Kinnickinnic River Fishing Guides
The Kinni, a spring fed limestone river through River Falls holding one of the densest wild brown trout populations in the Midwest.
Guides on the Kinnickinnic River
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About the Kinnickinnic River
The Kinnickinnic River, called the Kinni by nearly everyone who fishes it, runs southwest through Pierce and St. Croix counties to meet the St. Croix River near Prescott. It is one of the premier trout streams in the upper Midwest and carries a wild brown trout population dense enough to be cited in fisheries literature. The city of River Falls sits on it, and the river runs through town before dropping into the gorge below.
Despite the name it fishes as a spring creek. Groundwater emerging from the limestone and sandstone of the western Wisconsin uplands supplies most of the flow, which keeps the river cold through July and open through much of the winter and gives it the stable clarity spring creeks are known for. The mineral content supports dense scud, sowbug and caddis populations, and the trout grow quickly and hold in far greater numbers per mile than the river size would suggest.
Brown trout are overwhelmingly the fish, and the population is wild and self sustaining with no meaningful stocking. Densities in the upper river are exceptional, though the average fish is modest in size, which is the trade characteristic of very productive small water. Brook trout hold in the coldest spring fed upper tributaries. The lower gorge below town holds fewer but noticeably larger fish, and it is the stretch anglers go to when they want size rather than numbers.
Access is good and varied. The river runs through public parkland in River Falls, Wisconsin maintains fishing easements along the valley, and the Kinnickinnic State Park at the confluence with the St. Croix covers the lower end. The gorge below town is rugged walking and the descent is real, which keeps pressure down there despite the quality of the fishing. The upper meadow reaches are open, easy walking and correspondingly busy.
It fishes technically. The upper river is narrow, clear and open, so the trout see anglers early and an upstream approach with fine tippet matters. Scuds and sowbugs produce year round, caddis carry the spring and early summer, and terrestrials are the summer answer in the meadow water. The gorge is bigger, faster and more forgiving, and streamers worked through the deeper runs are the way most of its larger browns are caught.
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Access
River Falls - the city on the river, with parkland frontage and full services.
Kinnickinnic State Park - the state park at the confluence with the St. Croix River.
The Kinni gorge - the rugged lower canyon below town holding the larger fish.
Wisconsin public fishing easements - the marked easements along the upper valley.
Prescott - the town at the St. Croix and Mississippi confluence below.
St. Croix River - the larger river receiving the Kinnickinnic.
Glen Park - the River Falls city park with in town access to the river.
Seasons
Spring: rising flows and the first caddis, with the river off color after snowmelt and rain.
Summer: stable cold spring flows, terrestrial fishing in the meadows and technical conditions.
Fall: cooling water, coloring browns and the best streamer fishing in the gorge.
Winter: open water at the springs and an established catch and release winter season.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Kinnickinnic River?
As of Sep 17, 5:00 am, the USGS gauge KINNICKINNIC RIVER NEAR RIVER FALLS, WI reads 117 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Kinnickinnic River?
Anglers target Brook Trout, Brown Trout on the Kinnickinnic River in Wisconsin.
Where can you access the Kinnickinnic River?
River Falls - the city on the river, with parkland frontage and full services. Kinnickinnic State Park - the state park at the confluence with the St. Croix River. The Kinni gorge - the rugged lower canyon below town holding the larger fish. Wisconsin public fishing easements - the marked easements along the upper valley. Prescott - the town at the St. Croix and Mississippi confluence below. St. Croix River - the larger river receiving the Kinnickinnic. Glen Park - the River Falls city park with in town access to the river.
When is the best time to fish the Kinnickinnic River?
Spring: rising flows and the first caddis, with the river off color after snowmelt and rain. Summer: stable cold spring flows, terrestrial fishing in the meadows and technical conditions. Fall: cooling water, coloring browns and the best streamer fishing in the gorge. Winter: open water at the springs and an established catch and release winter season.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Kinnickinnic River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Wisconsin agency site: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/fishing/regulations