The Fox River was a well-known route used by early explorers, missionaries, and fur traders to reach the Northwest and the Mississippi River system from the Great Lakes. Father Marquette traveled this waterway, establishing this route with fellow explorer Louis Joliet when they traveled with indian guides and became the first white men to explore the upper Mississippi River. Built in the mid 1800's, a barge canal linked the Fox and Wisconsin rivers at Portage, forming a continuous waterway from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River. Starting as a small creek in south central Wisconsin, the Fox flows through numerous towns, cities and villages, eventually joining it's largest tributary, the Wolf, to feed and nourish the vast Winnebago system. Never the commercial river early dreamers had thought it could be, the Fox River Country area has always been known for it's year-round outdoor opportunities, fishing, boating and abundant wildlife. Large shallow lakes are haven for water foul and are once again teeming with fish. Walleye can be found throughout the system, including from below the Montello dam, pictured above. From east of Pardeeville the Fox meanders through the Wisconsin countryside visiting places such as Endeavor and Packwaukee via the expansive Buffalo Lake. From Montello it falls towards Lake Puckaway and the Village of Marquette, before turning north towards Princeton. From here it continues north, growing from a small stream into a small river as it is joined by numerous tributaries prior to reaching Berlin. The lock and dam at Eureka has always been a popular fishing destination as has Omro, where white bass and walleye are often caught in legendary numbers. From here the Wolf joins the Fox just below Winneconne and travels east to Lake Winnebago before exiting at the north end and falling 164 feet through the famous Fox Cities,to the bay of Green Bay. This web site is dedicated to all these cities, towns and villages.