Kinnickinnic River

Photo: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States Opens in a new tab. · CC BY-SA 2.0

Should I go fishing?

Go with caution.

No single best way to fish. Wading and Bank fishing have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.

Check first: Water temperature is unconfirmed. Use a stream thermometer before fishing.

Rating updatedRiver local time: Sep 11, 2026, 10:54 PM CDT

Why this recommendation?

USGS shows 83 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1917-2024, 29 readings) show a median near 95 cfs and the lower quartile near 87 cfs; today's flow is below normal for the date. This is below normal, so edge depth, temperature, and pressure matter.

Available live dataHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.

Confidence in this recommendationMediumWater temperature not verified; do not use this score to clear warm-water risk.

Usually checks again about every 45 minutes

If you go

Check first: The page title uses DNR and USGS spelling: Kinnickinnic River.
Try: Approach from downstream and stay low. The water often punishes careless movement.
Leave when: Skip or change the plan when stormwater has the river rising or dirty, summer water is warm, the intended bank is not clearly public, pressure is stacked on one pool, or the only flow source being checked is the Milwaukee river gauge.

Flow and weather

Showing server-checked river conditions while current readings refresh.

Flow: 83 cfs; Stable over about 6 hoursU.S. Geological Survey may revise this reading
Air forecast: 73°F
Next 24h high: 76.0°F
NWS air forecast near Sep 12, 2026, 4:00 PM CDT
Rain chance: 22%

This is an air forecast, not a river-temperature reading. Check the water with a stream thermometer before fishing in hot weather.

7-day U.S. Geological Survey chart

Recent flow

Discharge

114 cfs82 cfs

Sep 4Sep 11

Latest reading: 83 cfs. Stable over about 6 hours. Chart covers Sep 4 through Sep 11; readings are provisional and may be revised.

Latest stored weather check

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Wind: 20 mph
Weather checked: Sep 11, 2026, 10:00 PM CDT

More forecast and source details

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

National Weather Service

Kinnickinnic River near River Falls, Wisconsin

The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.

Live data

Where these readings come from

Current U.S. Geological Survey gauge: Kinnickinnic River near River Falls

Stable over about 6 hoursU.S. Geological Survey may revise this readingObserved Sep 11, 2026, 10:00 PM CDT

Official U.S. Geological Survey station Opens in a new tab.Official NWS forecast Opens in a new tab.

These values are from the latest server-checked river data. JavaScript can refresh them with newer readings. Use the official links below for the newest readings before you fish.

Flies for this time of year

Seasonal starting points, not a live hatch report. Match what you see on the water.

See flies for every season

SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try

March to April

What to look forMidges, little black stones, BWOs, scuds, and early caddis

Flies to try

Zebra Midgeblack stoneflyBlack Stonefly Patterns BWO emergerBlue-Winged Olive Patterns caddis pupaCaddis Pupa Patterns

Also try scud

May to June

What to look forCaddis, sulphurs, craneflies, small mayflies, and evening spinners

Flies to try

Elk Hair Caddissulphur emergerSulphur Mayfly Patterns pheasant tailPheasant Tail Nymph

Also try cranefly larva, rusty spinner

July to SeptemberThis season

What to look forTricos, ants, beetles, hoppers, tiny olives, and low-light caddis

Flies to try

foam antAnt Patterns beetleBeetle Patterns hopperGrasshopper Patterns BWO emergerBlue-Winged Olive Patterns X-Caddis

Also try Trico spinner

October to February

What to look forMidges, scuds, BWOs, small streamers, and winter nymph windows

Flies to try

Midge pupaMidge Patterns by Stage BWO emergerBlue-Winged Olive Patterns micro buggerWoolly Bugger soft hackleSoft-Hackle Wet Flies

Also try scud

Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.

More fishing tips

Methods, fish species and trip notes

How to fish Kinnickinnic River today.

Stable clear water is best for dries, scuds, and careful nymphing. Rain bumps can help streamers once the river starts dropping, but muddy or rising water is a poor plan.

Clear and normal

Fish small dries, scuds, and light nymph rigs with long approaches.

Slightly stained and falling

Use small streamers tight to banks and wood.

Rising after rain

Give it time. Stormwater can reduce clarity and safety.

Summer heat

Check temperature and stop if trout handling is stressful.

Wading, bank fishing or floating?

Access choicesNo single best option

Wading and Bank fishing have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.

Wading64/100

Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.

Bank fishing64/100

Bank and edge fishing remains a practical low-commitment option if access is legal and footing is safe.

FloatingNot recommended

This report does not recommend floating this reach.

Full river report

Is Kinnickinnic River worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for Wisconsin before you go.

The Kinnickinnic near River Falls is a cold, technical trout stream. Use the USGS River Falls gauge, DNR trout sources, and public-access checks before choosing a reach or fly size.

