Green Bay (Lake Michigan) fishing conditions

Wisconsin · Lake Michigan / Door County · 1,626,000 acres · max 120 ft

Trophy smallmouth, giant walleye and big-water conditions

Sample dataUpdated October 19, 2026 — 2:04 AM

8.3out of 10

Current conditions

Excellent

Fishing score 83/100

How this score is calculated

Water temperature14.3 / 20

54°F and falling (-0.5°F / 3 days) against a 52–74°F active band.

Barometric pressure13.5 / 15

29.69 inHg and falling (-0.13 / 24 h).

Wind7.0 / 10

17 mph out of the N. Strong wind limits boat control and clean presentations.

Water clarity8.2 / 10

10.1 ft of visibility. Very clear — downsize line and lengthen casts.

Water level10.0 / 10

0 ft from normal pool and rising (+0.7 ft / 7 days).

Moon & solunar5.2 / 10

56% illumination. Quarter moon — weaker feeding periods, rely on light change.

Seasonal pattern10.0 / 10

Fall pattern is fully established, with good flow on a current-driven fishery.

Sky & rain15.0 / 15

18% cloud, 44°F air, 0 in of rain in 24 h.

What should I do today?

The single highest-percentage pattern for the conditions right now.

TargetSmallmouth Bass

Depth11–27 ft

LocationRock transitions, gravel flats, current seams and offshore humps

TechniqueNed rig / drop shot

Lure2.75 in Ned-rig finesse worm

ColorGreen pumpkin / smoke purple

RetrieveDrag and pause, 3–5 second pauses

Best window5:54 AM – 8:39 AM

WhyWater temperature is holding near 54°F, so the fall pattern is stable, falling pressure ahead of a change usually triggers a feeding window, bright sun keeps fish on shade lines and the deep side of structure, a 17 mph N wind is stacking bait on the wind-blown banks.

Backup pattern

Trolled crankbait along the break line for walleye — The Fox River run in March–April, then open-water trolling crankbaits over 20–40 ft through summer.

Right now

Current conditions

Water temp

54°F

▼ -0.5°F / 3 days

Air temp

44°F

18% cloud cover

Wind

17 mph

Out of the N

Pressure

29.69"

▼ Falling pressure — a change is moving in

Water level

0 ft

▲ +0.7 ft / 7 days

Clarity

10.1 ft

Strong flow

Rain (24 h)

No meaningful runoff

Moon

56%

First Quarter · solunar 12/100

Sunrise

6:19 AM

Low-light window opens 25 min earlier

Sunset

4:50 PM

Evening window runs the last 2 hours

Season

Fall

Pattern driving today's plan

Best window

5:54 AM

Through 8:39 AM

Timing

Today's fishing windows

12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM11 PM

Solunar minor 212:02 AM – 1:02 AM
Solunar major 25:32 AM – 7:32 AM
Morning prime window5:54 AM – 8:39 AM
Sunrise6:19 AM
Solunar minor 112:02 PM – 1:02 PM
Evening window2:50 PM – 5:25 PM
Sunset4:50 PM
Solunar major 15:32 PM – 7:32 PM

Structure

Lake structure and depth zones

Typical structure profile for Green Bay (Lake Michigan): door county reefs and rock shoals, fox river channel and mouth, sand and gravel flats, sturgeon bay shipping canal. Average depth 65 ft, maximum 120 ft.

Door County reefs and rock shoals
Fox River channel and mouth
Sand and gravel flats
Sturgeon Bay shipping canal
Weed beds in the southern bay

Substrate

Bottom composition and why it matters

Rock 30%
Holds heat in spring and crayfish year-round — the first place smallmouth and staging bass set up.
Gravel 22%
Primary spawning substrate. Fish stack on gravel transitions when water hits the 58–66°F band.
Sand 22%
Clean bottom for bait schools and sight-feeding fish, but little cover — look for the edge where sand meets something else.
Mud 12%
Warms fastest in late winter and holds wintering bait, but goes dead in the summer heat.
Clay 6%
Holds hard bottom in stained water and dumps the most colour after rain. Crankbait banks.
Vegetation 6%
Oxygen, shade and ambush cover. The outside grass edge is the highest-percentage line on most lakes.
Timber 1%
Vertical cover fish use to change depth without leaving structure — key on standing timber during frontal swings.
Brush / artificial 1%
Man-made brush piles and docks concentrate crappie and bass, especially where they sit on a depth change.

