Wisconsin

Wisconsin Overview

Wisconsin is home to some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the United States. Whether you are looking in a small creek, one of the large sprawling lakes that dot the landscape of northern Wisconsin, in a river that runs through the middle of busy metropolitan area, or on one of the large brawling, bashing, rock-strewn rivers of the north, a smallmouth bass can be found. The smallmouth bass occurs in all three drainage basins in Wisconsin (Lake Michigan, Mississippi River, and Lake Superior). Because these large drainage basins empty via rivers, the smallmouth bass can be typically found throughout the length of the major river systems in the state. Many of these river systems also have dams on them that create large reservoirs which the smallmouth can also inhabit.

While this website largely focuses on river and streams for fishing smallmouth, it should be noted that the Chequamegon Bay on Lake Superior near Ashland, WI and the Door County area on Lake Michigan both are well known for producing trophy sized smallies if an angler wishes to hit the big lakes.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WIDNR) has an interactive website which allows anglers to investigate potential fishing waters. An angler can turn on or off various layers to show boat or canoe access sites, river gauge stations, and smallmouth river systems throughout the state.

The American Whitewater Association also publishes information on their website, such as water flows, descriptions of rapids, and suggested paddling routes, about many rivers throughout the state of Wisconsin. However, many of their suggested trips are geared toward whitewater enthusiasts. Some of their suggested trips may not be suitable for river angling. It is important to know your paddling experience and be comfortable with fishing a river safely.

Anglers should be aware of Wisconsin Lake and River Use Restrictions, have a current Wisconsin fishing license, and be aware of the latest fishing regulations. The online version of the Wisconsin fishing regulations contains the latest corrections to the printed version. You may have to refresh your browser's cache for changes in the PDF file to appear.

For angling information about various river systems in Wisconsin that offer smallmouth bass angling opportunities click on the drop down list under the Wisconsin heading and select the river system you are interested in. If you know of a river that should be featured please let me know!

These pages concentrate on river areas in the north part of Wisconsin at this time.