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De Pere to Green Bay. World-class trophy walleye water. The river tops out around 14 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.
Drawn out, this is 691 acres of water rimmed by 14.4 miles of bank. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 3.9) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Tip to tip the water measures near 6.8 mi with a 0.8-mi widest point. You'll find it in Brown County. For a second option, Bay Beach Lagoons lies 4 mi northeast.
Spring walleye on Fox River (Lower) hold shallow, usually 4 to 14 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 4 to 14 ft in summer, 4 to 14 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is De Pere Dam tailrace — dam tailrace, 12 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in 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 | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | De Pere Dam tailrace (12 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | De Pere Dam tailrace (12 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & night | De Pere Dam tailrace (12 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | De Pere Dam tailrace (12 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Start shallow in spring: muskellunge sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 14 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 14 ft. Top water on the chart: Riffle & run (mile 2.5), a rock pile in the 5 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. 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 12 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.7) (8 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Tailout eddy (mile 0.7) (8 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 2.5) (5 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 0.7) (8 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 14 ft before dropping to 4 to 14 ft for winter. Spring smallmouth bass concentrate at Riffle & run (mile 2.5), a prime-rated rock pile around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 2.5) (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 2.5) (5 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 2.5) (5 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 0.7) (8 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, white bass & hybrids run shallow here, mostly 3 to 14 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 14 ft, and they winter in 4 to 14 ft. Spring white bass & hybrids concentrate at De Pere Dam tailrace, a prime-rated dam tailrace around 12 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | De Pere Dam tailrace (12 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | De Pere Dam tailrace (12 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | De Pere Dam tailrace (12 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | De Pere Dam tailrace (12 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 14 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 14 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 6.0) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 11 ft, rated prime for summer channel 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 | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.7) (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 6.0) (11 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 6.0) (11 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 6.0) (11 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: flathead catfish in 4 to 14 ft. The depth story barely changes: 4 to 14 ft through summer, 4 to 14 ft in winter. The spot to know is Tailout eddy (mile 0.7), an eddy pocket in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for flathead catfish in spring. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 14 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.7) (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.7) (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.7) (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 0.7) (8 ft) |
Fox River (Lower) also holds freshwater drum (4 to 14 ft in summer), longnose gar (1 to 12 ft in summer), yellow perch (4 to 14 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 14 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Fox River (Lower) carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at De Pere Dam tailrace, about 12 ft down.
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 Fox River (Lower) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Fox River (Lower) is about 14 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 walleye, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, white bass & hybrids, channel catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, longnose gar, yellow perch, common carp on Fox River (Lower).
Riffle & run (mile 2.5) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 5 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.
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.
Fishing on Fox River (Lower) 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.
Bay Beach Lagoons 4 mi · Lilly Lake 10 mi · Shea Lake 18 mi · Engledinger Lake 19 mi · Heidmann Lake 19 mi · Harpt Lake 20 mi · Tuma Lake 21 mi · Little Mud Lake 21 mi · Round Lake 23 mi · White Lake 24 mi · Boot Lake 24 mi · Long Lake 25 mi
See how Fox River (Lower) 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 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.