Willow River
A river in Wisconsin
About Willow River
The Willow runs 31 miles through St. Croix County, past Erin Prairie, down toward the St. Croix River near Hudson. The survey puts 257 acres of surface and 68 miles of bank on it.
Thirty-four miles are classified as Class II and Class III trout water and the river carries an Exceptional Resource Water listing. It is also on the impaired waters list. Smallmouth habitat is classified as nursery, wadable cool and wadable warm water.
One public access is on record, a canoe access. Willow River State Park sits on the lower river, which is where most people come to see the falls rather than to fish.
Trout regulations vary by reach and season. Check the current DNR rules for the specific stretch before fishing it.
Written from Wisconsin DNR hydrography and fisheries data. State water ID WBIC 2606900.
How the state manages it
- smallmouth · Wadable Cool Water; Wadable Nursery Waters; Wadable Warm Water
- trout · CLASS II; CLASS III
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.