2016 Red River Fishing Reports- From Capt. Brad Durick

[proguide]

The Red River is really low for this time of year and the water temperatures have just crossed the 50 degree mark.  The two combined spell and early catfish season.  Right now the catfish are still a bit sluggish. They are laying in the shallow water near the deeper current areas.  You will see a lot of picking and playing with bait before they commit.  With warmer temperatures in the forecast for the next week those small bites will become caught fish.  the fish should move into the faster water areas and begin hunting.  Expect a much better report next week as the cats come life over the next few days.
 

Baits right now are frogs and suckers.  Fresh or frozen sucker are both working.

[proguide]

The report from last week was spot on for a couple days with the catfish starting to really turn on Friday and Saturday.   That is right up until the cold front and rain hit.  Now the catfish are back out of the current and sitting in the shallow water just sort of hanging out until the water warms back up.  The  forecast going into the weekend and next week says that will happen soon enough. That will bring the fish back to the current and get them more aggressive.
 

Suckers and frogs are the bait of choice again this week.  The river looks really good with a little more flow than last week and a good forecast.  It will happen.

[proguide]

Water temperatures are at about 60 degrees and the catfish are getting much more active.  There are lots of little fish to be caught and some bigger fish are starting to show up with more regularity.  Best spots have been wood near current and dead water.  The fish seem to be hanging shallow in the morning and moving into the current as the day warms up.

Best baits are sucker and goldeye.  Sit on spots 20-30 minutes and try a little of everything.  River conditions are nearly perfect so take advantage of this

[proguide]

It appears we are coming into another big cool off.  The catfish have already started responding by moving out of the current and tight to structure.  Sit on spots a little longer than normal to entice sluggish fish to come out and find the bait.  Keep moving and be patient the fish are there it just may time some extra time to find them.
 

Sucker is the bait with the others (goldeye, frogs and water dogs) working as well.

[proguide]

Catfishing on the Red River is has mixed reports depending where you are fishing and who you talk to.  There are lots of fish to be caught but bigger fish are lacking, especially around the Grand Forks area and south.  Up north closer to the Canadian Border the bigger fish are easier to find.  The best method to catching these fish are to stay on the move and looking for current or structure near current.  Sit on spots 20 minutes or so and move on. If you are on fish moves do not need to be that big.
 

All baits are working with sucker still getting the edge but goldeye is really showing some promise as things warm up.

[proguide]

Rain earlier in the week is just what the doctor ordered to get the catfish going.  Fishing is good in some areas of the Red and outstanding in others.  The fish seem to be holding on the mid range break of outside bends. (Not in the current and not on the bank.)  They are also holding near structure like log jams and sand bars.  Visible faster current is a key to success also.
 

Goldeye is the bait of choice with sucker a close second.  Water temps are in the high 60s now so it won't be long until the cats start thinking about spawning.

[proguide]

A lot has changed over the past week.  Rains have brought he much needed water to the river levels.  It has also brought fronts after fronts and the spawn has begun.  All in all the fishing is fair around the Grand Forks area with all those factors stacked on top of each other.  The fish are very spread out so try everything.  They are very negative so you will want to sit on your spots a little longer to try to draw the fish out.  All baits are working but you have to work hard to catch big fish so keep bait fresh.
 

Up north near Drayton the rains have made the area north of the Drayton Dam inaccessible for the time being.  Hastings Landing downtown is still open.

[proguide]

My what a week can do.  The rains have brought the river up to a nearly perfect level for navigation and increased flow causing fish to migrate in and congregate.  Fishing around Grand Forks is the best it has been all year.  Many big feeding fish in the system.  They are taking all baits and biting in almost all locations.  Water temps are in the high 60s so there is not much time before the spawn sets into full swing so get out and have some fun.
 

The North Drayton ramp is still not usable but south is.  Pembina should also be open.

[proguide]

It happens every year and it did again this year.  The dreaded spawn is on.  Although it is not as bad as some make it seem, there are fish to be caught.  You will need to sit on spot a bit longer and shorten baits some to prevent the short bites.  Morning and evening you can fish the faster water to head off feeding fish that are not spawning.  Not all fish spawn at the same time and there are still some pre spawn fish to be caught.  Fishing is still quite good considering the time of year. The rest of the time get tight to the bank where you may be nesting or tight in structure such as rocks or snags. All baits are working with goldeye taking the lead.

The forecast says heat so this won't last long and with many big fish in the system we are setting up for a great rest of the summer.

[proguide]

Catfishing on the Red is ok considering the spawn is in full swing and some of the weather ups and downs of the past week.  Fish are spread out as some are still in pre spawn some are on the nest and some are just off the nest.  All you can do is try it all.  Bigger fish are coming off the break lines to the main channel or on the edges of structure.
 

Bait is weird this week as the preference is different depending on what section of river you are on.  Goldeyes and frogs seem to be the overall best but don't forget the suckers.
 

The heat and good flow will push the spawn along over the next week or two.

