Marinette County is home to some excellent smallmouth bass fishing. The Menominee River is the place to go if you’re looking for numbers and a shot at a big fish. This part of Green Bay is better for walleye than smallmouth bass, however, you can still catch some very nice smallmouth bass out on the bay. There are plenty of other waters that you can also fish in the county and catch a smallmouth bass. Take a look below to learn more about the better smallmouth bass waters in this area.
Green Bay
Anglers have a lot of options for catching quality-sized fish of so many different species here. Whether you launch your boat out of the marinas on the lake or the boat ramps in the rivers below the dams, you have a lot of water to fish here and the fishing can be outstanding at times.
To learn more about fishing on Green Bay, take a look at our Green Bay Fishing out of Marinette County page.
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. Muskie can be found here near Green Bay, especially during the first few weeks of the opener and in the fall. Our Menominee River fishing page is long with lots of great information, so if you’re looking to learn more about this fishery, take a look at our Menominee River – Marinette County, WI Fishing page.
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. Muskie can be found near the mouth and out into Green Bay near the Peshtigo River. 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.
Other Area Waters
Coleman Lake
Coleman Lake is a 234 acre lake located in Marinette County. It has a maximum depth of 67 feet. Fish include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, trout and panfish. According to the DNR, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and panfish are common in the lake while trout are listed as present.
Hilbert Lake
Hilbert Lake is a 278 acre lake located in Forest, Marinette Counties. It has a maximum depth of 32 feet. Visitors have access to the lake from a couple public boat landings. Fish include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye and panfish. According to the DNR, largemouth bass and panfish are considered common in the lake while smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye are listed as present.
Lake Noquebay
Lake Noquebay is a 2398 acre lake located in Marinette County. It has a maximum depth of 51 feet. Visitors have access to the lake from several public boat landings. Fish include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, trout and panfish. According to the DNR, largemouth bass, northern pike and panfish are considered common in the lake while smallmouth bass, walleye and trout are listed as present.