Namekagon River Fishing Map & Spots (WI)

Hatch outlook

White mayfly (Ephoron)Active window

Typical here: Jul 15 – Sep 30 · core weeks in August — shares its dusk with the White Miller caddis and gets confused with it

dundusk — the whole life cycle plays out in one evening — females mate, fly miles upstream and fall spent within a couple of hours; when the blizzard is too thick, your fly disappears in the crowd — fish the edges of the swarm
spinnerfull dark, same night

Smallmouth set up in feeding lanes like trout and will not move far — accuracy beats distance.

The best conventional surface window of late summer on smallmouth rivers: small white or bone surface plugs and propbaits in the last hour of light, white inline spinners run upstream through the feeding lanes, or a bubble with a White Wulff.

The event happens over sand- and silt-bottom runs with moderate current, feeding lanes below riffles

Blue-Winged OlivesActive window

Typical here: Mar 15 – Oct 24 · multiple broods — peaks early May and mid-June, again Sept–Oct at #20–24

dunmidday, roughly noon–3pm — the first dry-fly action of March and the last of October

Too small to match with hardware — use the schedule instead: midday, and the slow seams it pods fish into; smallest inline spinners and micro-jigs worked slow, or a bubble with an olive soft-hackle.

The event happens over seams, pool tails and flats

Isonychia (Slate Drake)Active window

Typical here: May 15 – Sep 30 · one of the Au Sable 'Big Five' — sporadic all summer rather than a dated blanket

nymphall day in fast water — often emerges by crawling out on shore or rocks — the fishable moment is the fast shoreward swim; fish the nymph with quick twitches toward the bank
dunevenings, sporadically — big fish stay watchful for the bug all summer, which makes it a searching-dry opportunity
spinnerdusk over the riffles — more concentrated action than the emergence itself

The best conventional crossover of the northern-Michigan summer: fish chase this fast-swimming nymph, so #1–2 inline spinners and small minnow plugs ripped through fast runs toward shoreline rocks duplicate it exactly, evenings May through September.

The event happens over fast riffles, boulder pockets and shoreline rocks

White Miller (caddis)Active window

Typical here: Jul 1 – Sep 30 · core weeks late July to mid-August — NOT the same bug as the white mayfly that shares its evenings

pupalate evening into dark — larvae drift extensively before emerging and the surface emergence comes at last light — swing winged wets and actively stripped pupae through dusk
ovipositingdusk into dark — females dive and swim to the bottom in slow water to lay — a sunk white wet fished deliberately is truer than a dry

The prolific, predictable dusk food-form over sand and slow water in the dog days — primarily a night-fisher's event.

A late-summer dusk window on sand-bottom water: small white or pearl inline spinners fished slow near bottom in slow runs imitate the diving egg-layers surprisingly directly; white micro-jigs after dark.

The event happens over slow sand- and weed-bottom runs and pool edges

TricoActive window

Typical here: Jun 15 – Oct 20 · midsummer spinner falls come early; drifting toward mid-morning by fall

dunearly morning
spinnermornings, roughly 6–10am — the event is the fall, not the hatch

Honest answer: hardware can't match a #24 spinner. Fish the same pools with a bubble and a trico spinner on long fluorocarbon, or work micro-jigs through them after the fall ends.

The event happens over slow flats and pool tails

Terrestrials (hoppers, ants, beetles)Active window

Typical here: Jun 1 – Sep 30 · beetles from June, ants mid-June, hoppers mid-July to the end of September

adultwarm afternoons — wind is the delivery mechanism

The most spin-friendly 'hatch' of summer: 1.5–2" surface plugs and small poppers slapped along grassy, windy banks; a bubble-and-hopper rig out-casts any fly rod.

The event happens over grassy and undercut banks

Next on this water

Hendrickson · mayflyApr 15 – May 20 · in ~8 months

Spring black caddis (Grannom) · caddisApr 20 – Jun 30 · in ~8 months

Brown Drake · mayflyMay 15 – Jul 4 · in ~9 months

Sulphurs · mayflyMay 15 – Jul 31 · in ~9 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Namekagon River

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Namekagon River on the board.

