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Fishing Minnesota River: what the data says
Granite Falls to Fort Snelling confluence The river tops out around 11 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Flathead Catfish fishing at Minnesota River
Spring flathead catfish on Minnesota River hold shallow, usually 3 to 11 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 11 ft. The spot to know is Tailout eddy (mile 0.3), a eddy pocket in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for flathead catfish in spring. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | night & dusk | |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | night & dusk | |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday |
Channel Catfish fishing at Minnesota River
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 11 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 11 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2): a creek channel around 8 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday |
Walleye fishing at Minnesota River
Spring walleye on Minnesota River hold shallow, usually 3 to 11 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 11 ft. Dam tailrace is the standout, a dam tailrace at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for spring walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Freshwater Drum fishing at Minnesota River
Start shallow in spring: freshwater drum sit in 3 to 11 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 11 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2): a creek channel around 8 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. Summer baits: a jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (slow) |
White Bass fishing at Minnesota River
Spring white bass on Minnesota River hold shallow, usually 2 to 11 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 11 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Dam tailrace: a dam tailrace around 9 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | see map |
Common Carp fishing at Minnesota River
Spring common carp on Minnesota River hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 2 to 11 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 11 ft. The spot to know is Tailout eddy (mile 0.3), a eddy pocket in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | |
| Summer | 2 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 7.4): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 9.9): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 14.3): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 16.4): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 21.1): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 23.6): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 26.0): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 27.9): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 29.8): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 32.2): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 36.6): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 39.1): creek channel, around 8 ft
Common questions
How deep is Minnesota River?
Minnesota River is about 11 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Minnesota River?
Anglers target walleye, white bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, common carp on Minnesota River.
Where is the best fishing spot on Minnesota River?
Outside-bend hole (mile 2.2) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Minnesota River?
For flathead catfish, the summer bite is best in after dark and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
O'Dowd · Thole · Schneider · Unnamed · Spring · Upper Prior
See how Minnesota River stacks up: best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best white bass lakes in Minnesota · best channel catfish lakes in Minnesota · best flathead catfish lakes in Minnesota
Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.