Depth

Depth guide for today

Depth bands for today — adjusted for the fall pattern, current water temperature, cloud cover and wind.
Species	Depth today	Activity	Where they are here
Smallmouth Bass	11–27 ft	High	Trophy fish on the Door County rock in 6–20 ft during the spring and fall windows; tubes, hair jigs and swimbaits.
Walleye	13–30 ft	High	The Fox River run in March–April, then open-water trolling crankbaits over 20–40 ft through summer.
Muskie	16–38 ft	Moderate	Great Lakes-strain fish in the southern bay; the fall trophy window is legitimate.
Yellow Perch	16–38 ft	High	Schools on sand flats; quality varies year to year.

Targets

Target species at this water

Smallmouth Bass

Trophy fish on the Door County rock in 6–20 ft during the spring and fall windows; tubes, hair jigs and swimbaits.

Active temp: 52–74°F
Structure: Rock transitions, gravel flats, current seams and offshore humps
Technique: Ned rig / drop shot
Bait: Crayfish, leeches
Lure: 2.75 in Ned-rig finesse worm (2.5"–4")
Color: Green pumpkin / smoke purple
Retrieve: Drag and pause, 3–5 second pauses
Best time: Mid-morning on cold fronts, low light in summer

Holds deep rock until water hits 48°F, moves to gravel spawning flats at 58–64°F, then splits between shallow current and 20–30 ft humps through summer.

Walleye

The Fox River run in March–April, then open-water trolling crankbaits over 20–40 ft through summer.

Active temp: 45–70°F
Structure: Gravel bars, rock reefs, break lines and river mouths
Technique: Jig and minnow / bottom bouncer with a crawler harness
Bait: Leeches, nightcrawlers, fathead minnows
Lure: 1/4 oz jig, 4 in ringworm (3"–5")
Color: Gold / firetiger in stained water
Retrieve: Drag slowly with the wind, short hops
Best time: Last hour of light through two hours after dark

Spawns on rock and current at 42–50°F, spreads over mid-depth flats through summer, and packs back onto sharp breaks as water cools under 55°F.

Muskie

Great Lakes-strain fish in the southern bay; the fall trophy window is legitimate.

Active temp: 55–75°F
Structure: Weed edges, rock bars and the deep side of points
Technique: Large glide baits / bucktails
Bait: Large live suckers in fall
Lure: 9"–12" glide bait or double-10 bucktail (8"–14")
Color: Perch / black-nickel
Retrieve: Fast burn with a hard figure-eight boatside
Best time: Late afternoon; moon-overhead windows matter

Weed-edge oriented all summer, then relocates to deep rock and big bait schools once water drops below 55°F.

Yellow Perch

Schools on sand flats; quality varies year to year.

Active temp: 45–68°F
Structure: Sand and gravel flats next to deeper basin water
Technique: Small jig with a minnow head
Bait: Minnow heads, perch eyes where legal
Lure: 1/8 oz jig (1.5"–2.5")
Color: Gold / chartreuse
Retrieve: Short hops on the bottom
Best time: Mid-morning

Schools tight on clean bottom; the school moves, so stay mobile.

Patterns

Season-by-season patterns

Winter

34–36°F

Ice fishing out of Sturgeon Bay for walleye and whitefish when conditions allow. Ice here is unpredictable — use a guide.

Spring

40–58°F

Walleye run the Fox River; smallmouth stage on Door County rock and are catch-and-release during the early season.

Summer

66–72°F

Open-water walleye trolling with crawler harnesses and crankbaits; smallmouth on deeper rock at 18–30 ft.

Fall

42–62°F

The trophy window. Big smallmouth on shallow rock and musky on the weed edges.