Fishing Namekagon River: what the data says

National Scenic Riverway smallmouth and musky water. The river tops out around 7 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.

Traced from the shoreline, Namekagon River runs 3,067 acres with 110.2 miles of edge. With a shoreline index of 14.2, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. The basin spans about 34 mi end to end and 11.1 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Washburn County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Silver Lake, 1 mi southeast of here.

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Namekagon River

Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 2 to 7 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 7 ft covers summer, 2 to 7 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Riffle & run (mile 26.1), a rock pile in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 7 ft	dawn & dusk	Riffle & run (mile 26.1) (3 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	2 to 7 ft	dawn & dusk	Riffle & run (mile 26.1) (3 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	2 to 7 ft	midday & dawn	Current seam (mile 24.3) (4 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	2 to 7 ft	midday	Current seam (mile 24.3) (4 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Muskellunge fishing at Namekagon River

In spring, muskellunge run shallow here, mostly 2 to 7 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 7 ft, and they winter in 2 to 7 ft. Riffle & run (mile 26.1) is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for fall muskellunge. Time it for the evening and early morning. You won't need more than a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 7 ft	dusk	Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (4 ft)	Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait
Summer	2 to 7 ft	dusk & dawn	Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (4 ft)	Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper)
Fall	2 to 7 ft	midday & dusk	Riffle & run (mile 26.1) (3 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait
Winter	2 to 7 ft	midday	Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (4 ft)	Large rubber, crawled slow

Walleye fishing at Namekagon River

Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 2 to 7 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 7 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 7 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Hayward WP119 Dam tailrace: a dam tailrace around 6 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) is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 7 ft	dusk & dawn	Hayward WP119 Dam tailrace (6 ft)	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	2 to 7 ft	dusk & dawn	Hayward WP119 Dam tailrace (6 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	2 to 7 ft	dusk & night	Hayward WP119 Dam tailrace (6 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	2 to 7 ft	dusk & dawn	Hayward WP119 Dam tailrace (6 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Rainbow Trout fishing at Namekagon River

Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 2 to 7 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 7 ft. Current seam (mile 24.3) is the standout, a current seam at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 7 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 24.3) (4 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	2 to 7 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 24.3) (4 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	2 to 7 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 24.3) (4 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	1 to 7 ft	dawn	Current seam (mile 24.3) (4 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 25 features, led in depth by Hayward WP119 Dam tailrace at roughly 6 ft.

Hayward WP119 Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 6 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 5.6): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 7.5): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 9.3): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 11.5): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 13.7): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 15.5): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 17.4): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 21.8): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 29.8): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 31.7): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 34.2): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 38.2): creek channel, around 5 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Hayward Lake Access — ramp (concrete)
Trego Landing - North Access — ramp (concrete panels)
Trgo Township Park — ramp (concrete plank)
Lakeside Road Landing — carry-in
Namekagon River Canoe Launch — carry-in
Namekagon River County K Access — carry-in

Access data: Wisconsin DNR — Boat Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Namekagon River fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Namekagon River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Namekagon River?

Namekagon River is about 7 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.

What fish are in Namekagon River?

Anglers target smallmouth bass, muskellunge, walleye, rainbow trout on Namekagon River.

Where is the best fishing spot on Namekagon River?

Riffle & run (mile 26.1) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Namekagon 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Namekagon River?

Fishing on Namekagon 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.

Nearby waters

Silver Lake 1 mi · Gardner Lake 3 mi · Mack Lake 3 mi · Gull Lake 4 mi · Whalen Lake 5 mi · Lakeside Lake 5 mi · Gull Creek Springs 5 mi · Trego Lake 5 mi · Leisure Lake 5 mi · East Wilcox Lake 5 mi · Boyle Brook Spring 5 mi · West Wilcox Lake 6 mi

See how Namekagon River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best rainbow trout lakes in Wisconsin · best muskellunge lakes in Wisconsin

More water nearby: Washburn County fishing maps (210 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.