[proguide]

Catfishing is improving as the spawn nears the end. There are signs of spawned out fishing coming out to feed while others remain on the nest. Bigger fish are spread out but are in the middle of the river in holes or near mid river structure. Sit on spots a little longer to allow for more sluggish fish to find the baits.

Baits are up in the air depending who you talk to. I personally have found frozen goldeye to be the best over the past week. Frozen sucker also seems to work better than fresh. Experiment is all you can do. We are setting up for some great fishing ahead over the next few weeks.

[proguide]

Catfishing continues to improve from the spawn around Grand Forks.  Bigger fish are showing up but they are skinny which is a sign of the season.  The best locations to find the catfish is mid river holes with the best ones having some sort of structure located in them.  Fish can also be caught in or adjacent to snags. 
 

As for bait I am hearing mixed reports to what is working.  I personally have been finding fresh sucker or frozen goldeye to be working pretty much equal.

[pikestabber]

Thanks for the continued reports, Proguide! I know not many comment on this thread, but I do look forward to reading your reports. I generally get out to GF by now each year, but we won't make it until August this year. Looking forward to some great fishing again. The Red never seems to disappoint. 

[pikestabber]

Any updates of late? Water levels? Bite?

[proguide]

We are now in full blown summer pattern. The cats are very spread out but also very hungry. The best spots during the day are mid river holes with some visible current over them. The faster the current the better. The fish will be either right at the head of a hole in the fastest current of right out of it on the break. It is a fairly fast bite if you find fish and seems to be a one and done situation on the smaller holes. Keep moving at 15-20 minutes and over time you can put some great fish in the boat. There is movement to a low light bite so don't be afraid to start fishing flats near faster water early morning, evening or even at night. Sucker is the bait of choice but frog is really catching fish too.

Drayton is finally back to where it needs to be. The downtown ramp is good to go and the north one should not be very far behind.

There are two more tournaments coming up. The makeup for the Drayton tournament is this Saturday at Hastings Landing. $50 per person. They are still taking entries. For more info www.draytonnd.com

August 13th is the Red River Valley Catfish League's year end tourney. North Landing in Grand Forks. Fishing starts at 7am. $100 per boat and you can sign up at the launch. If you have any questions you can contact me.

[proguide]

Catfishing on the Red continues to be good.  There are lots of big fish in the system right now.  Higher water over the past week has kept the fishing moving and feeding well.  The best areas are current edges near structure, heads of holes and near the the fastest current you can find.  There is a distinct morning/evening bite going on with the warmer water temperatures.  Mid-day can get tough. 
 

As far as baits it seems everything is working.  I have been using mostly goldeye with some sucker mixed in. Frogs are working and I have seen boats do very well with water dogs.
 

We are looking very good heading down the stretch of the catfish season on the Red.

[proguide]

It looks as though catfishing this weekend could be challenging. With new water coming in from the south levels will remain great but it is carrying lots of grass and debris that could make catfishing difficult. The catfish are on the edges of the current and feeding in the small holes and current areas. The trick is going to be finding areas where the grass and flotsam collecting on the line is less. These spots will hold more fish. Once this clears up it will be business as usual and expect good fishing. Stay on the move, there are lots of big fish around.

Bait has still been taste of the day. Make sure to have frogs and sucker with you and goldeye isn't a bad idea either. Mix and match until you find the one that the fish want.

Drayton is open for now and fishing is picking up but according to my calculations the north landing will be under again for a week or so.

[proguide]

My how things change.  Last week there was a lot of grass and debris in the water that once settled out spurred fishing to the point of spectacular then the big rains came.  So far the rain has perked up the catfish in the Grand Forks area.  There are lots of big fish to be caught near the fast water seams or areas where water is running into the Red.  Sitting 30-40 minutes has made a big difference in catching numbers of fish.  This may or may not hold over the weekend so play with sit times some.  Water levels are nearly perfect for getting anywhere you want to go around the Grand Forks area.  With that, said the ramps in Drayton are under water yet again and will be a week or two until they are ready again.
 

The best bait has been sucker then frogs  Frozen sucker seems to be working better than fresh. 

[proguide]

The fall bite is on and thanks to the Drayton Dam being under water there are tons of huge fish in the Grand Forks area.  These fish are running the current seams and hanging out in the mid river holes.  The cooler mornings you will want to sit on spots a little longer but as the day goes on you can get back to moving every 15-20 minutes to stay on fish.  Watch the time of the first catch to determine sit times.  Bait is pretty much anglers choice but I would bring it all to find what the fish prefer on a given day.  Frozen sucker has done well over the past week.  

[proguide]

Cool nights and only a few warming hours each day have water temps coming down into the 50s this week.  This is actually pretty normal for the last week of September so there is nothing to odd here. 
 

The catfish have slowed down over the past few days with this cool off.  They are still around to catch.  They are hanging near structure, usually on the drop off to the channel right next to it.  They are also on the softer side of the current in holes.  It seems that longer sit times are in order this week to allow the fish to come out, find and decide to eat the bait.
 

Sucker seems to be the bait of choice right now.  Frogs just have not been getting any attention.