Outlook

7-day fishing forecast

Day	Score	Water	Wind	Pressure	Level	Clarity	Best species	Technique	Best window
Today	83Excellent	54°F	17 mph N	29.69"	0 ft	10.1 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	5:54 AM – 8:39 AM
Tue	86Excellent	56°F	14 mph E	30.27"	-0.3 ft	7.9 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	5:56 AM – 8:41 AM
Wed	83Excellent	56°F	7 mph SE	29.76"	0 ft	10.2 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	5:57 AM – 8:42 AM
Thu	79Very Good	53°F	19 mph NE	30.16"	+0.6 ft	6.8 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	5:59 AM – 8:44 AM
Fri	81Very Good	55°F	8 mph NE	29.70"	+0.3 ft	6.4 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	6:00 AM – 8:45 AM
Sat	85Excellent	54°F	12 mph W	29.75"	0 ft	9 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	6:01 AM – 8:46 AM
Sun	81Very Good	56°F	16 mph E	30.28"	+0.7 ft	5.9 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	6:03 AM – 8:48 AM

Trends

Last 7 days

Water temperature

-2 °F

54°F

TueToday

Barometric pressure

-0.1 "

29.691999999999997"

TueToday

Wind

-2 mph

17 mph

TueToday

Water level

+0.3 ft

0 ft

TueToday

Fishing activity

TueToday

Water temperature has fallen 2°F over the past week. Fish are repositioning to the first deeper break and the mid-day bite is usually the most consistent.

The water

About Green Bay (Lake Michigan)

The bay of Green Bay is one of the premier big-water fisheries in North America. It produces trophy smallmouth on the Door County rock, giant walleye on the Fox River and in the open bay, and musky in the southern shallows. Wind and boat size matter here as much as lure choice.

Surface area: 1,626,000 acres
Max depth: 120 ft
Average depth: 65 ft
Elevation: 577 ft
Typical clarity: 9 ft
Annual level swing: 3 ft
Coordinates: 44.800, -87.600
Region: Lake Michigan / Door County

Local knowledge

Expert notes

The smallmouth here move with water temperature in 1–2°F steps. A warm rain that lifts shallow water from 52 to 56°F will pull cruising fish onto the flats within a day.
Do not fish Green Bay in a small boat on a forecast over 15 mph. The fetch across the bay builds steep, close-together waves that are far worse than the wind speed suggests.

Logistics

Access, ramps and boating

boat ramp

Sturgeon Bay ramps

Multiple protected launches with access to the best smallmouth water.

boat ramp

Fox River (Green Bay) ramps

The spring walleye hub; expect crowds in April.

shore

Door County shoreline

Rock shoreline access for casting to cruising smallmouth in spring.

Rules

Regulations

Wisconsin fishing license with a Great Lakes trout and salmon stamp for some species.
Smallmouth bass: catch-and-release seasons apply on the bay in spring — verify dates each year.
Walleye: bag and size limits differ between the bay and inland waters.
This is big water; the Coast Guard enforces safety equipment requirements.

Always verify current regulations with the relevant state wildlife agency before fishing. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Transparency

Data sources

Where this data comes from

Conditions are modelled from each water's documented climate, structure and seasonal patterns. Modules marked “Live data integration pending” are not yet pulling from their API, so those values are clearly labelled as sample data rather than presented as real-time readings.

Weather API
Pending
NOAA / National Weather Service — Air temperature, wind, cloud cover, rainfall and barometric pressure with a 7-day forecast.
Water Level & Flow API
Pending
USGS Water Services — Reservoir stage, discharge and 7-day level trend from the nearest gauge.
Water Temperature
Pending
USGS / NOAA buoys — Surface water temperature and its multi-day trend.
Tide & Current API
Pending
NOAA CO-OPS — Tide predictions, current direction and speed for coastal zones.
Moon & Solunar
Live
Computed on-site — Moon phase, illumination and solunar major/minor periods are calculated from date and coordinates.
Water Clarity
Pending
Satellite imagery + angler reports — Visibility estimates by lake arm, refined by submitted fishing reports.
Fishing Regulations
Pending
State wildlife agencies — License, size and creel rules, linked to the official agency page for verification.
Map Data
Pending
Bathymetry + access point database — Depth zones, structure locations and boat ramps for the lake infographic.

Keep reading

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Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin