That meandering piece of water you drive across nearly everyday is prime for the plucking. Rivers in general are far less susceptible to daily and seasonal fluctuations in fish activity than their current-less relatives, the lakes. Rivers tend churn out a variety of species whether air temps are cold or hot, regardless of what direction the barometer is moving, and despite wind velocities or lack there of. For this discussion, the rivers we're interested in are not mammoth flowages such as the Mississippi, Minnesota, or St. Croix, but instead those rock and sand bottomed beauties that you can skip a rock across. The first consideration when selecting a river is access.
Most river systems offer a boat landing or two plus possibly a public picnic area.
True, these locations provide adequate access for sitting on the bank with a bottom rig and waiting for things to happen. Wade fishing is the only way to go. By mid to late summer most lesser rivers in the northern states can be taken by foot. This brings us to the topic of current and structure. The vast majority of instructional fishing articles immediately identify their targeted species at the onset, but in the case of river fishing, classic-river structure often contains a wealth of species.