Elite

Mississippi River backwaters flyover

Take an aerial tour of backwater areas in play at the St. Croix Bassmaster Open presented by SEVIIN at Mississippi River.

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Photography by
Craig Lamb
Take a look back at similar conditions in play for the 2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Open presented by SEVIIN at Mississippi River in this gallery shot at the 2022 Bassmaster Elite.
This is not the river that is most easily recognized for its wide, open channel. What you will see in this gallery are the side channels and backwaters that define the upper river on the borders of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The backwater areas are filled with undercut banks, numerous sloughs and various varieties of vegetation.
The previous and next few photos are from Target Lake, a major backwater area in Pool 8. This area holds a resident population of bass that live here year round.
My driver and guide was Cade Laufenberg, a former member of the Winona State University bass fishing team. Laufenberg now competes in tournaments here and elsewhere in the region.
This is the north end of Goose Island, known for its numerous sloughs.
This is a view back toward the main river channel, with the Minnesota Bluffs in the fog-covered background.
The south side of Goose Island, with its network of sloughs that are ideal for pitching, flipping and frogging.
This is a low altitude photo of the beds of wild rice that define the area.
What’s known as the “Raft Channel” running along the Minnesota Bluffs.
That’s our boat in the middle of the photo. We entered this lake through the narrow cut in the foreground.
Back out on the main river channel, where this barge is upbound toward Pool 7.
What the shallow bars and islands look like after a barge pasases through.
The view south of the river behind the barge.
In the far background is the Pool 7 lock and dam.
This is the entrance to the West Channel. It’s a tricky and sometimes dangerous path used by tournament anglers to bypass the no-wake zone through downtown La Crosse.
The trick is maneuvering through the narrow cut, at far right, where there is a red and green buoy. Stray outside of that cut and you can see trouble on either side. Those are three wing dams.
View up into the Black River.

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