If there’s one stretch of the Mississippi River that rewards patience, adaptability, and boldness, it’s Pool 9. Sitting between Lynxville, Wisconsin and Harpers Ferry, Iowa, this pool quietly delivers some of the most competitive and rewarding bass fishing in the entire river system.
For serious anglers—and especially tournament competitors—Pool 9 offers that rare mix of challenge, variety, and beauty that keeps you coming back for one more cast.
Every inch of Pool 9 is alive. You’ll find:
Main-channel smallmouths along rocky points and wing dams.
Largemouths buried in the vegetation of hidden backwaters.
Mixed schools around current seams where the two species overlap.
For a tournament angler, this diversity is gold. When the backwaters muddy up, the main river’s bronzebacks step up. When the current slows, the grass flats ignite with explosive frog bites. You’re never locked into one pattern—you’re reading the river itself, and that’s what makes Pool 9 addictive.
Unlike the busier pools upriver, Pool 9 still feels wild.
Thick coontail, milfoil, and wild rice fill the sloughs.
Spring-fed backwaters stay oxygenated and cool, even in July.
Baitfish and crawfish populations thrive, fueling serious growth.
This ecosystem produces heavy, healthy bass that fight like they’ve never seen a hook. Anglers who learn to read subtle transitions—where sand meets grass or current meets slack water—can unlock bite windows others miss.
Pool 9 and Lansing are the destination of a great deal of tournaments. However, this doesn’t stop it from producing time and time again. Nearby La Crosse’s Pool 8 take some of the pressure, but many lock down to fish pool 9 anyway.
There is still plenty of backwater to fish and discover.
Less boat traffic in many areas help anglers focus on fishing and not getting rocked off their boats in endless wake. You’ll be wise to steer clear of sandbars near Lansing once 11:00 AM strikes, the pontoons will be about.
Cleaner water in key backwaters.
For competitive anglers, this translates to more consistent patterns and a better chance at locking in those anchor fish without bumping into half the field.
Spring (Pre-Spawn): Smallmouths stage near rocky drops and wing dams; largemouths slide into warmer backwater pockets.
Summer: It’s frog time! Expect explosive topwater action on the mats and smallmouths hammering cranks along riprap.
Fall: Bass gang up on hard-bottom points. Spinnerbaits and lipless cranks are tournament staples this time of year.
Each shift in season brings fresh strategy—Pool 9 rewards the thinkers.
Even if the weigh-in doesn’t go your way, the scenery alone makes it worthwhile. Bald eagles, misty mornings, and endless island chains remind you what river fishing is supposed to feel like—raw, real, and rhythmic.
This isn’t just a fishery; it’s a reset button for your angler’s soul.
Have you fished Pool 9?
Did you find the smallmouths tougher to pattern than the largemouths—or the other way around?
What’s your go-to bait when the current’s ripping or the bite gets finicky?
Drop your thoughts, stories, or questions below. Your insights might just help another angler crack the code on this incredible stretch of water.
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