Flathead & Channel Catfish Fishing Reports

[Alagnak]

Sturgie? Sure it was not a gar Gordie? I have heard rumors of some sturgies being caught upwards of Pool 2 but nothing as far as the MN?

Got a laker in the MN last fall. Pics and witness to prove it.

[TruthWalleyes]

Sweet. I've never seen a lake sturgeon in the MNR.

[rbs]

They are still biting good up here. 3 in the boat last night before the storms came rolling in. River went up 6.5' in the last 18-24 hrs. Some big floaters out there! Downstrean around the cities is gonna suck!

[Alagnak]

Downstrean around the cities is gonna suck!

Anything around the cities sucks. Except having a job. ;-) Good to hear you guys are still having a good year up river.

[DTro]

Had a good night on the river last night. Multiple flatheads and channels including a tagged 30lber...

oh wait we weren't on the MN.

[dilleyo]

Had a good night on the river last night. Multiple flatheads and channels including a tagged 30lber...

oh wait we weren't on the MN.

Was that you north of 494 on Saturday night in the bright yellow boat? We were just south of you guys and took off just after you guys left. ETH had a pretty good night and caught 3 or 4 from our spot and I had the same bullie on all night and never got a run. Oh well, there's always next time!

[DTro]

I cannot confirm or deny that.

[Scott M]

Yes it's spawn or shifting to post-spawn but those days in the winter when you long for those nights of wearing t shirts and shorts, tipping drinks and waiting for bites are now. It's hot and muggy and the rivers are coming down, sounds like the ingredients for a good bite. Getting a few fish here and there, it's spotty at times but you'll be missing it in February!

[Shack]

Yeah, I haven't been down fishing lately because the excessively high water.

Just started to get excited that maybe later week some of the prime spots would open up nicely again but the Metro and surrounding areas got a somewhat of dumping of rain yesterday and we still have some in the forecast for the next couple of days.

[Rick G]

I have noticed that it is shifting to post spawn, quite a few of the ones we got this last week were thin, like this one

[fish4cats]

I am doing some scouting in the Le Sueur and Henderson areas today, but the landings do not look real accessible..

Anyone have any suggestions for landing a boat next weekend? New Ulm area?

Any help would be appreciated!

[Lowblazah]

Anyone have any suggestions for landing a boat next weekend?

4 wheel drive truck.

[Gordie]

We got in at Henderson on Friday night it was a bit muddy but do=able with 4wd.

[Selmer]

The Minnesota is fishable near Montevideo, all area accesses are usable. We were out in the middle of the day today, caught two, one female channel at 23.5" and one 24" male. The male was almost pure black, gnarliest looking cat I've ever seen! I'll try to get pics up later.

[Selmer]

The Minnesota is now down so far near Montevideo that boat fishing is a bit dicey. We took the 16' Lund out today, caught some nice cats in the deep holes, but scooting through 1.5' of water didn't do my anxiety any good. The deep hole are still in the 13-15' deep range, with lots of cats of all sizes stacked up. The biggest was 25", caught on cut sheephead. I hope we get some decent rain soon. Crops are good, river is low...

[M1dwestF1sh]

Maybe this will get some guys posting on this thread more but I don't have much of a report. Tried the rum river and shore fished some of the Mississippi by the anoka area and came up empty. Anybody else been out?

[OnAFly]

I'd like to get out some time but with the rivers so high, I'm hesitant to take my canoe out there and shore fishing is nearly impossible when the river is out of it's banks.

[pushbutton]

Fish are in the tribs off the sipp in the St Cloud area. Saw some biggins in a little creek yesterday. Usually don't hit the bigger water for at least a few more weeks.

[OnAFly]

Got out on the croix last night. Unfortunately the SP access closes at 10, so I was off by 940.

Wound up with one small cat, couple bait stealers, a turtle (that was interesting in a canoe!), and ended the night with a good size cat, ~7lbs, that fought like it was twice the size. All fish came out of log jams or downed trees in about 5fow on cut mooneye. Nothing would touch a frog.

[Riverfish94]

Any flats out of pool 2 lately? Really hit or miss in my boat.

[Stick500]

when do channels in the Miss and MN rivers usually turn off around these here parts?

I had some good action a couple of weeks ago, but wondering what Fall will bring

[The Grebe]

How early can a person fish for flatheads and have a reasonable chance of catching a large one? Also, when do they spawn?

[mn86]

water temperature is really what wakes the sleeping bear. i have heard guys say they caught nice ones when the water temp was 52. as for me personally i start fishing them heavy once the water is near 60 or when morel hunting season is coming to a close and i am pretty sure they spawn when the water gets between 75 and 80 degrees on a consistent basis. im no guru but thats my 2 cents.

[DTro]

I think 60 is the magic number for me. Anything earlier is just a bonus. Channels have been hungry every time I've been out so far. Nothing huge but a lot of nice fish. Get out there and fish that's the best way to find out.

[The Grebe]

Thats what I'm thinking about doing? We had a happening last summer that really turned me on to flathead fishing. In 2013 I fished with my friend for the first time and didn't get any, he got a couple in the 20 pound range when we went. Last year I went nuts on the flats, I got like 10 of em and the two biggest that I got were 46 and 48 pounds on the digital scale. What I can remember is 25-18-22-12-42 and some smaller ones.

Got a good story....I caught one of the bigger ones and it had a very distinct scar around the back of it's middle, all the way around, like something had been wrapped around it for a very long time and the fish had kinda grown around it until whatever it was came off? There were still open skin wounds. I caught the flathead, took some pictures and let it go. A month and a half later, my wife decided to come with me fishing flatties and just before dark, the reel starts clicking. I coached her on what to do and told her whatever she did, don't leave go of the rod! If she thought it was to much, holler and I'd take over. Well, once it ran a little bit, I engaged the reel and told her to hit it as hard as she could, she did and the fight was on! Lots of hollering and whooping and struggling and she finally got the fish to where I could grab it. I got the fish into the boat and guess what? It was the same fish with the same marks that I had caught a month and a half earlier! This time it weighed 42 pounds. Neither one of us will forget that fish as long as we live!