The Namekagon River, located in northwest Wisconsin, is part of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (riverway).  The riverway was established by Congress in 1968 under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. §§1271-1287) to protect and enhance its outstanding natural, scenic, and recreational values.  Although the Namekagon River appears undisturbed from human impacts when compared to other rivers, major logging in the 1800’s and early 1900’s changed the land-use and habitat along the river.  Populations of native, cold-water fishes declined as a result of habitat changes.  A primary focus for management and restoration is the native brook trout, an important sport fish for recreation in the cold-water zone of the Namekagon River.  The cold-water zone extends approximately 30 miles from the tailwater of the Namekagon Lake Dam to the headwater of Hayward Flowage.

A report detailing the fish habitat history of the Namekagon River is currently being written by biologists and resource managers from the University of Notre Dame, the National Park Service, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. 

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