For 27 years, I've guided customers of all ages, weekday or weekend- hooking walleye, smallmouth, sauger, crappie, sturgeon, and catfish on the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers.
"I know the waters; you enjoy the rewards!"
Charlie "Turk" Gierke
Spring Fishing Season - May 5
The weather has warmed, and the water is warming fast. This Spring Bite is always a fun time to be on the water, because as the water warms the fish's metabolism jumps and their activity levels and willingness to bite goes up.
The St. Croix River's water level is a little over two feet higher than the normal pool level. The water is super clean with that trademark root beer colored stain and very debris free.
I am asked a lot is the river high? That question can be answered two ways because it's both higher than normal pool level -yes. It is also lower than what is normal for this time of year -no.
This might seem trivial, but any condition of the water matters to the fish - in an instinctive way, so it's very important for me to know the water conditions that exist when I am on the water in real-time.
It's hard to separate above ground and below the water because though they aren't directly tied together in a relationship, what happens on the earth, the soil, meaning grow rates of plants and animal growth and breeding happens below the water.
What I am getting at is, above ground everything is coming to life at once, the daffodils who are normally weeks earlier have just started to flower but the trees are on their normal growth cycle, and it's all happening at once above ground.
Underwater I suspect the vegetation is doing the same thing and the watery food web pops all at once too. My boats is seeing pike, bass, and walleye all being very active at once kind of like the trees and the flowers.
Spawn Season Red Wing area - April 14
Some facts about this spring. Very low water based on no snow this winter, and no rains. The water level of the river has dropped nearly every day for the last ten days.
This spring has been unusual because it's been dominated by - small walleye and saugers. Then there are some big ones mixed in.
The big ones are biting at the same rates as years past, because they're hard to come by, so you never really get a lot of big fish so that is the same, but the very common 16-18" walleyes and saugers are not being caught regularly.
Last Tuesday my customers went through 4 scoops of minnows. Thats a lot.
So, we are getting bites, and fish. The eaters have been mostly 14" saugers, lots of the walleye are 14" and they must go back, because they need to be 15" to keep.
Upon cleaning fish for one customer group, a walleye, turns out to be a female, with not much belly had small eggs.
I've got a suspicion since the water is dropping in the river and as well in the creeks and small rivers where the eyes want to spawn, maybe the spawn at large wont' happen? The female eater saugers have had eggs and they're small eggs too.
More about the conditions - the water is dark -carrying a lot of sediment, you can see it, and when I drain my live well - once drained has silt in the bottom of it. But the flow is low (for where it normally is during this season) and water just 2' higher than winter levels. Nearly zero floating debris.
Lots of boats coming out to fish.
Prespawn Walleye - April 6
Just got back from sunny Florida on a big family fishing trip. Caught fish in 2' in Sarasota Bay-Spotted Sea Trout and Pompano - to 62' in the gulf-Red Grouper and Lane Snappers - I caught my PB Red Grouper 27", and it didn't get sharked!!! Lots of great family memories.
Now I have trips coming up, and excited for the fish season that is at hand! PreSpawn to Spawn very soon for walleye!
Regarding Fish Seasons (FS), they are the first conditional piece to the puzzle to find fish. If you know the fish season you are in- that is the season the fish are in - you can have a good idea the depths the fish are in. Not only the depths but the areas they are using, and clearly the areas the fish are using are the areas you want to target the fish.
Here is a practical FS example for choosing spots to target-take ice fishing,
late ice season mid-winter the crappies locate over the deep basin of lake (the deepest water) spot B.
However, for early ice they don't do that, more often than not, they are still relating to the weed lines, spot A. So, if you know the FS you can know where to fish.
If:
Early ice is spot A
Late ice is spot B
Then you match up your season and target the areas seasonally. So if its early ice why fish spot B? Could they be in spot B? Yes, this concept of spot targeting isn't 100% to 0%. Meaning never try other areas, but it's about where to look first, where to invest more of your time first. It's a way to reign in your thoughts and where to target with FOCUS, so you don't end up fishing willy nilly scatter brained with no plan or system that all.
