Prairie River
A river in Wisconsin
About Prairie River
The Prairie River runs 26 miles through Lincoln and Langlade counties, past Parrish and Harrison down to Merrill and the Wisconsin River. The survey gives it 424 acres of surface and 90 miles of bank.
It is trout water, and seriously so: 52 miles classified as Class I and Class II with an Outstanding Resource Water listing, the state's highest water quality designation. Class I means the state considers the trout population self-sustaining without stocking. Smallmouth habitat is classified as nursery and wadable warm water on the lower reaches.
What sets this river apart is access. Fifteen public accesses are on record — carry-ins, launches and river accesses strung down its length — which is a remarkable number for a trout river of this size and makes it far easier to fish in pieces than most Wisconsin trout water.
Trout regulations vary by reach and season. Check the current DNR rules for the specific stretch.
Written from Wisconsin DNR hydrography and fisheries data. State water ID WBIC 1481200.
How the state manages it
- smallmouth · Wadable Nursery Waters; Wadable Warm Water
- trout · CLASS I; CLASS II
Wisconsin DNR fisheries designations. These describe how the water is managed, not what is in it on any given day.
Fishing license
Wisconsin sells them online. Buy one from the state. We don’t know whether you need one — that depends on your age, where you live, the water, and what your guide’s own license covers.