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The WI/MN border water. Smallmouth, walleye and stray muskies. The river tops out around 15 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Traced from the shoreline, St. Croix River runs 10,986 acres with 270.8 miles of edge, broken up by 236 islands. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 18.4) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. The basin spans about 46.6 mi end to end and 5.3 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Washington County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Perch Lake, 2 mi southeast of here.
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Riffle & run (mile 8.1), a rock pile in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 8.1) (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 8.1) (5 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 2.5) (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 2.5) (8 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Through summer count on 5 to 15 ft; the winter hold is 5 to 15 ft. Start at Saint Croix Falls Dam tailrace. It's a dam tailrace holding about 13 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Saint Croix Falls Dam tailrace (13 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Saint Croix Falls Dam tailrace (13 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & night | Saint Croix Falls Dam tailrace (13 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Saint Croix Falls Dam tailrace (13 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, muskellunge run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 15 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. Fall muskellunge concentrate at Riffle & run (mile 8.1), a prime-rated rock pile around 5 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 8.1) (5 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 15 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 9.9), a creek channel in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 9.9) (11 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 9.9) (11 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 9.9) (11 ft) |
Spring puts flathead catfish in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 15 ft. Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) is the standout, an eddy pocket at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring flathead catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (8 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: white bass & hybrids sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 5 to 15 ft covers summer, 5 to 15 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Saint Croix Falls Dam tailrace, a dam tailrace in the 13 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Saint Croix Falls Dam tailrace (13 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Saint Croix Falls Dam tailrace (13 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Saint Croix Falls Dam tailrace (13 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Saint Croix Falls Dam tailrace (13 ft) | 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.
St. Croix River carries 28 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Saint Croix Falls Dam tailrace, about 13 ft down.
Access data: Wisconsin DNR — Boat Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to St. Croix River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
St. Croix River is about 15 ft (5 m) deep 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.
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, muskellunge, channel catfish, flathead catfish, white bass & hybrids, freshwater drum, longnose gar 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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
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.
Fishing on St. Croix River is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Perch Lake 2 mi, WI · Bass Lake 4 mi, WI · Little Carnelian 4 mi, MN · Little Falls Lake 5 mi, WI · Lily 5 mi, MN · Big Carnelian 5 mi, MN · Loon 6 mi, MN · Dry Dam Lake 6 mi, WI · Mallalieu Lake 6 mi, WI · Riverdale Flowage 6 mi, WI · Long 6 mi, MN · Louise 6 mi, MN
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
More water nearby: Washington County fishing maps (48 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.