FRNSA Information

The Fox River Locks System is the only fully restored, hand-operated lock system in the country. The 17 locks on the lower Fox River allow navigation over a 39-mile stretch of the river. In this distance, the river drops in elevation 168 feet—greater than the vertical drop of Niagara Falls. Constructing the system of locks and dams on the lower Fox River started in the late 1840s. Today, the locks unite Lake Winnebago to the Bay of Green Bay, and beyond. Lock tenders manually operate the valves that control water entering and leave the locks, change the water level, and manually crank open the lock gates--just as they did in the 1800s. Water moves through the locks via gravity; no motorized pumps are involved in lock operation. Most people are not aware that the Fox River is one of the few rivers in the United States that runs from South to North and empties into the Great Lakes. Locks operate from Memorial Day to Labor Day and a full schedule of operation may be found on our website.