Chippewa River Wissota Dam to Chippewa Dam

I managed to get out a 1few times on this strech of river. Is all I can say is WOW! I can’t tell you how may smallies I boated, most in the 12-14″ range. I did have several dandies 18″ and a 19″ to top off the night last night. This really kind of disappointed me though because I was looking for some eyes. I found them too! I worked a strech up by the Wissota Dam and managed to pick up a few. Most being caught in 14′ of water on jig and crawler and electric blue ringworms. Now that I’m gonna be living up in Chippewa Falls for a while I’m gonna be fishing more spots up that way.

I almost forgot to mention. If you do fish this and think you have a snag….work on it a couple of minutes. I thought I had a snag yesterday and when I trolled up to where it was caugth and the snag took off I was suprised. I hooked a 3′ sturgeon. I never hot him into the boat. The line broke before that could happen. He put up a heck of a fight 30min it took me to get him to the surface.

Good report. That is an awesome strech of river. I have lots of family in eua claire and chippewa and have caught a lot of fish out of that strech. Those bronze backs in current are about the funnest fish to catch.

Try Muskies under the new bridge on the south shore – you’ll WOW!!!

Its nice to git behind a dam becasue the river is damn low these days. How was the river here.

The river here was GREAT. There were No BUGS! The flow is a little low, but that is understandable. The fish are on a terror. I can’t believe the numbers of smallies. I did watch some guys out last night fishing for the muskies. They didn’t have any luck. Have any of you fished that part of the river at all? Just looking at some tips on different places. Otherwise good fishing the past couple times out and gonna explore some other spots soon.

Hi Krisko, That area is right behind work. Do you ever go out during the week after 3:30 ? If you do and have a spot in your boat just shout? There is some large catfish in there along with walleyes, and huge sturgeon. I think if you go back a page or two on this forum I have some pics of friends with sturgeon and the larger one was over 65 inchs. I’m sure there are over 6 footers in there. Are you moving over that way ?
It is sure nice without bugs isn’t it .

The past couple of times I was out by myself. I’ve been trying to fish later in the day and usually go out right about then. You”ll have to pm me a phone number. I’m moving/moved up there to my fiance’s place. We’ll be there for a bout a year or so. So I’m all for fishing that part of the river and Wissota. I know there are some huge fish out there. She had hooked a huge one the other night and got it up and saw it was 3′-4′. It is amazing what could be in there. Just give me a shout.

Where you close to the damm? Or downstream more?

I fished up by the dam where the spillway comes in to the bridge. I also fished down below the boat landing too. I actually fished all over but these two places were the best producers.

I’m heading out tonight again on this streach of river. I’ll let you know how I did guys and give you better locations at where I’m fishing.

Awesome I look forward to the post!

Krisko, welcome found my kids favorite place to fish it is a great stretch to fish, my little guy caught his first fish 17in smallie on a spongbob pole there, he’s hooked for life!!!!
for anyone going to fish this stretch do not cut across the first bend by the pumphouses that a prop buster, keep to the left and swing thru the bend you will have 10 to 30ft all the way to the spillway. from the spillway to the dam also has some huge rocks just below the surface. saw a guy with a new lund beach it on top of one but what a river cats,ski’s,eye’s,crappie’s,and of course smallie and sturgeon abound. This section was on a popular fishing show
30+ fish a day possible.

You aren’t kidding. There are tons of fish. I have been targeting smallies and walleyes. The only problem is there are sooooo many small ones. The other day out I caught 38 fish. All but 3 were smallies. The largest of the smallies was 17″ Most were 10-13″ long. I guess I just need a little help and need to explore a little bit more. I’ve been fishing the same 3 spots. I went through 72 crawlers the other day and 2 dozen leaches. If anyone has some places that they wouldn’t mind sharing on where to catch some of the crappies that would be nice. Also can anyone tell me how much this freezes up during the winter or is it open water. I’d like to hit this early in the spring for eyes and possibly during the winter.

Its preety open, it freezes around the shore but im not sure if id trust the ice even there.

