Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Big Eau Pleine Reservoir
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Big Eau Pleine Reservoir: what the data says
6,830-acre flowage near Mosinee. The lake tops out around 46 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Walleye fishing at Big Eau Pleine Reservoir
Spring walleye on Big Eau Pleine Reservoir hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Fenwood Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Crappie fishing at Big Eau Pleine Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Old creek channel: a creek channel around 23 ft that scores prime in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Big Eau Pleine Reservoir
Spring bluegill on Big Eau Pleine Reservoir hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Big Eau Pleine Reservoir
Spring yellow perch on Big Eau Pleine Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Big Eau Pleine Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Big Eau Pleine Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Fenwood Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 39 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 23 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 21 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 12 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 12 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 7.015170138156446 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 6.671169992896279 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 6.43937930105718 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 6.329727506068259 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Fenwood Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 5 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 5 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 1.5850593528203971 ft
Common questions
How deep is Big Eau Pleine Reservoir?
Big Eau Pleine Reservoir is about 46 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Big Eau Pleine Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, yellow perch on Big Eau Pleine Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Big Eau Pleine Reservoir?
Fenwood Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Big Eau Pleine Reservoir?
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Petenwell Flowage · Castle Rock Flowage · Willow Flowage · Pelican Lake · Two Sisters Lake · Tomahawk Lake
See how Big Eau Pleine Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best bluegill lakes in Wisconsin
Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.