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Rating depth structure for smallmouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
399-acre reservoir in Price County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 17 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Drawn out, this is 401 acres of water rimmed by 15.8 miles of bank. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 5.6) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. End to end it runs roughly 5 mi, about 0.8 mi across. You'll find it in Price County. The nearest mapped water is Hansen Lake, 3 mi to the east.
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 17 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 17 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 14 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | dusk & night | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (14 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 5 to 17 ft game here, winter a 5 to 17 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn | Deep basin (14 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (14 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 17 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring puts muskellunge in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 17 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 17 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring muskellunge. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 17 ft before dropping to 5 to 17 ft for winter. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 17 ft before dropping to 5 to 17 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (14 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | dawn | Deep basin (14 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Park Falls Flowage, Upper also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), lake sturgeon (5 to 17 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 14 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Wisconsin DNR - Boat Access Sites, Shore Fishing Sites, and DNR Parking Lots. 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 Park Falls Flowage, Upper specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Park Falls Flowage, Upper is about 17 ft (5 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, yellow perch, northern pike, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, lake sturgeon on Park Falls Flowage, Upper. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in winter. 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 Park Falls Flowage, Upper 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.
Hansen Lake 3 mi · Park Falls Flowage, Lower 3 mi · Blockhouse Lake 4 mi · Schnur Lake 4 mi · Parker Lake 4 mi · Hoffman Lake 5 mi · Butternut Lake 5 mi · Mud Lake 5 mi · Tracy Lake 6 mi · Hay Lake 6 mi · Buckman Lake 6 mi · Cooley Lake 6 mi
See how Park Falls Flowage, Upper stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Price County fishing maps (118 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.