World-Class Fishing in Marinette County

Marinette County waters sport a diverse fish population, offering something for every angler. If an angler can’t find a place to their liking in Marinette County, they might as well quit fishing. Besides the variety in the type of fish you will find, you will also find a variety in the type of water you can choose to fish. With so many options you might need to add a few more days onto your vacation. Be sure to check out a few of CrivitzLand Master Guide Mike Mladenik's smallmouth videos at the bottom of the page.

High Falls Flowage has historically been known for producing big fish. In  May, look for walleye both along the shoreline and in the main part of the   flowage. A 1/8 or 1/4 ounce jig and minnow is the best presentation. By late June, most walleyes will be in a summer pattern; weed lines will be prime feeding areas early and late in the day. The deeper rock humps are the prime daytime holding areas. Continue to use jigs, but tip them with a jumbo leech or night crawler. In spring, smallmouth cruise the rocky shorelines and are eager to hit plastics or live bait. By mid-summer, smallmouth are active early in the day as they feed along the weed lines and rock piles. In fall, work the deep rock pikes with a jig and minnow.       

       High Falls has produced some record class muskies in recent years and if you are after a fish of a lifetime, it is as good a place as any. In June, fish a bucktail or shallow running crank bait on the edge of any fresh weed growth. As the summer progresses, concentrate crank baits and jerk baits on the deep weed lines and in fall drift the deep water with a sucker.    For bluegill, work the bays; for crappie, focus on the wooded shorelines. In summer, while fishing weed lines, the action is best early and late in the day. In fall, crappie stack up along the weed lines.       

       Caldron Falls Flowage is “class A” musky water  and is the premier musky lake in Northeast Wisconsin. Caldron Falls Flowage has the perfect balance between numbers and quality fish.  The flowage is a typical Northwood’s Musky Flowage with plenty of shoreline cover, cabbage weed beds and off shore structure.  Fish the fresh cabbage with orange / black buck tails or twitch baits in June. As summer progresses continue to fish the cabbage for action, but for big fish work the weed line with jerk baits. In fall deep diving crank baits are deadly when fishing the weed lines and off shore structure.              

        Largemouth bass are also present in strong numbers on Caldron Falls. Cast the wooded shorelines with spinner baits and plastics. Fishing the slop with weedless spoons is also a good summer tactic. Panfish are abundant on Caldron Falls. Crappie will suspend along the weed line while bluegill will hold tight to the base of the weeds.  

       Lake Noquebay is 2,400 acres and the largest lake in Marinette County. It offers a multi specie fishery. The panfish bite is consistent throughout the year with typical panfish patterns being the norm. Fish the shallows in spring and early summer and work the deeper weeds in summer and fall.  Bluegill are the dominate specie but a good crappie population is also present. Largemouth bass are caught in the shallows in spring with plastics and spinner baits By summer the large bass are caught along the weed lines with jigs and plastics. Fishing heavy weed cover in summer can yield big largemouth. Few anglers target largemouth bass in fall, but it is prime time for a lunker. While not known as a walleye lake, a good walleye population is present. For walleye, concentrate on the deep weed lines with live bait presentations. For northern pike, it is hard to beat a spinner bait or weedless spoon.     

                   (Above-Right: CrivitzLand Master Guide and Pro Staff Member Mike Mladenik)

Scattered throughout Marinette County are countless smaller lakes that offer endless angling opportunities. Most of these lakes have good panfish and largemouth bass fisheries while some contain trout.  Some of these lakes are remote and offer a wilderness experience.  These lakes are easy to fish since both largemouth bass and panfish are perfect for fly fisherman or anglers with a small boat.

Menominee River

       Forming the border with Wisconsin and Michigan, the Menominee River flows through some of the states most pristine areas. The Menominee River boasts a “World Class” smallmouth bass fishery with anglers encountering some of the largest smallmouth bass in North America with 5 pounders common. Besides smallmouth, anglers will find walleye, northern pike, sturgeon, musky and perch throughout the river. By mid May, the big smallmouth are on the move as they prepare to spawn. Casting crank baits and plastics around rock outcroppings produces lots of smallmouth. The larger smallmouth hold just out of the current, and tight to the rocks. My favorite presentation is a four inch jerk bait or a tube. Even a small rock outcropping out of the main current can hold a bunch of big smallmouth. By summer, the smallmouth action heats up throughout the river with these aggressive smallmouth hitting plastics and surface baits.  Whether you float the river with your fly rod or use a bass boat one thing is certain, you will catch smallmouth. Fall is an excellent time for trophy smallmouth or connecting with a behemoth sturgeon during the special sturgeon season.

The Lower Menominee River  where the river enters the Bay of Green Bay is one of the few places where you can catch both numbers of walleye and have a good chance of boating a trophy.  Both the lower Menominee River and the Bay of Green Bay have one of the best walleye fisheries in the Midwest. Trolling is the preferred method for locating walleyes. When trolling, both live and artificial baits are productive. Crawler harnesses, leeches and crank baits are all effective. As far as color goes, use fire-tiger patterns on sunny days and minnow patterns on overcast days. Crank baits in a silver / blue pattern can be productive at any time. River anglers also do well vertical jigging with a jig tipped with a minnow, nightcrawler or plastic. While fishing the bay, anglers can also run into jumbo perch, trout and salmon.  

Reproduced with permission from CrivitzLand Guide and Pro Staff Member Mike Mladenik