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Fishing St. Croix River: what the data says
The WI/MN border water. smallmouth, walleye and stray muskies. The river tops out around 15 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Smallmouth Bass fishing at St. Croix River
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Riffle & run (mile 8.1): a rock pile around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Walleye fishing at St. Croix River
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Saint Croix Falls Dam tailrace: a dam tailrace around 13 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Muskellunge fishing at St. Croix River
Spring muskellunge on St. Croix River hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. Riffle & run (mile 8.1) is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for fall muskellunge. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dusk | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Channel Catfish fishing at St. Croix River
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Outside-bend hole (mile 4.3): a creek channel around 11 ft that scores prime in summer. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday |
Flathead Catfish fishing at St. Croix River
Start shallow in spring: flathead catfish sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Tailout eddy (mile 0.6), a eddy pocket in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for flathead catfish in spring. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | night & dusk | |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | night & dusk | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday |
White Bass & Hybrids fishing at St. Croix River
Spring white bass & hybrids on St. Croix River hold shallow, usually 3 to 15 ft. Summer fish stay in 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Saint Croix Falls Dam tailrace, a dam tailrace in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for white bass & hybrids in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
St. Croix River also holds freshwater drum (4 to 15 ft in summer), longnose gar (1 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Saint Croix Falls Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 13 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 4.3): creek channel, around 11 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2): creek channel, around 11 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 9.9): creek channel, around 11 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 12.4): creek channel, around 11 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 16.1): creek channel, around 11 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 19.8): creek channel, around 11 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 23.5): creek channel, around 11 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 29.1): creek channel, around 11 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 40.3): creek channel, around 11 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 44.0): creek channel, around 11 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 47.7): creek channel, around 11 ft
- Tailout eddy (mile 0.6): eddy pocket, around 8 ft
- Current seam (mile 2.5): current seam, around 8 ft
Common questions
How deep is St. Croix River?
St. Croix River is about 15 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in St. Croix River?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, muskellunge, white bass & hybrids, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, longnose gar on St. Croix River.
Where is the best fishing spot on St. Croix River?
Riffle & run (mile 8.1) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish St. Croix River?
For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing) · Chippewa River · Lake Chetek · Namekagon River · Lac Courte Oreilles · Grindstone Lake
See how St. Croix River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best channel catfish lakes in Wisconsin · best muskellunge lakes in Wisconsin
Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.