Fly Fishing the St. Croix River, Minnesota: Sections, Seasons and Trip Plan
Location Details / Minnesota / St. Croix River
Fly Fishing the St. Croix River, Minnesota: Sections, Seasons and Trip Plan
The St. Croix River runs from Gordon Dam in Wisconsin to the Mississippi at Prescott, forming much of the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, and it is a smallmouth river first. Float the wild border water above Taylors Falls or the riverine stretch from Interstate Park to Stillwater, June through September. Base in Taylors Falls or Stillwater.
Our St. Croix guest is Kip Vieth, owner of Wildwood Float Trips in Monticello, Minnesota. On the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast episode published June 27, 2023, he said his crew fishes musky and smallmouth on the upper Mississippi and the St. Croix, and he called the St. Croix wonderful: a national wild and scenic river with very little development. He floats it in drift boats, western style, and would rather throw a topwater bug or a minnow pattern just under the surface than dredge crayfish.
Species
Smallmouth bass, musky, walleye and sauger, northern pike, lake sturgeon, catfish
Best months
June to September for smallmouth; September and October for musky (our reading)
Character
Big warmwater river: wild above Taylors Falls Dam, riverine to Stillwater, lake-like below
Nearest towns
Hinckley (St. Croix State Park), Taylors Falls, St. Croix Falls, Osceola, Stillwater
Nearest airport
Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP)
Rule to know
Above Taylors Falls Dam, bass are catch-and-release only from September 14 (2026)
St. Croix River Section by Section
River miles ("S" numbers, counted upstream from the Mississippi) come from the National Park Service, which manages the 255-mile St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.
Headwaters: Gordon Dam to Riverside Landing
Small, rocky Wisconsin canoe water. The NPS paddling guide flags the Coppermine Dam chute (S148.8, scout it or portage right) and Big Fish Trap Rapids (S140.0), the hardest on the Riverway, with no portage.
Upper Border Water: Riverside Landing to Highway 70
Easy paddling from Riverside Landing (S131.7) past Thayers Landing (S118.3), the St. Croix State Park landing (S108.5, behind an island on river right) and steep rapids near the Kettle River mouth (S96.7) to Highway 70 Landing (S89.7). Canoe or raft it and camp.
Highway 70 to Taylors Falls Dam
The NPS lower St. Croix guide lists landings at Stevens Creek (S84.8), Old Railroad (S82.0), Sunrise Ferry (S71.8) and Nevers Dam (S63.8), with riffles, sandbars and turbulent water at the old Nevers Dam site. The last 10 miles are Indian Head Flowage, lake-like water behind the dam at St. Croix Falls (S53.8). Our reading: Old Railroad to Sunrise Ferry is a full day of smallmouth water.
The Dalles to Stillwater: Interstate Park to Boom Site
Below the dam the river runs through the Dalles at Interstate State Park, then past Franconia, Osceola Landing (S45.5), the car-top Log House access and William O'Brien State Park (S36.7). Minnesota DNR rates smallmouth abundance here higher than average, with walleye, sauger, musky and lake sturgeon. No rapids, but strainers, wing dams and sandbars.
Lake St. Croix: Stillwater to Prescott
Below Boom Site Landing (S25.1) and Stillwater the river turns wide and lake-like, with heavy powerboat traffic to Prescott. Our reading: the weakest reach for a fly angler.
Reading the St. Croix's Flows
Live USGS gauges: near Danbury for the upper river, St. Croix Falls for the dam and the Dalles, and Stillwater for the lower river. The NPS says that below 3,000 cfs, boaters between Interstate Park and Osceola should stay in the main channel. At the high end, Minnesota DNR puts Taylors Falls to Prescott under slow, no-wake rules once the Stillwater gauge reaches 683.0 feet above sea level (gauge stage plus 600). Our reading: summer flows that expose the sandbars fish best.
When to Fly Fish the St. Croix River
| Target | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth bass | ||||||||||||
| Musky | ||||||||||||
| Walleye and sauger | ||||||||||||
| Northern pike |
Intensity:LightModerateHeavy
Our reading of the 2026 border-water seasons (bass and musky from May 23; walleye, sauger and pike from May 2). Blank cells mean closed or not worth planning around.
St. Croix River Rules to Know
- Border water: Minnesota-Wisconsin border rules apply on the St. Croix and Lake St. Croix, and you may fish shore to shore with either state's fishing license (DNR 2026).
- Bass above Taylors Falls Dam: 5, 14-inch minimum, May 23 to September 13; catch-and-release only September 14, 2026 to March 1, 2027. Below the dam to the Highway 10 bridge: 5, 14-inch minimum, May 23 to March 1 (DNR 2026).
- Musky: May 23 to November 30, 1 fish, 50-inch minimum (DNR 2026).
