History of Fishing on the Kinnickinnic

The Kinnickinnic is a world-class trout stream, boasting a large population of native brook and brown trout. The water quality and habitat have been a recent focus, which has made fishing on the river so successful. By removing dams the flow of the river has improved, which benefits the habitat and lessens sediment accumulation. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Kinnickinnic River Land Trust, and the Kinnickinnic Chapter of Pheasants Forever have been the main contributors to the effort.

Image by Kris from Pixabay

Other restoration efforts in the 1940s were headed by the River Falls Rod and Gun Club. The DNR began looking into erosion control and bank stabilization in the 1950s. Thermal monitoring in the 1990s revealed significant differences in temperatures in the river, which impacted the health of the trout population. Powell Falls and Junction Falls were the two remaining dams, which were removed in 2019 to help restore a free-flowing river to improve trout health throughout the river.

Because of all of these efforts, the Kinnickinnic has become one of the premier destinations for fly-fishing.

IMAGE FROM USGS, MNDNR, WIDNR & NPS