Ahead of the Move.  Walleye angling on the Missouri River has been a bit disjointed, as fall conditions have not quite set up, but good fish can still be caught using jigs and minnows. DEO Photo by Mike Peluso. 

By Mike Peluso

With a return to the Missouri River this week for the fall walleye fishing, there is a lot going on. First things first. If you haven’t seen the flow lately, it looks a lot different than it did a week ago. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has dropped it significantly over this past week.

Fishing on the Missouri River prior to the drop wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad either. Normally when they drop the water like this it takes some time for the fish to settle back in. The fish that were already here on the river are in turmoil. The fish that were on the way are in stall mode.

The biggest thing we need right now, and this is for all bodies of water, is a frost. For some reason this usually activates the fall mode so to speak. The falling water temps will trigger fish to begin to bulk up for winter. Let’s hope this happens before it snows.

I will say this. We are seeing lots of bait up and down the river system right now. I’ve personally seen smelt, gizzard shad, shiners, baby white bass, and fathead minnows on the cleaning table. A vast majority of the walleyes I’ve caught the past couple weeks have been healthy as well.

I’m hoping for the bite to get better and better as the fall progresses. My only fear is it will be just like last year. About the time the fish showed up, so did the snow and put a halt on fishing in the boat.

Don’t expect a red hot bite if you head out on the river right now, it’s more of a blue collar grind type of bite. You will also catch a lot of fish other than walleyes. White bass, catfish, gar, and a few skipjacks have made their way into the boat this past week. For me current seams with jigs and minnows have been the ticket to finding walleyes. Both vertical jigging and pitching are working if done in the right areas.

I’m booking a few trips right now for fall fishing here near Bismarck if you are looking to get out. If so get ahold of me!

Mike Peluso is a Dakota Edge Outdoors contributing writer and a licensed ND fishing guide specializing in walleyes on the state’s premier waters.