The Fox River Lock System officially opens Saturday, May 16 and this season boaters and pedestrians have a lot to see!

Without the lock system, boaters on the Fox River would not be able to navigate the system of locks that cover 39 miles and drops in elevation 168 feet—a vertical drop equal in height to the total drop of Niagara Falls.

The locks give boaters about 20 miles of navigable waterway from just south of Wrightstown to the Bay of Green Bay; boaters have about 17 miles of navigable riverway from south of Wrightstown to Menasha.

Non-motorized boat traffic on the system has grown and kayakers and canoers are discovering how easy it is to travel the river. Kayak portages have been funded by grants from several community organizations including the David L. and Rita E. Nelson Family Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, Fox Cities Greenways, and the Fox Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau. Completed portages include:

• All four Appleton locks,
• Little Chute,
• All five Kaukauna locks have new portages constructed last fall,
• Existing portages that are slated for future restoration are at De Pere and Cedars locks.

Additional updates for the 2026 season:

• Annual passes are on sale now and ONLY available online. Boaters can enjoy five months of cruising the locks for only $150. A season pass gets you through any lock during any hour of operation from May-October; a $15 day pass gives you the same access for a single day of cruising.
• Locks in Little Kaukauna and De Pere are the busiest locks and are open seven days a week 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. May 16-Labor Day. In September and October, these locks are only open weekends until 6 p.m.
• Locks in Appleton, Little Chute, Cedars, Combined Locks, and all five Kaukauna locks are open weekends 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 16-Labor Day.

• Of special note are summer’s big holidays: Memorial Day, the 4^th of July, and Labor Day. All locks will be operational on these holidays.
• Public docks are available at Appleton Lock 2, Appleton Lock 4, at the Appleton Yacht Club, at the Little Chute Guard Lock, and at the De Pere Lock.

For a full schedule of lock hours, please visit foxlocks.org.