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Rating depth structure for smallmouth bass.
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277-acre reservoir in Wood County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 22 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The drawn water covers 282 acres wrapped in 7.3 miles of bank, with a single island in the mix. The 3.1 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 91% of this chart, as modeled. Call it 2.6 mi long by 0.5 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Wood County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Biron Flowage, is 4 mi to the northeast.
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 7 to 22 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 22 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 10 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 | 7 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (10 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (10 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (19 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 7 to 22 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 22 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| 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 | 7 to 22 ft | dawn | Deep basin (19 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (19 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring northern pike on Wisconsin Rapids Flowage hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| 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 | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (10 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 muskellunge on Wisconsin Rapids Flowage hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 22 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 22 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 10 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper).
| 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 | 7 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 6 to 22 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Spring smallmouth bass on Wisconsin Rapids Flowage hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 7 to 22 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 22 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 8 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| 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 | 7 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (10 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring crappie on Wisconsin Rapids Flowage hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 7 to 22 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 22 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 19 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| 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 | 7 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Wisconsin Rapids Flowage also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), channel catfish (7 to 22 ft in summer), flathead catfish (6 to 22 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 6 structure features on Wisconsin Rapids Flowage; the deepest is Deep basin at about 19 ft.
Access data: Wisconsin DNR - Boat Access Sites, Shore Fishing Sites, and DNR Parking Lots. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024* | Muskellunge (large fingerling) | 565 | ~11.4" |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Wisconsin DNR fish-stocking summary, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Wisconsin Rapids Flowage specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Wisconsin Rapids Flowage is about 22 ft (7 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, channel catfish, flathead catfish on Wisconsin Rapids Flowage. 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.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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.
Yes — per Wisconsin DNR fish-stocking summary records, Wisconsin Rapids Flowage was most recently stocked 2024 with 565 muskellunge (large fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Wisconsin Rapids Flowage 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.
Biron Flowage 4 mi · Wazeecha Lake* 5 mi · Nepco Lake 5 mi · Ross Lake 10 mi · Wisconsin R Fl C3-Stevens Pt 13 mi · Arrowhead Lake (Manchester) 14 mi · Springville Pond 14 mi · Sherwood Lake (Deer Lodge) 14 mi · Camelot Lake 14 mi · McDill Pond 14 mi · Dexter Lake 15 mi · Anderson Lake 18 mi
See how Wisconsin Rapids Flowage 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: Wood County fishing maps (7 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.