By Mike Peluso

It has been another up and down week of walleye fishing on the Missouri River near Bismarck, and a lot of the ups and downs were due to the weather.  With this week’s forecast ahead, I think things will continue to improve as they seemed to do over the past few days.

There are definitely fish up in the river and the walleyes keep inching closer to the city limits of Bismarck.  Another interesting fact is that there is a ton of baitfish in the river as well making these fish feed in spurts.  You can fish a spot one day, see a ton of fish in it and can’t get them to bite.  The next day, hour, or even minute – for whatever reason – they decide to feed!

Patience is a virtue right now while fishing the river. It does seem to be a little more consistent if you travel further south.  The further downstream you go, the better it seems to be.  Our only issue is a lack of access as far as ramps in order to get to the bulk of these walleyes.  Again, with each passing day the fish are moving closer.

Jigs and minnows and crankbaits pulled near the main river channel have been the best presentations.  The jig bite should continue to get better and eventually it will be the ticket.

Lake Sakakawea is also on fire right now.  If you have the time to get up there it’s worth the trip and kind of the same story.   Fish are being caught on the east end, but the further west you go on Sakakawea the better it is!

I have some open dates now until the river freezes up, which hopefully is not until December sometime.  If you want to get out and enjoy some fall fishing, 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.

Featured Photo: Going Up?  After a series of ups and downs, fishing has stabilized for walleyes on the Missouri River, as fall weather has steadied some in recent days and looks to hold for a bit. DEO Photo by Mike Peluso.