"For 25 years, I've guided customers of all ages, working with schedules, weekday or weekend...to hook walleye, smallmouth, sauger, crappie, sturgeon, and catfish on the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers.
I will do my best on every trip to put you on fish too!"
Charlie "Turk" Gierke
I will do my best on every trip to put you on fish too!"
Charlie "Turk" Gierke
The St Croix River morning fog.
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.
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.
