Menominee River Fishing Guides

About the Menominee River

The Menominee River forms the border between Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin for its entire length, running southeast to empty into Green Bay at the twin cities of Menominee and Marinette. It is the largest river in the Upper Peninsula by drainage, and it alternates between long impounded flats behind a series of hydroelectric dams and stretches of fast, rocky free-flowing water in between. Those free-flowing reaches, with their boulder gardens, ledges and seams, are what give the river its reputation, and the gauge at Koss sits in the lower third of that system.

Smallmouth bass are the headline fish and the river is regarded nationally for them, with rocky structure holding good numbers and a real chance at a large fish. Walleye are abundant and heavily targeted, particularly in the stretches below the dams where current concentrates them. Northern pike and muskellunge use the weedier flats and backwaters, and the Menominee carries one of the strongest lake sturgeon populations anywhere in the Great Lakes basin, a conservation success that draws attention well beyond the region. Rock bass, yellow perch and crappie fill out a varied fishery.

Because the river crosses a state line, licensing deserves attention before a trip: Michigan and Wisconsin have a reciprocal arrangement covering boundary waters, and the rules are not identical to either state’s inland regulations. Flow is managed by the dams, so the river does not spike and drop as sharply as a free-flowing stream, but releases still change the fishing noticeably within a day. The rocky reaches reward wading at lower flows; higher water is boat fishing. Guides operate from both the Michigan and Wisconsin sides and know which reaches are fishing on a given release schedule, which saves a great deal of time on a river this long and this heavily managed.

Access

Koss - the gauge location on the lower river and a useful reference point for conditions.
Menominee and Marinette - the twin cities at the river mouth on Green Bay, the main centre for ramps, guides and tackle.
Hydroelectric dam reaches - the tailwater stretches below each dam, where current concentrates walleye and smallmouth.
Free-flowing rocky sections - the boulder and ledge water between impoundments, the heart of the smallmouth fishery.
Wisconsin bank - the opposite shore, accessible under the boundary-water licensing arrangement rather than a separate inland licence.
Public boat launches - distributed along both the Michigan and Wisconsin sides of the corridor.
Green Bay - the receiving water downstream, which supplies the migratory fish using the lower river.

Seasons

Spring: walleye concentrate below the dams and the river runs high and cold, making this the most intensely fished period of the year.
Summer: the signature smallmouth season, with the rocky free-flowing reaches at their best and wading possible at lower managed flows.
Fall: cooling water brings strong smallmouth and walleye fishing with far less traffic, and the musky fishing reaches its peak.
Winter: cold and partly ice-covered, with fishing limited to open tailwater reaches below the dams and governed by boundary-water rules.