Green Bay
A world-class walleye and trophy muskie fishery on Lake Michigan's western shore.
Depth & Structure
Split character: the lower bay (Dyckesville south to the city of Green Bay) is shallow and often murky, while from Sturgeon Bay north the bay is deep and clear. Rock reef humps rise out of 50-60 ft of water to within a few feet of the surface; walleye are reported at 8-15 ft in spring and in 30-50 ft channels/holes in summer.
Best Lures
Jigs worked slowly along bottom in spring/fall shallows; trolling stickbaits and crawler harnesses over weed edges in the lower bay; jigging deep troughs by day and trolling crankbaits over reef humps at night in the upper bay; blade baits and vertical jigging on fall rock piles/reefs.
Best Baits
Live minnows and crawlers - jigs tipped with live minnows or crawlers are reported as consistent in spring, and live bait rigs are drifted over summer structure.
Gear to Bring
Medium-light to medium spinning gear, 2000-3000 size reel, 6-10 lb line for jigging; a trolling setup with planer boards and braid/mono or lead-core for covering the bay's weed edges and reef contours.
Local Tips
['Fish the two halves differently: daytime trolling in the shallow, murky lower bay versus deep, clear water up north, where walleye hold in troughs by day and move up onto humps at low light.', 'Guides advise learning one area well rather than trying to fish…
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Related Water
Fish photos: walleye — Wikimedia Commons · muskellunge — Wikimedia Commons · smallmouth bass — Wikimedia Commons
Fishing regulations, seasons and limits change — always check the current rules for this water before you fish. Spot pins are approximate area markers, not launch or access coordinates.