River dynamics will change a great deal between now and the start of my guide season March 15. Forecasts call for rain, warming temperatures and wind over the next 72 hours.

This should change the River access picture a great deal on the west side of pool 9. As of this morning there are no open boat ramps on the west side of the River from Marquette Ia. to Brownsville, Mn. There are several access points on the Wisconsin side.

Demolition of the Lansing bridge last fall will make access from the West side challenging between now and sometime 2027. The Harper’s Ferry launch is open. But getting to the Lynxville dam requires navigating through an oxbow to get the River mainstem. Launch is possible, However sometime half of Antarctica is waiting to break loose upstream with a good chance of blocking you’re egress route back to the launch.

I’ve been on the River five days this month, launching below the Dresbach dam at the I90 ramp on pool 8 and Guttenberg city ramp on Pool 11.

The walleye bite has been predictable. Water temp 32-34 degrees. Water clarity decent. Walleyes holding in 19-27 fow, saugers in 27-40+. I won’t fish deeper than 30 feet to avoid barotrauma to fish coming out of cold water.

Productive techniques have been Snap-jigging B-Fsih-N tackle B3 blades in gold and orange glow, pitching/dragging 1/2-ounce orange pyrokeet Precision jigs with Purple firecracker Ribb Finn plastic and purple