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Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
UP iron-country river. Brook trout upstream, smallmouth and walleye near the mouth. The river tops out around 8 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Escanaba River maps at 930 acres behind 55 miles of shoreline. A development index of 12.9 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. End to end it runs roughly 21.6 mi, about 3.1 mi across. Marquette County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Rice Lake, is 8 mi to the north.
Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 8 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 8 ft. The chart's best answer is Current seam (mile 2.5) — current seam, 4 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.5) (4 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.5) (4 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.5) (4 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 2.5) (4 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 8 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 8 ft. Start at Riffle & run (mile 13.7). It's a rock pile holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 13.7) (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 13.7) (3 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Inside bend (mile 5.4) (6 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 2.5) (4 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Spring walleye concentrate at Dam tailrace, a prime-rated dam tailrace around 7 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Dam tailrace (7 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring brook trout on Escanaba River hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 8 ft in summer, 1 to 8 ft once it turns cold. Put Current seam (mile 2.5) first on the milk run — a current seam near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.5) (4 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.5) (4 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 1 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 2.5) (4 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 1 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 2.5) (4 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rock bass in 2 to 8 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 8 ft through summer, 2 to 8 ft in winter. The spot to know is Riffle & run (mile 13.7), a rock pile in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for rock bass in spring. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 13.7) (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Riffle & run (mile 13.7) (3 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 22 ft | midday | Riffle & run (mile 13.7) (3 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 30 ft | midday | Riffle & run (mile 13.7) (3 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Spring puts brown trout in skinny water — 1 to 8 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 8 ft. Summer brown trout concentrate at Current seam (mile 2.5), a prime-rated current seam around 4 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Current seam (mile 2.5) (4 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 1 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Escanaba River also holds coho salmon (2 to 8 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 22 features, led in depth by Dam tailrace at roughly 7 ft.
Access data: Michigan DNR — Michigan Boating Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 27 | Walleye | 724,585 | ~0.9" |
| May 26 | Brook trout | 8,066 | ~21.6" |
| May 26 | Brook trout | 4,237 | ~21.6" |
| May 14 | Brown trout | 27,000 | ~11.1" |
| May 14 | Brown trout | 8,989 | ~11.1" |
| May 14 | Brown trout | 14,100 | ~11.1" |
| May 14 | Brown trout | 7,100 | ~11.1" |
| May 6 | Coho salmon | 18,225 | ~15.7" |
Source: Michigan DNR fish-stocking database, retrieved 2026-09-23.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Michigan waters are set by the Michigan DNR — and special regulations can apply to Escanaba River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Escanaba River is about 8 ft (2 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 rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, walleye, brook trout, rock bass, brown trout, coho salmon on Escanaba River.
Current seam (mile 2.5) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For rainbow trout, 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.
Yes — per Michigan DNR fish-stocking database records, Escanaba River was most recently stocked May 27 with 724,585 walleye. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Escanaba River is regulated by the Michigan DNR. Check the official Michigan regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Rice Lake 8 mi · Bass Lake 8 mi · Anderson Lake 9 mi · Bertraud Lake 9 mi · Johnson Lake 9 mi · Little Lake 10 mi · Farmer Lake 11 mi · Shag Lake 11 mi · Stump Lake 13 mi · Sporley Lake 14 mi · Mud Lake 14 mi · Pike Lake 14 mi
See how Escanaba River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best walleye lakes in Michigan · best rainbow trout lakes in Michigan · best coho salmon lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Marquette County fishing maps (49 charts). Browse all Michigan fishing maps. 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.