Fishing words used on this page

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauge: A USGS gauge is an official river station that measures flow or water height.
Cubic feet per second (cfs): Cubic feet per second, or cfs, shows how much water passes the gauge each second.
Technical fishing: Technical fishing means the fish are hard to fool, so careful casts and natural drifts matter.
Nymph: A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
Blue-winged olive (BWO): Blue-winged olives, or BWOs, are small mayflies that often hatch in cool or cloudy weather.
Caddis: Caddis are small water insects. The adults look a little like tiny moths.
Emerger: An emerger copies an insect as it rises from below the water toward the surface.
Midge: Midges are tiny flies and a common trout food, especially in cold water.
River reach: A reach is one named section of a river or stream.
Scud or cressbug: Scuds look like tiny freshwater shrimp. Cressbugs are small bugs that crawl along the river bottom.

Why this call

Why this score

FlowUse caution

Short-term weatherUse caution

The forecast has storm or heavy-precipitation risk, so timing and access matter more than the score alone.

Best mode nowUse caution

Wade: Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.

SeasonHelps

Fall: Streamers, terrestrials, and clear-water sight fishing.

WeatherHelps

The current NWS air forecast is about 73F, and the next 24-hour high reaches about 76F. Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms.

Trip notes

Check these before you choose a reach.

Best flows

Use USGS 05342000 near River Falls for this page. A Milwaukee Kinnickinnic RiverReports gauge is intentionally not used because it belongs to a different urban river.

When to leave

Skip or change the plan when stormwater has the river rising or dirty, summer water is warm, the intended bank is not clearly public, pressure is stacked on one pool, or the only flow source being checked is the Milwaukee river gauge.

Local plan

Start with the DNR fishery-area and trout-map context, then use the River Falls gauge and weather to choose one legal reach, one stealth rig, and one backup water before fishing.

Backup water

If the Kinnickinnic is muddy, warm, crowded, or access-limited, compare Rush River, Black Earth Creek, or West Fork Kickapoo River before forcing the same reach.

Kinnickinnic River access and rules.

Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter.

Before you go

Check Wisconsin trout rules and DNR maps before fishing the Kinnickinnic. Season dates, harvest rules, and access boundaries should be verified for the exact reach.

Where to access the river

River Falls area

Core access and flow context for this page.

Road-bridge and public-frontage reaches

Check signs and easements before entering.

Lower Kinni context

Use DNR and local conservation sources for access and habitat awareness.

Public frontage and road crossings do not make every bank public.
Urban stormwater can create sudden clarity and temperature changes.
The slug keeps the old inventory spelling, but the page copy uses official Kinnickinnic spelling.

If this water does not fit the day, check another report before you start the drive.

WisconsinRush River fishing reportAnother western Wisconsin trout stream with private-land and rain checks.

WisconsinBlack Earth Creek fishing reportA spring-creek trout comparison west of Madison.

WisconsinWest Fork Kickapoo River fishing reportA Driftless trout-stream plan with fishery-area access.

See all Wisconsin fly fishing reports

Sources and report details

Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.

Rules and closures

Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.

Fishing rulesOfficial agencyWisconsin 2026-2027 new fishing regulationsdnr.wisconsin.gov (opens in a new tab)

Flow and weather

Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.

SafetyOfficial agencyNational Weather Service point near River Fallsforecast.weather.gov (opens in a new tab)

Access and land

Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.

Public accessOfficial agencyDNR Kinnickinnic River Fishery Areadnr.wisconsin.gov (opens in a new tab)

Rules and closures

Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.

Fishing rulesOfficial agencyWisconsin 2026-2027 new fishing regulationsdnr.wisconsin.gov (opens in a new tab)

What this source covers

Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.

Fishing rulesOfficial agencyWisconsin fishing regulationsdnr.wisconsin.gov (opens in a new tab)

What this source covers

Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.

Fishing rulesOfficial agencyWisconsin inland trout fishingdnr.wisconsin.gov (opens in a new tab)

What this source covers

Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.

Flow and weather

Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.

SafetyOfficial agencyNational Weather Service point near River Fallsforecast.weather.gov (opens in a new tab)

What this source covers

Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.

River readingOfficial agencyUSGS 05342000 Kinnickinnic River near River Fallswaterdata.usgs.gov (opens in a new tab)

What this source covers

Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.

Access and land

Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.

Public accessOfficial agencyDNR Kinnickinnic River Fishery Areadnr.wisconsin.gov (opens in a new tab)

What this source covers

Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.

Public accessOfficial agencyWisconsin trout stream mapsdnr.wisconsin.gov (opens in a new tab)

What this source covers

Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.

Quick questions

What should I check before fishing Kinnickinnic River?

Wisconsin trout rules, USGS flow, recent rain, public access boundaries, and water temperature

Which flow should I use for Kinnickinnic River?

Use USGS 05342000 near River Falls for the live flow trend, then check clarity and recent rain before choosing small flies.

Where should I start on Kinnickinnic River?

Start around River Falls public-frontage and bridge-access options, then confirm signs and easements.

Can I wade Kinnickinnic River?

Yes in many reaches at normal flows, but move slowly and avoid cutting soft banks or undercuts.

Kinnickinnic River

Go with caution.

If you go