Fox River (Wisconsin) Fishing Guides and Conditions, Wisconsin

About the Fox River (Wisconsin)

The upper Fox River runs north and east from the Portage area through Princeton, Berlin, Omro and Oshkosh into Lake Butte des Morts and on to Lake Winnebago. It is a low-gradient marsh river for most of that distance, bordered by sedge meadow, wild rice and the state wildlife areas of the Fox River corridor, and it looks nothing like the industrial lower Fox below Winnebago. The Berlin reach, where this gauge sits, is characteristic: slow current, soft bottom, weedy edges, and deep outside bends that hold fish year-round.

The fishery is driven by the Winnebago system below it. Walleye run up the Fox in numbers from late March into May, and that run is the busiest fishing of the year, worked from boats and from the bank at the dams and bridges. White bass follow shortly after and provide fast, unfussy fishing through May and June. Northern pike are abundant in the weeds and backwaters, muskellunge are present and increasing, and the river carries good smallmouth on the harder bottom with largemouth in the slack water. Winnebago’s lake sturgeon population uses the river as well, though they are protected and encountered rather than targeted. Crappie, perch, catfish and drum fill out a genuinely deep species list.

Most fishing here is done from small boats, and the river takes a tiller boat comfortably through the Berlin and Omro reaches. Kayaks work well in the marsh channels and backwaters. Ice fishing is a serious pursuit on the connected lakes and the slower river reaches. Wind on the open marsh, not current, is the usual limiting factor.

The Berlin gauge is one of the few in this batch that reports water temperature alongside stage and discharge, which makes it unusually useful — the spring walleye run keys on water temperature more than on calendar date.

Access

Princeton public landing — upstream access on the marsh reach.
Berlin city ramp and riverwalk — access at the USGS gauge with bank fishing at the dam.
Eureka landing — mid-river trailer access between Berlin and Omro.
Omro city ramps — the busiest access on the lower upper-Fox reach.
Fox River State Wildlife Area accesses — paddle and walk-in access to the marsh channels.
Lake Butte des Morts ramps — access to the river mouth and the lake connection.
Oshkosh Rainbow Memorial Park — bottom-end access to the Winnebago connection.

Seasons

Spring: the walleye run from late March into May, with white bass following through May and June.
Summer: pike and muskellunge in the weeds, smallmouth on hard bottom; early and late are best.
Fall: walleye return to the deeper bends and muskellunge fishing peaks through October and November.
Winter: ice fishing on the connected lakes and slow river reaches for perch, crappie and pike.