Locks traffic spiked in 2020
Boat traffic through the lock system on the Fox River is up over past years, an indication that regional residents are choosing recreational activities closer to home during the pandemic.
In 2020, 3,982 boats with 17,755 passengers passed through the locks compared to 2,563 boats and 12,052 passengers in 2019.
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. During the 2020 season, about 25 miles of the 39-mile lock system were open.
While navigation on the full system ended Sept. 20, boaters can take advantage of free lockage from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 10-11 to view the fall colors from the Fox River. Locks will be open from Wrightstown through De Pere 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 the Menasha lock.