Walleye fishing on the Mississippi has shown me and other anglers, that walleyes and sauger relate to areas specifically during
Prespawn
Spawn
and Post Spawn
To shed some light, it's a lot about staging areas right now. Prespawn eyes don't necessarily bite better, but they are often grouped up in number tightly that makes the bite strong, you can hopefully find fish concentrated.
I will be focusing on the staging areas fish use, prior to the spawn. All fish do not spawn at the same time! You can get pre and post spawn eyes during the same day.
Jigs with plastics or minnows will be the main baits of choice. Also, very low flow right now and low water levels. Very little debris in the water.
Winter Fishing Season- February 8
Ice fishing has been in full swing for two months. The St. Croix has two major areas that see ice angling. One is the Bayport area and the other Prescott.
Both have safe ice and areas that you can easily drive your vehicle down to the river bottom. For as long as I can remember anglers have driven their trucks on the ice -"when safe." Safe is a relative term as ice is never safe, but dozens of anglers drive safely even on the river. The point is you need to know where to go safely. I'm not going to spell it out where is safe, but I can tell you where to not go!
Here are known unsafe areas:
The Prescott area has unsafe ice that runs north to south as the river flows under the bridges to the Mississippi. The unsafe ice is likely 1/2-mile-long stretch running N from the bridge. It moves and is dangerous.
The Bayport area has unsafe ice north of the swing bridge likely a 1/2 mile north of the bridge to the bridge. Mallalieu flowage into the Croix is unsafe, vehicles go through the ice here a lot. The power plant discharge is unsafe. I never have driven north of Hi-Line Point, but its popular now.
Sturgeon is now super popular to target while ice fishing. Crappies are the main stay especially in the Bayport area, plus white bass. Walleye and sauger are also targeted. I personally enjoy walleye fishing best for ice fishing because they are aggressive when they are biting and fun to jig up actively while watching the Vexilar. Also, I like to eat fish :) !
Fall Fishing Season
October 24, 2024
Water temperatures are running from 54-57 degrees, and have cooled 15 degrees since the beginning of October.
The St. Croix River has been at or a few inches below the normal pool level of 675.5' above sea level for two months. The Fall Fishing Season is here, one hallmark of this season is a good bite, and that daytime fish will relate to deeper depths and do so as the water continuously cools from here on.
Shad schools are reverting to a more normal year in regard to seeing the population levels high again, as I now see the vast schools of bait form. This is still an unusual year because the shad are sized about where they would be in August. I know this because of what size the shad are by seeing what's in their stomachs.
I've done a tad bit of reading about shad over the years and shad will or can spawn multiple times a year.
I think the very large shad that existed in July spawned and the big schools are a result of that.
The river water has a trace of the root beer bronze stain and now more of a green tint from algae blooms. Floating grass is not common. White bass activity on the surface has slowed in the morning but can sometimes be found in the late afternoon.
I haven't seen a smallmouth for weeks. We had a brief moment the flathead catfish were hitting the walleye rigs, but that ended. Sauger levels are average and running a lot of 14-15", with some bigger. Walleye size for eaters is outstanding with 18.5" common for us, plus a few big ones too. Sub surface white bass size is good and action for them has improved.
Fall Transition Fishing Season
October 1, 2024
Water temperatures are running from 68-71 degrees still! The St. Croix River has been at or a few inches below the normal pool level of 675.5' above sea level for a month. There has been no rain, large algae blooms are starting to go away, we have been in this Fall Transition period for weeks.
This has been the most unusual shad year however they are looking more normal size for this season, and they are forming up in large schools, but it is by what I can see a low shad population in n terms of the amounts of large schools as compared to any year prior.
Often, we have so many shad that there is too much, and bait is everywhere.
The river water has a trace of the root beer bronze stain and now more of a green tint from algae blooms. Floating grass is common, but there is virtually no floating debris such as wood. White bass activity on the surface has slowed in regard to them eating on the surface and busting minnows.
Fall Transition Fishing Season
August 30, 2024
Water temperatures are running from 73-75 degrees. The St. Croix River has been staying about 1 foot above the normal pool level of 675.5 for a month. Recent rains from storms will bring the water up a foot again by Labor Day.
