Marinette County is not the place to go if you’re looking to find lots of lakes with huge numbers of muskie, however, there are a few good places to fish for muskie, especially if you’re looking for a big fish. The Menominee River and Peshtigo River will be the places to go to target muskie here.
Menominee River
The Menominee River flows into Green Bay and forms the boundary between northeast Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Menominee River is known for its excellent smallmouth bass fishing, but near Marinette, you also have some awesome seasonal runs of walleye, northern pike, salmon & trout. If you want to target muskie, many anglers will do so from Green Bay up to the first dam right in town. Muskie can be found in the river throughout the open water season, but fishing for them tends to be better right around the opener and then later in the year as water temperatures cool down in the fall. You also have access to Green Bay if you’re looking to target some giant muskie on the open waters.
Peshtigo River
The Peshtigo River runs through the city of Peshtigo and drains into the bay of Green Bay about 5 miles southeast of Peshtigo. This river is 136 miles long and it flows from Forest County southeasterly towards the bay of Green Bay. Most of the river is in Marinette County. The river is home to some excellent fishing throughout the year. Closer to Green Bay, this river experiences seasonal runs of a variety of fish just like the nearby Menominee River. Northern pike, walleye, trout, smallmouth bass and pike are available during the seasonal runs on the portion of the river that leads out to Green Bay. You will find some muskie as well near the mouth of the river and in the river throughout the fishing season, however, the fishing is usually better for muskie in this area in the fall and the first weeks after opening date.
Farther north, anglers target muskie, pike, bass, walleye and panfish on Caldron Falls, High Falls and Johnson Falls Flowage. To learn more about the Peshtigo River and the popular flowages on the river, take a look at our Peshtigo River – Marinette County, WI Fishing page.