on and ended up catching 5 northerns and 3 largemouth on the same spinner bait. it was cool because I actually seen the flash of the northern come up and grab the spinner bait. I will also fish live sucker under a bobber if I know there are northerns in the area. I even hooked one last year in the river on a piece of cut sucker I was using for catfishing.

[Stick in Mud]

Any as of late? I would think the water would be getting to warm for them to bite. Might be me but I have never caught one after the water temp gets past 60 or so.

Actually, last night between storms I picked up a real, honest-to-goodness catfish (not a big one, though) and two short and super-stubby bullheads. I was catching eel pout up until last week...heck, it was the only thing I could catch. And I will get a very rare one in the summer, so they do still bite. At least off our dock.

[sid0120]

I just really would like to find a place close to st cloud to catch some decent northerns.

[Rick G]

Decent, Kronis or Big Birch. Lot's of them, Grand or Pleasant lakes should fit the bill. The river does have quite a few just not as many as some of our local lakes do.

[pinkfloyd4ever]

I grew up in St Cloud and would go fish the river below Cathedral High School, usually tied in to some northerns in the spring and early summer from there. I would use minnows under a bobber about a foot to a foot and a half.

After mid june or so would just tie in to suckers and carp.

Beaver islands south of SCSU on the west bank of the river is another good spot for shore spots