Fishing report for the St. Louis River

[tacklejunkie]

For 2019-2020 St Louis River Fishing Reports - Click Here.

 

 Now that the weather is  drying out a little and the bay and the river are starting to clear out a little I headed out yesterday morning to do some fishing.   Crawler harnesses with yellow and fluorescent blades and fire tiger worked the best. All fish were caught anywhere from 4 feet to 7 feet of water.  Hit every flat I could find from Spirit Lake all the way down to the bay. The fishing picked up when the wind picked up. Water temperature were in the low 60s.  Nothing fast and furious just steady

[tacklejunkie]

Well, the river fishing has slowed a bit but still fish to be had. I tried a Lindy rig on the flats and trolled slower than I would with a crawler harness and picked up a few that way.

 

Is it me or have others noticed a huge supply of under 15" walleye this year in the river/bay?

[6arrows]

yes tacklejunkie  lots of under 15 inchers this year but a lot of good eaters also.  well any way on to a report trolled the bong bridge  flats  to high bridge  did good trolling slower then ever before crawlers and green seem to be the ticket... Have not herd much news on the alloweze bay action in a long time....

[Daniel Anderson]

Been getting some smaller eater channel cats between HWY 2 and Brookston. Cut and stepped on pike sucker minnows and crawlers are working. I even caught a walleye and few nice smallies on the cut minnows, which I thought was odd, but it was a neat surprise!

[tacklejunkie]

Picked up some nice crappie and a couple eater walleyes on Allouez Bay the other day before the rains. Trolled crawlers with one light split shot and others with bottom bouncers.

I was surprised at how big the crappie were

[tacklejunkie]

 Anybody been hitting the river lately? After fishing Lake Superior yesterday, I parked my boat at the dock at that landing in Allouez to clean my fish  and saw some walleye carcasses in the garbage there. 

One walleye  was huge and filleted out.  What a waste of a giant fish. You wonder if the person who caught that will actually eat the fillets

[st.louis.eyes]

Can anyone comment on ice out for opener on the river? Looking to head back up to my home water and get at least one good day in on opening morning! As I'm sw of the twin cities I can't see it for myself.

[Jim Almquist]

From what I can see from Thompson Hill the river looks to be ice free.

[st.louis.eyes]

Thanks Jim!

[Jarrid Houston]

It will be a raging zoo this year no doubt.  Come early...

[st.louis.eyes]

Always do, fished the river and pretty much only the river my whole life. Until I moved down to this zoo. At least the inland lakes are opening up...hopefully that'll quell the pending swarms.

 

[st.louis.eyes]

Thinking about picking up some Lindy Lil Guy for opener, anyone have any experience with them? 1/1.5/2"? Color?

[Jarrid Houston]

Lindy little guys can work decent enough. Also try the new Northland Fishing Tackle Butterfly blades, and of course should have the old regular crawler harness.  Happy the inland lakes are going to make it, There will be good fishing on them..

[st.louis.eyes]

Well opener was nice but poor luck. Started on Arrowhead flats and ran up to Spirit, crossed that up to the mouth of mud lake and back down to top of spirit and that's it. Saturday 545am-2pm we only caught 2 snake pike, a 14.5" eye, and a ~36" musky broke off after 1 min of fighting, caught a glimpse.

[tacklejunkie]

My report isn't much different. Two 14 inch walleyes. a rock bass, a nice perch, and crappie. Might hit the local inland lakes for a while

[Rick]

Thanks @Jarrid Houston for the info - VERY NICE!!

 

 @st.louis.eyes and @tacklejunkie the reports are helpful. Thanks 

[tacklejunkie]

Fishing is picking up on the river. Trolled crankbaits from Arrowhead Flats to Barkers. A lot of undersized walleyes but did get my two 15” for dinner. Seen a number of sturgeon leaping  out there. Four to eight feet of water

Edited May 30, 2018 by tacklejunkie

[Jarrid Houston]

Boy, it may muddy up pretty good now.  We will see..

[tacklejunkie]

Not much has changed since my last report but have been using crawler harness more with success. Big, bright blades but zip on the bottom bouncers. Tried Allouez Bay but no luck. More action on the flats between the two bridges. 

Edited June 8, 2018 by tacklejunkie

[Jarrid Houston]

Lower sections have been crazy pressured these past two weekends with the tournaments. Sad to hear about all the walleyes that get killed in them tournies.. SLOT SLOT SLOT....so needed 

[postman]

Couldn't agree more on a needed slot!! See big fished killed on every trip to the river. The tournaments should all be CPR that would be a start,

[tacklejunkie]

The last two times on the river have been slow to say the least. Trolled Shipping channels, river channels, and all the flats. Crawler harnesses and crank baits. Anybody having any luck out there?

Edited July 20, 2018 by tacklejunkie

[riverrat21]

Ive been out a few times as well..have tried from the harbor all the way up to boyscout...have been getting a few everytime out but has been slow for me....been trolling crawlers with big colorado blades..have caught fish on flats by barkers,between the bridges,and out from clyde area....got 6 cats accidentally while trolling boards by the community hole south west side of spirit lake...water clarity still sucks in the harbor..a bit better the farther up river u go...has it been kinda slow for everyone?????ive been doing better on fish lake.lol

[riverrat21]

Cpr'd a nice eye last night..a tad over 27" out past spirit lake last night in about 8ft of water on the ugliestcrawler harness in my box.lol...other than that only 1 dink eye and about 10 cats i couldnt keep off the lines...

[Rick]

Nice walleye and photo.

[DLD24]

Anyone have much luck crappie fishing the river in the summer? I've only fished them through the ice.

[tacklejunkie]

On 8/7/2018 at 8:34 PM, DLD24 said:

Anyone have much luck crappie fishing the river in the summer? I've only fished them through the ice.

 

 I catch very few in the summer but catch more come autumn 

[tacklejunkie]

Went out Sat and drifted crawler harnesses on the flats and it was slow but did take a couple home

 

Sunday got very warm and the bay was calm so dragged some crankbaits in 6-9 feet and got 5 between us

[arctic_scrap1]

I'll be out around Spirit Lake for musky opener this Saturday! Anyone else gonna be there?

[Jarrid Houston]

Musky opener is such a gray area as one would think it opened on the river last weekend with the several musky anglers we watched fishing last weekend?