Fishing in La Crosse, WI Near La Crosse, the Upper Mississippi sprawls well beyond its main channel, creating hundreds of tiny islands, channels, and deep pools which harbor more species of fish than any other temperate-climate river in the world. Walleye is king in these waters, but you can catch just about anything here: sauger, northern pike, shovelhead sturgeon, large and smallmouth bass, perch, sunfish, bluegill, crappie, gar, channel and blue catfish, to name a few.
The La Crosse and Black Rivers, which join the Mississippi in the area, are home to many of the same species. A few miles north of La Crosse, the Mississippi opens into the 8,000+ acre Lake Onalaska, which features seven boat landings and is chock-full of panfish, northern, and bass, and the area also offers myriad cold-water streams rife with brown, rainbow, and brook trout.
The area features several boat landings, marinas, and beaches, as well as fishing floats and piers, guides, and numerous outfitters.