This has been the most unusual shad year I have witnessed. I am seeing shad 10-12" large in schools and shad that are 1-2" in length!? Most years those large shad aren't around, and the little ones are twice as big. What's going on you may wonder?
I estimate that the lack of winter last year did not create the "shad die off." Shad as a species will die in the winter in huge numbers. Shad also can spawn (according to what I have read) 2-3 times a year. So, pair up the lack of winterkill and multiple spawns and that's why I think the current sizing of theses ever-important bait fish is such a rarity.
The river water still has a root beer bronze stain but has a green tint from algae blooms as well. Floating grass is still nearly absent, and there is virtually no floating debris either. White bass still eating on the surface and busting minnows.
Hot Summer Fishing Season
July 28, 2024
Water temperatures are running from 77-80 degrees. The St. Croix River is on a slow level drop and now just 3 feet high from a 12-foot peak of water above normal pool levels.
Shad are now formed up in bait balls and fish like walleye will roam and chase them and where the bait go, they go, just like a pack of wolves following a herd of caribou. Of course, the entire population of walleye do not move in one massive school, they have their own packs and follow baitfish in the area they range. Also, oddly the harder the gamefish get to catch is when they are feeding the most - on their natural prey that are abundant.
The river water is starting to clear, and the root beer bronze colored water is becoming more transparent. Floating grass is still on the low side and there is virtually no floating debris either. One neat event was the white bass eating on the surface and busting minnows, I fear that will end with the water clearing now, they will still feed but deeper.
Hot Summer Fishing Season
July 12, 2024
Water temperatures are running from 75-77 degrees and in the late afternoon even warmer. The St. Croix River has been from 12 to 10 feet high for several weeks. Life is evident everywhere on the river there are schools of shad forming, small minnow pods that look like perch are in the shallows, and even a few mayflies on the surface can be seen. One fact about the Hot Summer season is that fish - all game fish will focus more and more of the baitfish- making fishing harder... Above ground critters that signal this fish season are toads and grasshoppers, plants like tiger lilies have been flowers now for two weeks, but plants like wild bee balm are just now showing their pink flowers, wild daisies are also blooming.
The weather has warmed, and the water is warming fast. This Spring Bite is always a fun time to be on the water, because as the water warms the fish's metabolism jumps and their activity levels and willingness to bite goes up.
The St. Croix River's water level is a little over two feet higher than the normal pool level. The water is super clean with that trademark root beer colored stain and very debris free.
I am asked a lot is the river high? That question can be answered two ways because it's both higher than normal pool level -yes. It is also lower than what is normal for this time of year -no.
This might seem trivial, but any condition of the water matters to the fish - in an instinctive way, so it's very important for me to know the water conditions that exist when I am on the water in real-time.
It's hard to separate above ground and below the water because though they aren't directly tied together in a relationship, what happens on the earth, the soil, meaning grow rates of plants and animal growth and breeding happens below the water.
What I am getting at is, above ground everything is coming to life at once, the daffodils who are normally weeks earlier have just started to flower but the trees are on their normal growth cycle, and it's all happening at once above ground.
Underwater I suspect the vegetation is doing the same thing and the watery food web pops all at once too. My boats is seeing pike, bass, and walleye all being very active at once kind of like the trees and the flowers.
Spawn Season Red Wing area - April 14
Some facts about this spring. Very low water based on no snow this winter, and no rains. The water level of the river has dropped nearly every day for the last ten days.
This spring has been unusual because it's been dominated by - small walleye and saugers. Then there are some big ones mixed in.
The big ones are biting at the same rates as years past, because they're hard to come by, so you never really get a lot of big fish so that is the same, but the very common 16-18" walleyes and saugers are not being caught regularly.
Last Tuesday my customers went through 4 scoops of minnows. Thats a lot.
So, we are getting bites, and fish. The eaters have been mostly 14" saugers, lots of the walleye are 14" and they must go back, because they need to be 15" to keep.
Upon cleaning fish for one customer group, a walleye, turns out to be a female, with not much belly had small eggs.
