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Eau Claire to Durand. Big-river smallmouth and musky. The river tops out around 12 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Traced from the shoreline, Chippewa River runs 2,939 acres with 78.9 miles of edge, with 3 islands in the mix. The 10.4 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. Call it 24.8 mi long by 5 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Dunn County. For a second option, Rock Falls Millpond lies 2 mi east.
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 4 to 12 ft covers summer, 4 to 12 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Riffle & run (mile 9.3), a rock pile in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 9.3) (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 9.3) (4 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 3.7) (7 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 3.7) (7 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Through summer count on 4 to 12 ft; the winter hold is 4 to 12 ft. Start at Half Moon Lake Dam tailrace. It's a dam tailrace holding about 10 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Half Moon Lake Dam tailrace (10 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Half Moon Lake Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & night | Half Moon Lake Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Half Moon Lake Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, muskellunge run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 12 ft, and they winter in 4 to 12 ft. Fall muskellunge concentrate at Riffle & run (mile 9.3), a prime-rated rock pile around 4 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 1.2) (7 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Tailout eddy (mile 1.2) (7 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 9.3) (4 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 1.2) (7 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. The depth story barely changes: 4 to 12 ft through summer, 4 to 12 ft in winter. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 5.6), a creek channel in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 1.2) (7 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.6) (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.6) (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.6) (9 ft) |
Spring puts flathead catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 12 ft. Tailout eddy (mile 1.2) is the standout, an eddy pocket at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring flathead catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 1.2) (7 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 1.2) (7 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 1.2) (7 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 1.2) (7 ft) |
In spring, freshwater drum run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 12 ft, and they winter in 4 to 12 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 5.6) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for summer freshwater drum. Time it for the evening. You won't need more than a jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Half Moon Lake Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.6) (9 ft) | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.6) (9 ft) | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Half Moon Lake Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Jigging spoon (slow) |
Chippewa River also holds longnose gar (1 to 12 ft in summer), common carp (2 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
18 pieces of structure are mapped here — Half Moon Lake Dam tailrace, around 10 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Wisconsin DNR — Boat Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Chippewa River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Chippewa River is about 12 ft (4 m) deep 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.
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, muskellunge, channel catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, longnose gar, common carp on Chippewa River.
Riffle & run (mile 9.3) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Chippewa River is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Rock Falls Millpond 2 mi · Elk Creek Lake* 8 mi · Cooley Lake 8 mi · Schlosser Lake 10 mi · Mirror Lake 11 mi · Halfmoon Lake 13 mi · Thompson Lake 13 mi · Lake Eau Galle 13 mi · Lake Menomin 15 mi · Dells Pond 15 mi · Silver Birch Lake 16 mi · Eleva Pond 17 mi
See how Chippewa River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best channel catfish lakes in Wisconsin · best muskellunge lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Dunn County fishing maps (6 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.