Boaters can take advantage of free lockage on the weekend of October 10 and 11 from 10 am- 6 pm to view the fall colors from the Fox River. Locks will be open from Wrightstown through DePere to the Bay of Green Bay, and on the south leg of the system from Kaukauna through the Heart of the Valley, Appleton and Little Lake Butte des Morts to Menasha lock. In addition, pedestrians have access to locks located in DePere, Little Chute, Menasha and Appleton locks. For location maps, please visit www.foxlocks.org.
“The most beautiful views of the foliage are right from the Fox River,” said Jeremy Cords, CEO of the Fox River Navigational System Authority (FRNSA). “We want boaters and pedestrians to see the breathtaking scenery from the locks, so we’ll waive fees for this weekend to encourage more people to use the locks.”
Boat traffic through the lock system on the lower Fox River is up over past years, an indication that regional residents are choosing recreational activities closer to home during this time of pandemic.
Boat traffic through the lock system on the lower Fox River is up over past years, an indication that regional residents are choosing recreational activities closer to home during this time of pandemic.
| Lockages | Boats | Passengers | |
| 2020 | 2,852 | 3,982 | 17,755 |
| 2019 | 2,060 | 2,563 | 12,052 |
Navigation on the full system ended September 20. The lock system on the Fox River is one of the only fully restored, hand-operated lock systems in the nation and all locks are on the National Register of Historic Places. Just as they did when the locks were built in the 1850s, lock tenders open and close the giant gates and valves by hand.
