Elk River, Minnesota
Guided Mississippi River Trips
Smallmouth, walleye and muskie, thirty-five miles above Minneapolis.
Guided Mississippi River Trips. Runs river mile 875 to river mile 866. MISSISSIPPI. ELK RIVER, MN.
About this trip
The Mississippi above the Twin Cities does not look like the river most people picture. It is narrow, it runs over rock and gravel, and it holds a genuinely good smallmouth population within a forty-minute drive of downtown Minneapolis.
We fish it out of a small boat with two or three anglers, which is the right number for a river this size. Everybody gets the front of the boat. Everybody gets the good water.
What we target
Smallmouth bass are the headline and the reason most people book. They are aggressive, they use the current, and in a river this size a good one feels considerably larger than it is. Walleye come off the same rock in low light. Channel catfish are underrated and available all summer. Northern pike show up wherever there is slack water and something to eat, and muskie are here in real numbers for anglers who want to spend a day chasing them specifically.
The trip
Half days are the common booking — a morning or an evening, depending on the month and what the water is doing. This is close-to-home fishing, so most of our customers drive up from the metro, fish, and are home for dinner.
River level and clarity drive everything. If a system moves through and blows the river out, we will call you and move the date rather than take your money for a day that is not worth fishing.
What’s included
- Rods, reels and all terminal tackle
- Boat, fuel and electronics
- Licensed guide
- Life jackets and required safety gear
- Cold water and a place to keep your lunch
What to bring
- Minnesota fishing license. Not included. Buy it online from the Minnesota DNR.
- Polarized sunglasses — genuinely useful on a river this shallow
- Sun protection, hat, and a layer for the morning
- Rain shell
- Food and drinks
Rates
What a trip costs
Half day
4 hours
$400
Morning or evening. The most common booking.
Extended
6 hours
$525
Enough water to run further and fish a second stretch.
Per boat, up to 3 anglers. Minnesota fishing license not included.
$100 deposit confirms your date.
Nothing is paid online. Send an inquiry and we will confirm your date by phone or email, usually the same day.
From the water
Photos
No photos yet
Photos from Elk River, Minnesota are on the way.
Season
MAY 1 — OCT 31
Smallmouth peak: June and September
Next step
Tell us when you want to go.
Send an inquiry with your dates and party size. A person reads it and replies within 24 hours — no date is held until we confirm it with you.