I've got a suspicion since the water is dropping in the river and as well in the creeks and small rivers where the eyes want to spawn, maybe the spawn at large wont' happen? The female eater saugers have had eggs and they're small eggs too.
More about the conditions - the water is dark -carrying a lot of sediment, you can see it, and when I drain my live well - once drained has silt in the bottom of it. But the flow is low (for where it normally is during this season) and water just 2' higher than winter levels. Nearly zero floating debris.
Lots of boats coming out to fish.
Prespawn Walleye - April 6
Just got back from sunny Florida on a big family fishing trip. Caught fish in 2' in Sarasota Bay-Spotted Sea Trout and Pompano - to 62' in the gulf-Red Grouper and Lane Snappers - I caught my PB Red Grouper 27", and it didn't get sharked!!! Lots of great family memories.
Now I have trips coming up, and excited for the fish season that is at hand! PreSpawn to Spawn very soon for walleye!
Regarding Fish Seasons (FS), they are the first conditional piece to the puzzle to find fish. If you know the fish season you are in- that is the season the fish are in - you can have a good idea the depths the fish are in. Not only the depths but the areas they are using, and clearly the areas the fish are using are the areas you want to target the fish.
Here is a practical FS example for choosing spots to target-take ice fishing,
late ice season mid-winter the crappies locate over the deep basin of lake (the deepest water) spot B.
However, for early ice they don't do that, more often than not, they are still relating to the weed lines, spot A. So, if you know the FS you can know where to fish.
If:
Early ice is spot A
Late ice is spot B
Then you match up your season and target the areas seasonally. So if its early ice why fish spot B? Could they be in spot B? Yes, this concept of spot targeting isn't 100% to 0%. Meaning never try other areas, but it's about where to look first, where to invest more of your time first. It's a way to reign in your thoughts and where to target with FOCUS, so you don't end up fishing willy nilly scatter brained with no plan or system that all.
Walleye fishing on the Mississippi has shown me and other anglers, that walleyes and sauger relate to areas specifically during
Prespawn
Spawn
and Post Spawn
To shed some light, it's a lot about staging areas right now. Prespawn eyes don't necessarily bite better, but they are often grouped up in number tightly that makes the bite strong, you can hopefully find fish concentrated.
I will be focusing on the staging areas fish use, prior to the spawn. All fish do not spawn at the same time! You can get pre and post spawn eyes during the same day.
Jigs with plastics or minnows will be the main baits of choice. Also, very low flow right now and low water levels. Very little debris in the water.
Winter Fishing Season- February 8
Ice fishing has been in full swing for two months. The St. Croix has two major areas that see ice angling. One is the Bayport area and the other Prescott.
Both have safe ice and areas that you can easily drive your vehicle down to the river bottom. For as long as I can remember anglers have driven their trucks on the ice -"when safe." Safe is a relative term as ice is never safe, but dozens of anglers drive safely even on the river. The point is you need to know where to go safely. I'm not going to spell it out where is safe, but I can tell you where to not go!
Here are known unsafe areas:
The Prescott area has unsafe ice that runs north to south as the river flows under the bridges to the Mississippi. The unsafe ice is likely 1/2-mile-long stretch running N from the bridge. It moves and is dangerous.
The Bayport area has unsafe ice north of the swing bridge likely a 1/2 mile north of the bridge to the bridge. Mallalieu flowage into the Croix is unsafe, vehicles go through the ice here a lot. The power plant discharge is unsafe. I never have driven north of Hi-Line Point, but its popular now.
Sturgeon is now super popular to target while ice fishing. Crappies are the main stay especially in the Bayport area, plus white bass. Walleye and sauger are also targeted. I personally enjoy walleye fishing best for ice fishing because they are aggressive when they are biting and fun to jig up actively while watching the Vexilar. Also, I like to eat fish :) !
Fall Fishing Season
October 24, 2024
Water temperatures are running from 54-57 degrees, and have cooled 15 degrees since the beginning of October.
The St. Croix River has been at or a few inches below the normal pool level of 675.5' above sea level for two months. The Fall Fishing Season is here, one hallmark of this season is a good bite, and that daytime fish will relate to deeper depths and do so as the water continuously cools from here on.
