Fox River (Illinois River tributary)

Fox River
The Fox River near South Elgin, Illinois
Fox River and its watershed
Fox River and its watershed
Location
CountryUnited States
StatesWisconsin, Illinois
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • location1 mi (1.6 km) southeast of Colgate, Wisconsin
 • coordinates43°11′09″N 88°11′42″W / 43.18583°N 88.19500°W / 43.18583; -88.19500[2]
 • elevation942.78 ft (287.36 m)[1]
Mouth 
 • location
Illinois River at Ottawa, Illinois
 • coordinates
41°20′37″N 88°50′26″W / 41.34361°N 88.84056°W / 41.34361; -88.84056[2]
 • elevation
460.28 ft (140.29 m)[1]
Length202 mi (325 km)
Discharge 
 • locationmouth
 • average2,346.01 cu ft/s (66.432 m3/s) (estimate)[3]
Basin features
ProgressionFox River → IllinoisMississippiGulf of Mexico
River systemMississippi River
Tributaries 
 • leftPoplar Creek, Morgan Creek
 • rightNippersink Creek, Tyler Creek, Ferson Creek, Big Rock Creek, Indian Creek
WaterbodiesChain O'Lakes

The Fox River is a 202-mile-long (325 km)[1] tributary of the Illinois River, flowing from southeastern Wisconsin to Ottawa, Illinois in the United States. The Wisconsin section was known as the Pishtaka River in the 19th century.[4] There is another Fox River in Wisconsin that flows through Lake Winnebago into Green Bay. There are also two other "Fox Rivers" in southern Illinois: the Fox River (Little Wabash tributary) and a smaller "Fox River" that joins the Wabash River near New Harmony, Indiana.

The Fox River (Illinois River tributary) is known locally as an excellent fishery with opportunities for Smallmouth Bass, Flathead Catfish, and Walleye. The rivers watershed encompasses 1720 square miles in Illinois and 938 square miles in Wisconsin.

  1. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, accessed May 13, 2011
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference gnis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ United States Environmental Protection Agency. "Watershed Report: Fox River". WATERS GeoViewer. Archived from the original on 2021-08-08. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  4. ^ Increase A. Lapham (1855). Ancient Works in The Basin of the Pishtaka River. ISBN 9780722203552. Archived from the original on 2016-05-29. Retrieved 2015-09-02. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)