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Wild-forest float. Muskies in the rapids pools. The river tops out around 10 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Drawn out, this is 834 acres of water rimmed by 60.8 miles of bank. The 15 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 21.4 mi long by 3.1 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in Rusk County. For a second option, Big Falls Flowage lies 2 mi southwest.
Start shallow in spring: muskellunge sit in 3 to 10 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 10 ft covers summer, 3 to 10 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Riffle & run (mile 21.1), a rock pile in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for muskellunge in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. Throw a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 30.3) (6 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Tailout eddy (mile 30.3) (6 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 21.1) (4 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 30.3) (6 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 10 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 10 ft, and they winter in 3 to 10 ft. Riffle & run (mile 21.1) is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring smallmouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 21.1) (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 21.1) (4 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 5.6) (6 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 5.6) (6 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring walleye on Flambeau River hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 10 ft in summer, 3 to 10 ft once it turns cold. Put Ladysmith Dam tailrace first on the milk run — a dam tailrace near 9 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Ladysmith Dam tailrace (9 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Ladysmith Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & night | Ladysmith Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Ladysmith Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 10 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall crappie. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
15 pieces of structure are mapped here — Ladysmith Dam tailrace, around 9 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 Flambeau River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Flambeau River is about 10 ft (3 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 muskellunge, smallmouth bass, walleye, crappie on Flambeau River.
Riffle & run (mile 21.1) 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 muskellunge, 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.
Fishing on Flambeau 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.
Big Falls Flowage 2 mi · Dairyland Reservoir (Flambeau) 7 mi · Lea Flowage (Lea Lake) 7 mi · Lake La Verne 9 mi · Park Lake 9 mi · Hegmeister Lake 9 mi · Shamrock Lake 11 mi · Ladysmith Flowage 11 mi · Skinner Creek Flowage* 11 mi · White Birch Lake 11 mi · Hawkins Millpond 12 mi · Corbett Lake 12 mi
See how Flambeau River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best muskellunge lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Rusk County fishing maps (72 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.