Shad schools are reverting to a more normal year in regard to seeing the population levels high again, as I now see the vast schools of bait form. This is still an unusual year because the shad are sized about where they would be in August. I know this because of what size the shad are by seeing what's in their stomachs.
I've done a tad bit of reading about shad over the years and shad will or can spawn multiple times a year.
I think the very large shad that existed in July spawned and the big schools are a result of that.
The river water has a trace of the root beer bronze stain and now more of a green tint from algae blooms. Floating grass is not common. White bass activity on the surface has slowed in the morning but can sometimes be found in the late afternoon.
I haven't seen a smallmouth for weeks. We had a brief moment the flathead catfish were hitting the walleye rigs, but that ended. Sauger levels are average and running a lot of 14-15", with some bigger. Walleye size for eaters is outstanding with 18.5" common for us, plus a few big ones too. Sub surface white bass size is good and action for them has improved.
Fall Transition Fishing Season
October 1, 2024
Water temperatures are running from 68-71 degrees still! The St. Croix River has been at or a few inches below the normal pool level of 675.5' above sea level for a month. There has been no rain, large algae blooms are starting to go away, we have been in this Fall Transition period for weeks.
This has been the most unusual shad year however they are looking more normal size for this season, and they are forming up in large schools, but it is by what I can see a low shad population in n terms of the amounts of large schools as compared to any year prior.
Often, we have so many shad that there is too much, and bait is everywhere.
The river water has a trace of the root beer bronze stain and now more of a green tint from algae blooms. Floating grass is common, but there is virtually no floating debris such as wood. White bass activity on the surface has slowed in regard to them eating on the surface and busting minnows.
Fall Transition Fishing Season
August 30, 2024
Water temperatures are running from 73-75 degrees. The St. Croix River has been staying about 1 foot above the normal pool level of 675.5 for a month. Recent rains from storms will bring the water up a foot again by Labor Day.
This has been the most unusual shad year I have witnessed. I am seeing shad 10-12" large in schools and shad that are 1-2" in length!? Most years those large shad aren't around, and the little ones are twice as big. What's going on you may wonder?
I estimate that the lack of winter last year did not create the "shad die off." Shad as a species will die in the winter in huge numbers. Shad also can spawn (according to what I have read) 2-3 times a year. So, pair up the lack of winterkill and multiple spawns and that's why I think the current sizing of theses ever-important bait fish is such a rarity.
The river water still has a root beer bronze stain but has a green tint from algae blooms as well. Floating grass is still nearly absent, and there is virtually no floating debris either. White bass still eating on the surface and busting minnows.
Hot Summer Fishing Season
July 28, 2024
Water temperatures are running from 77-80 degrees. The St. Croix River is on a slow level drop and now just 3 feet high from a 12-foot peak of water above normal pool levels.
Shad are now formed up in bait balls and fish like walleye will roam and chase them and where the bait go, they go, just like a pack of wolves following a herd of caribou. Of course, the entire population of walleye do not move in one massive school, they have their own packs and follow baitfish in the area they range. Also, oddly the harder the gamefish get to catch is when they are feeding the most - on their natural prey that are abundant.
The river water is starting to clear, and the root beer bronze colored water is becoming more transparent. Floating grass is still on the low side and there is virtually no floating debris either. One neat event was the white bass eating on the surface and busting minnows, I fear that will end with the water clearing now, they will still feed but deeper.
Hot Summer Fishing Season
July 12, 2024
Water temperatures are running from 75-77 degrees and in the late afternoon even warmer. The St. Croix River has been from 12 to 10 feet high for several weeks. Life is evident everywhere on the river there are schools of shad forming, small minnow pods that look like perch are in the shallows, and even a few mayflies on the surface can be seen. One fact about the Hot Summer season is that fish - all game fish will focus more and more of the baitfish- making fishing harder... Above ground critters that signal this fish season are toads and grasshoppers, plants like tiger lilies have been flowers now for two weeks, but plants like wild bee balm are just now showing their pink flowers, wild daisies are also blooming.
