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Dresbach dam to Genoa: sprawling stump-field backwaters. Big bluegills, largemouth and November walleye below the spillway. The river tops out around 39 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Mississippi River Pool 8 (La Crosse) maps at 7,026 acres behind 50.3 miles of shoreline, broken up by 3 islands. An index of 4.3 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 63% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 20.5 mi, about 3 mi across. Houston County claims this one. La Crosse River sits 7 mi north — the closest neighbouring chart.
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Goose Island backwaters: a weed flat around 8 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Goose Island backwaters (8 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Goose Island backwaters (8 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Goose Island backwaters (8 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 1.9) (17 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Lock & Dam 7 tailrace (Dresbach): a creek channel around 13 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Goose Island backwaters (8 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Lock & Dam 7 tailrace (Dresbach) (13 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Lock & Dam 7 tailrace (Dresbach) (13 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.6) (21 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Goose Island backwaters. It's a weed flat holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Goose Island backwaters (8 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Goose Island backwaters (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 9.4) (13 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.6) (21 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 12 to 39 ft. Black River confluence (La Crosse) is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for spring walleye. Time it for the evening and early morning. You won't need more than a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Black River confluence (La Crosse) (9 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Mississippi River Lock and Dam 7 tailrace (26 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 39 ft | dusk & night | Mississippi River Lock and Dam 7 tailrace (26 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 12 to 39 ft | dusk & dawn | Mississippi River Lock and Dam 7 tailrace (26 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring puts sauger in skinny water — 4 to 18 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 12 to 39 ft. Black River confluence (La Crosse) is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for spring sauger. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Black River confluence (La Crosse) (9 ft) | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Lock & Dam 7 tailrace (Dresbach) (13 ft) | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Lock & Dam 7 tailrace (Dresbach) (13 ft) | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 12 to 39 ft | dusk | Lock & Dam 7 tailrace (Dresbach) (13 ft) | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
When the water first warms, northern pike slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Goose Island backwaters: a weed flat around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Goose Island backwaters (8 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Goose Island backwaters (8 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Goose Island backwaters (8 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Goose Island backwaters (8 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Mississippi River Pool 8 (La Crosse) also holds smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), channel catfish (8 to 25 ft in summer), flathead catfish (8 to 30 ft in summer), freshwater drum (8 to 30 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 17 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Mississippi River Lock and Dam 7 tailrace, sits near 26 ft.
Access data: MN DNR Water Access Sites (struc_water_access_sites), Minnesota Geospatial Commons. 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 Mississippi River Pool 8 (La Crosse) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Mississippi River Pool 8 (La Crosse) is about 39 ft (12 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass, walleye, sauger, northern pike, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, common carp on Mississippi River Pool 8 (La Crosse).
Lock & Dam 7 tailrace (Dresbach) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For bluegill, 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 Mississippi River Pool 8 (La Crosse) 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.
La Crosse River 7 mi · Shamrock Impoundment 10 mi, MN · South Fork 11 mi, MN · Lake Onalaska 13 mi, WI · Runge Hollow Lake 15 mi, WI · Neshonoc Lake 17 mi, WI · Round Lake 20 mi, WI · Sidie Hollow Lake 20 mi, WI · Third Lake 20 mi, WI · Second Lake 21 mi, WI · Seas Branch Pond 24 mi, WI · Jersey Valley Lake 24 mi, WI
See how Mississippi River Pool 8 (La Crosse) stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best sauger lakes in Wisconsin
Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.