Anglers should see the channel cat bite ramp up as water levels continue to drop and water temperatures rise on the Red River.  DEO Photo by Brad Durick.

By Brad Durick

We are in the river! Grand Forks north landing on the Red River is open and clean for those catfishermen looking to get out and scratch the itch. The river level is sitting at 25 feet and some change which is still fairly high for many anglers. If you are not comfortable, wait a little longer. The water temperature is already at 64 degrees. Mud is an issue on the banks but drying more with each passing day.  

Angling for those channel cats is heating up from Wahpeton to Grand Forks. There are nice catfish to be caught but they are still sluggish from the fast-dropping water levels and fast rising water temperatures. Everything is showing signs of a good bite to start any day based on the picking and pecking of the baits.

The best places to look are just out of the main current from the first drop off to the cutbank. It is taking all of five ounces of sinker to get offerings to stick.  There is still very little bait around so you need to secure some or start catching goldeyes. Don’t forget that shrimp is always a bait option for catfish when nothing else is available.

Brad Durick is a Dakota Edge Outdoors contributing writer and a licensed ND fishing guide specializing in trophy catfish on the Red River in and around Grand Forks, N.D.