I’m just starting to recon the area above the Coon Rapids dam for walleyes, as it is conveniently close to my house.
Does anyone know much about the area as far as ‘Eyes go? Any recommendations. I’m concentrating from the dam to the Rum River in Anoka and would like to hear back from anyone with some experience seeking ‘Eyes. This is my first attempt to connect with other “River People”.
Cant say I have ever fished up that way. Just wanted to say welcome to the site. What are the water conditions like up that way. What I look for in other areas are current breaks. Rocks with current. Deep holes and cuts with current and rocks. Wood and current can be good also. If there is any rip rap in that section with current on it pitching or trolling cranks may be good there.
Good luck and report back on what you find.
A good spot to fish is where the storm drains come into the river. You will see the pipes on the shore above the water. Most of the time there will be a hole where the storm drain pours into the river. Set up just about that and use a slip sinker system and a leach or crawler and that will put some nice eyes and smallies in the boat. Also where the Rum comes in can be a very productive area and even up the rum to the dam. WATCH out for the rocks. Good luck and let us know how you do. Oh ya like Mike said When you find an area where someone put rocks along the shore pitching cranks and spinner baits can be a blast.
I have never put together a consistant walleye bite on that stretch but I can tell you that the Smallmouth are on a tear right now. Typically I longline cranks, silver and white are the best producers. My best luck is probably the bottom 1/3 of the river closest to the CR Dam. There are some things you really need to key on, first find natural rock structure, not the rip rap the homeowners put in. Typically the decorative rock only goes out a foot or two from shore. Second, submerged trees, every year all kinds of lumber comes down, some of it makes it to the dam, the rest finds it home somewhere on the bottom. I spent yesterday on the dock with my gal and her son, we wanted to just catch fish so set up a regular bottom rig with 2 or 3 nightcrawlers on it. We caught lots of carp, which was to be expected, but we also got 3 Smallies and 3 cats as a bonus. Don’t get glued to the shorelines, there is a lot of structure out from the bank, it is in very specific areas so pay close attention to your electronics. There are a lot of areas that most people just blast right by, I see the bass fisherman do it all the time, they pretty much ignore me because I am trolling… More fish for me I guess. PM me if you want, I can throw you a bone or two.
I have fished that stretch alot in the past, it is a great smallie and channel cat fishery, I have had some luck on walleyes in very high water, its just such a straight dishbowl that when the water comes way up it pushes fish in any slack water they can find, I have tried trolling cranks but just never really put anything consistent together for walleyes, I did hear of a guy getting a 12lb walleye at night fishing for cat.
Dan
Thanks for just shooting what works for me out of the water. The guy asked for what works for some of us and I told him how I have had success. North of the 169 bridge I have found that rip rap work well.
But you are the man and maybe you should have posted before anyone else had a chance to say what has worked for them.
I would go with only what Dan said then you have nobody to blame but Dan if you do not boat fish all day long.
Whoa buddy,
Not shooting what you found that works out of the water, but I can say when I was living in Coon Rapids I used to fish the river at least 4 nights a week. Although I can’t deny my “The Man” status, I can tell you that I have caught over 100 smallies in a day on several occasions doing exactly what I explained above. I certainly am not saying that the confluence doesn’t hold fish, the whole river is chock full from bank to bank. What I can tell you is all the times I have fished up by 169, whether on the rock pile on the east side just up from the confluence, the point out in front of the park, or anywhere else down to the technical college, results have been far less spectacular. The stretch up there is almost barren averaging little more than 6 feet, and almost devoid of any substantial structure other than endless sand flats with a couple of boulders scattered here or there. One thing I don’t do, and freely admit both now and in the past, is bother to go north of 169. I value my prop and skeg too much to bother, besides there really isn’t a need to. There are great populations of fish, in areas that are in essence neglected by most anglers. I would suggest that whomever started this post (handle escapes me as I type), to use all the information and feedback that you have recieved on this thread, hopefully it makes for a great day on the water.
Whoops, almost forgot, about the riprap, which I believe was your main contention in regards to my shooting you down. Take a trip early in the spring before they bring it up to full pool up there, look at the water line on the stones. Rock is expensive, not that those who enjoy their river residence can’t afford it, but they don’t bother to pour the stuff way into the channel. Do the smallies relate to it? Yes. Is it the most productive structure as both banks have almost 18 miles total of it? No. I fish for consistancy, not for chance. Just as all docks are not worthy of skipping a senko under, not all stone is worth the time it takes to fish it. And drains, well I know of one that consistantly has fish around it, on the east side, just up from the guy who has the meanest speed boat on the river (Twin 250’s I believe). But if you look closer at what is really around that area, it is the huge boulder point that stretches straight out into the main channel, 10′ on top, 17′ off the edges. Considering the drain never has more than a trickle coming out of it, I would say it is more than a coincidence that those fish are there.
HOLY SCHNIKES 
Thanks for the welcome. Alot of people have respond very positively. I like the site. I’ll be able to give you an update on the water conditions no later than Monday. I know they raised the pool above the dam on May 18th, and when I was there last week (tuesday&friday) water was fairly clear, by Mississippi standards.
Just curious about the water depth below 169. I have always been afraid of venturing up beyond St. Anthony and the maintained channel.
Smooth sailing from 169 to the Coon Rapids dam.
I was out chasing smallies and channels yesterday with the boy.
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