Share your catch

Lake Pepin Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Mississippi's natural lake: a river widening between Minnesota and Wisconsin bluffs where walleye, white bass and the river's whole cast stack in moving water.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
91 / 92 F
Wind
ENE 3 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Lake Pepin sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. Today brings clear skies, wind ENE around 3 mph, falling pressure near 1009 hPa and a high of 92. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeExcellent

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pikeExcellent

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perchGood

Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 84 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp91 F
High / Low92 / 72 F
WindENE 3-7 mph
Pressure1009.4 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain4% cloud, 18%
Sunrise / Sunset06:35 / 19:39
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Clear, 92/72 F, wind 11 mph, rain 18%

Fair or better. A 11 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Lake Pepin: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Good most of the year

The great lakes and northern panfish staple. Schools tight to bottom; where you catch one there are fifty. Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

When to come: the Lake Pepin calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
Smallmouth bass
Northern pike
Yellow perch
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Lake Pepin today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 85 F, wind to 19 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 85 F, wind to 14 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 86 F, wind to 7 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Minnesota requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

MN or WI license (border-water reciprocity on the main channel). Walleye/sauger combined limits: check border-water rules.

Access

Lake City marina and ramps, Hok-Si-La, Wabasha; Wisconsin: Stockholm, Pepin village launches.

About this water

21,600 acres of natural Mississippi River lake, Goodhue/Wabasha MN and Pepin WI counties.

Fishing Lake Pepin: the full guide

The river pretending to be a lake

Pepin is the Mississippi paused: 21,000 acres where Lake City's bluffs slow the current into a two-state lake with river rules. Everything the river carries stacks here: walleye and sauger on the flats, white bass herds, sheepshead honesty, and the barge channel's structure holding fish that never read the lake-versus-river distinction.

Walleye on the flow seams

The fishery organizes around current: the head of the lake (Bay City flats) and the tail (toward Wabasha) concentrate walleye where flow re-enters; wing dams above and below extend the game. Trolled cranks on leadcore across the flats, jigs on the seams: May and October-November are the pushes, and the sauger mix deepens with the cold.

White bass and the surface riots

Summer afternoons belong to white bass: schools driving shad against the surface anywhere from Maiden Rock to Stockholm: gulls mark them, anything silver catches them. The lake's pelagic openness makes it the Upper Mississippi's best run-and-gun surface fishery: keep a spoon rod rigged all season.

Two states, one channel

MN-WI reciprocity covers the main channel waters: either license fishes Pepin. Bluff-country logistics are easy: Lake City (the birthplace of waterskiing, less famously a walleye port) and Wabasha anchor services; the Wisconsin side's villages add launches at Stockholm and Pepin town. Wind against current builds real waves: pick protected days for small boats.

Common questions

Is Lake Pepin a lake or the river?

Both: a natural riverine lake formed by the Chippewa's delta damming the Mississippi. It fishes like a hybrid: lake tactics on the flats, river sense on the seams and wing dams.

When do Pepin's white bass school?

June-September, strongest in late summer afternoons: bird-marked surface schools anywhere mid-lake. It is the family action fishery: spoons, spinners, done.

Is fishing good at Lake Pepin right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Whitewater River27 miKinnickinnic River36 miRoot River45 miChippewa River50 miLake Wissota53 miLake Onalaska56 mi
Share your catch