Fishing

Fishermen of this portion of the Mississippi River regularly experience some noteworthy adventures when pursuing a large variety of game fish.  The most notable species of this waterway include walleye, bluegill, crappie, flathead catfish, channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and northern pike.  The walleye is a species that can be caught throughout most of the Upper Mississippi River.  During the spring, anglers can target weed beds and sandy areas near the shore.  During this time period a high population of medium to small sized walleye spawn in this area.  Anglers can target these populations with crankbaits or live bait. The same tackle is effective in deep waters.  Anglers can target the bluegill of the Upper Mississippi from the various fishing piers or in oxbows by using a boat.  This small species can be targeted using a lightweight rod with light tackle and a line with a test of 5 pounds or less.  Ideal baits include nightcrawlers, crickets, artificial worms. Bluegill and other panfish are excellent for fishermen of all experience levels.  While catfish are plentiful across most of the Upper Mississippi River, fishermen will find that they are most successful if they use boats or piers to reach the deep holes across the river.  In these locations, anglers can use a basic bottom rig setup equipped with a one or two-ounce weight and an appropriate sized hook for the intended catfish.  Effective baits include practically anything that emits a strong odor.  A medium-sized rod with line of 15 pound test or greater is recommended.  The Mississippi smallmouth bass can be caught in the various creeks and pools found along the edges of the river.  Waters near St. Cloud have seen quite a bit of smallmouth bass activity in recent years, so this is a good place to target among other great areas.  The largemouth bass populations can be targeted during feeding times in locations such as oxbows, weed bed edges, and creeks.  Outside of the feeding times, fishermen will need to use a boat in order to reach the open water beyond dropoffs.  Good tackle options for largemouth bass include in soft plastics, crankbaits, artificial worms, and buzzbaits.  One of the most prized trophy species of the Upper Mississippi River is the northern pike.  This species is commonly caught between 27 and 40 inches, so an exciting experience is readily available for anglers who target it.  Offshore flats and swampy inlets to creeks are ideal locations to target the northern pike.  The species can be caught with a variety of methods, but there are some tried and proven methods that work well.  Minnow-imitating plugs, spinnerbaits, a jig and worm, and surface plugs are all great tackle choices.  One of these options should be equipped to a medium to heavy casting rod with 17 to 20 pound test.  A short and heavy leader of at least 15 pounds should be used.  

Facilities

There are numerous facilities across the Upper Mississippi River that will prove useful to visitors.  These include restaurants, lodging, restrooms, fishing piers, marinas, fueling stations, cleaning stations, tackle shops, and boat landings. 

Size and Characteristics

The Upper Mississippi River has a total length of 1,250 miles.  Its average discharge is 204,800 cubic feet per second.

Fishermen in search of an exciting adventure should make every effort to visit the Upper Mississippi River at least once.

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