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Fishing Chippewa River: what the data says
Eau Claire to Durand. big-river smallmouth and musky. The river tops out around 12 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.
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Chippewa River
Spring smallmouth bass on Chippewa River hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 12 ft. Riffle & run (mile 9.3) is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring smallmouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Walleye fishing at Chippewa River
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Half Moon Lake Dam tailrace: a dam tailrace around 10 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Muskellunge fishing at Chippewa River
Start shallow in spring: muskellunge sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 12 ft. The spot to know is Riffle & run (mile 9.3), a rock pile in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for muskellunge in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dusk | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Channel Catfish fishing at Chippewa River
Spring channel catfish on Chippewa River hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold 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 channel catfish. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday |
Flathead Catfish fishing at Chippewa River
Spring flathead catfish on Chippewa River hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. 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, a eddy pocket at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring flathead catfish. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday |
Freshwater Drum fishing at Chippewa River
Spring freshwater drum on Chippewa River hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold 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. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. A jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | 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.
Notable structure
- Half Moon Lake Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 10 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 5.6): creek channel, around 9 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 7.4): creek channel, around 9 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 12.4): creek channel, around 9 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 14.9): creek channel, around 9 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 18.9): creek channel, around 9 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 20.8): creek channel, around 9 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 23.9): creek channel, around 9 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 28.2): creek channel, around 9 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 30.4): creek channel, around 9 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 32.6): creek channel, around 9 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 34.4): creek channel, around 9 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 36.3): creek channel, around 9 ft
- Tailout eddy (mile 1.2): eddy pocket, around 7 ft
Common questions
How deep is Chippewa River?
Chippewa River is about 12 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 Chippewa River?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, muskellunge, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, common carp, longnose gar on Chippewa River.
Where is the best fishing spot 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Chippewa River?
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.
Nearby waters
Lake Chetek · Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing) · Black River · St. Croix River · Mississippi River Pool 8 (La Crosse) · Flambeau River
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
Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.