- Fish sanctuary: no fishing from bank or boat March 2 through June 15 from the Taylors Falls (St. Croix Falls) dam to the upstream side of the Highway 8 bridge (DNR 2026).
- Bait and boating: no crayfish for bait upstream of the Boom Site launch (DNR 2026); no upstream travel past the Soo Line High Bridge (NPS).
Plan a 3-Day St. Croix River Trip
Day 1: Float
Interstate Park to Osceola Landing
Base in Taylors Falls. Drift from below the Dalles to Osceola: no rapids, steady smallmouth water. Poppers at first light, then a minnow pattern just under the surface.
Day 2: Float
Old Railroad to Sunrise Ferry
The wilder border water above the dam: about 10 river miles of riffles, sandbars and rock. Hire a guide or bring a canoe.
Day 3: Pick by season
Osceola to William O'Brien, or Musky
Summer: float Osceola to William O'Brien State Park. September and October: give the day to musky with a big streamer.
What to bring: a 7-weight with floating and sink-tip lines, a 10-weight with bite tippet for musky, a PFD, the NPS maps and a Minnesota or Wisconsin fishing license.
Want it planned for you?
Book a Local Pro on the St. Croix River
Guide, lodge or outfitter on the St. Croix? Get listed. No FFIP Certified pro is listed on the St. Croix yet. Reach anglers planning this river.
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Plan a St. Croix River Trip with Frontiers
No St. Croix lodge is on our Frontiers list yet. We represent many great lodges through Frontiers International Travel, roughly 250 worldwide; ask anyway.
St. Croix River Tips from Podcast Guests
The first four are from Kip Vieth, who fishes the St. Croix; the last is transferable.
-
Eliminate slack immediately after the take to avoid losing fish
Kip Vieth, Bass Fishing in the Mississippi River -
Fish one efficient false cast instead of chasing distance
Kip Vieth, Bass Fishing in the Mississippi River -
Stay mentally locked in on every cast, not just the exciting ones
Kip Vieth, Episode 200 -
Book musky trips around the new moon and unstable weather
Kip Vieth, Episode 200 -
Move flies from topwater to deep through the day
Transferable: fits a long summer float.
A smallmouth guide on rivers near Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Browse every tip in the Fly Fishing Tips Library.
Hear the St. Croix River on the Podcast
Smallmouth and Musky in the Driftless Region and the Musky Mental Game: Kip Vieth on St. Croix and upper Mississippi smallmouth and musky. Read the episode notes, or hear his follow-up, Bass Fishing in the Mississippi River.
Shop the Water: Flies for the St. Croix River
Flashtail Bass Popper, Chartreuse
Deer Hair Popper, Natural
Black Dahlberg Diver, Size 4
Clouser Deep Minnow, Chartreuse/White
Clouser Deep Minnow, Brown/White
Mini Sex Dungeon, White
Cone Head Muddler, Size 4
Lefty's Deceiver Assortment
St. Croix River Fly Fishing Questions, Answered
When is the best time to fly fish the St. Croix River for smallmouth?
June through September is the best window for St. Croix River smallmouth bass, with topwater best on summer mornings and evenings. The 2026 border-water bass season opens May 23, and above Taylors Falls Dam bass turn catch-and-release only on September 14.
Can you wade the St. Croix River?
In places, but the St. Croix River is mainly floated. Our reading: low summer flows let you wade sandbars and riffles on the upper border water and below Interstate Park, but the river is big, with deep holes and soft sand. Float it and get out on the gravel bars.
St. Croix or upper Mississippi: which smallmouth river should you fish?
Kip Vieth fishes both. Choose the upper Mississippi for its long smallmouth slot water between St. Cloud and the Twin Cities; choose the St. Croix River for wilder, protected scenery and the remote border water above Taylors Falls. Both peak from June into September.
Are there musky in the St. Croix River?
Yes. Minnesota DNR rates musky abundance on the St. Croix River below St. Croix Falls as average, and Kip Vieth guides musky here. Border-water musky season runs May 23 to November 30 with a 50-inch minimum, so plan on releasing almost every fish.
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Tight lines, everyone!
By Christian Bacasa, host of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. Last reviewed November 2026.
Prices, availability, flight routing and entry requirements change. Every figure on this page is the starting rate published by the lodge or by Frontiers International Travel at the time of writing, per angler, and is a starting point for a quote, not a quote. Seasons, lodge capacity, charter schedules, visa and passport rules and license requirements can all change without notice. Confirm current pricing, availability and entry requirements with your Frontiers specialist before you book anything.
Sources: Minnesota DNR 2026 Fishing Regulations, the NPS upper and lower St. Croix guides, Minnesota DNR river and no-wake pages, and Kip Vieth on the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast.