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Fishing Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing): what the data says
Lock & Dam 3 tailrace through Red Wing to the head of Lake Pepin. the Upper Miss' most famous walleye and sauger water. The river tops out around 30 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.
Walleye fishing at Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing)
Spring walleye on Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing) hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 9 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Cannon River mouth: a inflow / creek mouth around 10 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Sauger fishing at Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing)
In spring, sauger run shallow here, mostly 4 to 18 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. Cannon River mouth is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for spring sauger. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | dusk | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
White Bass fishing at Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing)
Start shallow in spring: white bass sit in 2 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Cannon River mouth: a inflow / creek mouth around 10 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | see map |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing)
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Channel bar / point (mile 7.5): a point around 12 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Northern Pike fishing at Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing)
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Trenton backwaters: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing)
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Cannon River mouth: a inflow / creek mouth around 10 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday |
Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing) also holds flathead catfish (8 to 30 ft in summer), freshwater drum (8 to 30 ft in summer), crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Dam Number Three tailrace: dam tailrace, around 26 ft
- Lock & Dam 3 tailrace: creek channel, around 25 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 4.7): creek channel, around 23 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 9.4): creek channel, around 23 ft
- Tailout eddy (mile 1.9): eddy pocket, around 17 ft
- Channel current seam (mile 11.2): current seam, around 15 ft
- Channel bar / point (mile 7.5): point, around 12 ft
- Cannon River mouth: inflow / creek mouth, around 10 ft
- Trenton backwaters: weed flat, around 4 ft
Common questions
How deep is Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing)?
Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing) is about 30 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 Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing)?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, white bass, sauger, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, common carp on Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing).
Where is the best fishing spot on Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing)?
Cannon River mouth is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing)?
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
U.S. Lock & Dam #3 · Lake Pepin · Rebecca · Zumbro · Unnamed · Cannon River
See how Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing) stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Minnesota · best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best white bass lakes in Minnesota · best sauger lakes in Minnesota
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