No I’d like to winter fish it in a boat to see what kind of eyes I can’t get out of there.

Oh ok, I think you could winter fish it. Havent seen anyone, but giver a try, it might be a new hot spot. You never know.

I made it out for a couple of hours of fishing here again. I had to try out the hot spot I’ve had there. Again…the bite was on. It never seems to matter when I’m there the smallies are always on a terror. The big ones are only there in the early morning or night, buy you can always catch fish. I ended up catching 10-15 smallies all 12-14″ long. Most were on the smaller side. I did have a couple nice ones get into the boat. The biggest was 18″ and what a fighter. They have so much power.

I did manage a couple of eyes too. I caught them on electric blue ring worms. I had ran out of crawlers so these were the next best thing for the bass and eyes. I had some storm clouds roll in so I got off of the water before I got soaked, which of course it never ended up raining.

I really like fishing this area, I do have a couple of questions though…where do the eyes seem to hang out here and why does everyone head way up to the dam and what do they target? I did get a couple of these questions answered that night….except for I’m not able to find any eyes here right now…guess I’ll have to do more looking.

Don’t feel bad. I have had a tough time finding the ‘eyes down there too. I was trying to solve the walleye mystery too.

Good luck!

Sully

i have fished way up the at the dam before and have caught about everything in the river. when i would go up there were would just jig minnows. would catch smallies, walleyes, big channel cats. It is a good place to fish. dont hit any rocks on the way up.

Computer problems at home have kept me away from the forums lately but it’s time to try for a sturgeon. Hey Krisko did you pick up a tag for one of those beasts yet? How about everyone else. Steve

Nope didn’t pick up a tag…I don’t have anything that would even let me catch a small one anyway…I’m still trying to find eyes on that part of the river.

I have a couple of rods you wanna try some evening? Is the walleye limit 5 under 14 inch for this section of river still?
Steve

Yep as far as I know the limits are the same. I havn’t seen anything different. I haven’t been able to catch a limit of keepers yet. I haven’t been able to catch any decent sized eyes. I’ll have to try next week some. I’m off Sun-Tues

Made it out tonight for a couple of hours. I tried jigs with minnows and crawlers and even some plastics and nothing. Where did all the fish go?

Well is all I have to say is BURRRRRR. I went out yesterday to do a little fishing on the river and Wissota. Since bigpike said fish were biting I thought I’d try some other places. I fished Lake Wissota and could only manage about 10 small perch. I fished al over the place too. I really think that lake is starting to suck.

Anyway back to the river. I went up by the dam first. The water was moving pretty good and had a lot of foam on it coming from the dam. The first cast with my BFT Paddletail and the jig hit the water and just kind of sat there. I gave it a jerk and BOOM the line took off a ways. I thought forsure I had snaged a sturgeon or something. I got it up off of the bottom and saw it was a rather large musky. He fought for awhile and finally got him aboard. He was 42″ long not bad for your first cast huh, so why does everyone make it sound so tough to catch one of these. I even brought him in on 8lb line. I fished for about 2 hours catching a couple of dink walleyes and one huge perch. I ran into a guys in a canoe and he was fishing for crappies. He had caught a couple and went here and there. He said a little bit ago they shocked that part of the river and had quite a bunch of them. I’d like to know where to catch them.

Monday will be off to the Mississippi for some fall eye action and some crappie fishing. See ya on the water.

Does anyone fish this strech in the winter via boat?

Sully

I haven’t seen anyone…I was going to check out the landing today, but I’m a little sick.

I see some of that stretch daily and I keep watching for boats and never see any. Not sure how the landing is either. Hey Krisko you got the CRUDE too. I’ve been sick for over a week now. Chest clogged up,nose clogged caughing,throat not too bad. Hope to shake it soon.
Steve

My head is all stuffed and just a slight cough from a dry throat from my nose. I know I can’t wait for summer when I don’t have to deal with this cold stuff.

It is a great fishery. I’ve fished it all my life and still have more places to learn. I’m acutally heading out on this strech of river tomorrow to see what I can do.