St. Croix River lake (WI–MN border)

Lake St. Croix

St. Croix & Pierce Counties, Wisconsin

The wide lower St. Croix River from Stillwater and Hudson down to Prescott, on the Wisconsin–Minnesota border. Smallmouth bass and walleye are common, and boundary-water rules apply.

Air temp in Lakeland, MN Loading current temperature…

Red pins match the numbered boat launches below. Outline: U.S. Geological Survey, National Hydrography Dataset.

Current air temperature at Lake St. Croix (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area7,696 acres

Max depth—

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck local ordinances

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Smallmouth Bass●●●●○

Common. Rock and current breaks.

Walleye●●●●○

Common. Channel edges and bridges.

Musky●●○○○

Big baits along weed edges, rock bars and channel breaks, best in fall.

Northern Pike●●○○○

Weed edges and bays. Spoons, spinnerbaits and tip-ups through the ice.

Catfish●●●○○

Cut bait and nightcrawlers on flats and river mouths in the evening.

When they bite

Month-by-month activity for each target species.

	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Smallmouth Bass
Walleye
Musky
Northern Pike

SlowFairGoodHot

Boat launches

3 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

1Cove Boat RampPublic
Hudson areaDirections ↗
4 public landings in totalPublic
See the WDNR lake page for all locationsDirections ↗
3Lakefront Park Boat Ramp (Hudson)Public
Wisconsin DNR public boat rampDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Minimum size and daily limit for each species in Lake St. Croix are published by the state. Look up the current size and creel limits for this lake directly: Wisconsin DNR ↗

Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Wisconsin DNR before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.

Cabela's9.4 mi
8400 Hudson Road, Woodbury · closest to Cove Boat Ramp(612) 255-0000 Directions ↗
Walleye Willy's Bait & Tackle9.4 mi
14375 60th Street North, Stillwater · closest to Cove Boat RampDirections ↗

Search more bait shops near Lake St. Croix ↗

Local tips

Heavy recreational boat traffic on summer weekends.
Bridge pilings at Hudson hold walleye in cold months.
Boundary-water rules apply.

Angler reports

Water temp, what's biting, and anything else other anglers should know about Lake St. Croix.

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View on interactive map

Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches; blue pins are bait shops nearby.