Little Falls Lake
Willow River State Park

Little Falls lake is a relatively small flowage of 172 acres. Many visitors come to Willow River to fish, row, view wildlife, etc. on a non-motorized lake. The lake is used for canoeing, kayaking, sculling, and sailing. Thirty-eight percent of the lake is less than three feet deep, and much of that is less than 6 inches deep. The deepest part of the lake is 18 feet, just upstream from the dam. The lake is entirely within Willow River State Park.

Fishing

Park staff has installed fishing stations and supports fishing access from the dam. An amazing number and variety of fish are taken from Little Falls Lake each year.

The park’s friends group, the OWLs, has supported an annual Kids Fishing Contest. The OWLs have provided many fishing clinics over the years and rent out canoes to provide boating access to the lake. The OWLs are raising funds for an accessible fishing pier.

History

Before the establishment of the state park in 1972, Little Falls Lake was open to the use of all types of watercraft. In the early 1970s, it had become so heavily used by motorboats that the Town of St. Joseph passed an ordinance prohibiting motors on the lake. The Department of Natural Resources agreed that non-motorized use of the lake was more appropriate in a state park setting. About a year later, the lake was added to the Wisconsin law that prohibits motors on certain waters. It has remained non-motorized since that time.

Motorized Access for Disabled Boaters

Persons who are physically unable to row can obtain a permit to use an electric motor from the park manager. A physician’s statement indicating that the applicant is not capable of rowing or paddling a boat is requested if the disability is not readily apparent. Permit holders may operate a boat with a battery powered motor at slow-no-wake speed on Little Falls Lake. Permit information is posted at the boat landing.

Boat Landing and Parking Lot

A shallow boat launch accommodates small, non-motorized boats. A small adjacent parking lot is shared with other park visitors who use the nearby picnic area, amphitheater, trails, or shoreline for fishing.

Other Lakes

The only lake in St. Croix County that is not open to motorboat use is 172 acre Little Falls Lake. Eleven other St. Croix County lakes with a total of 2,679 acres are open to motorboat use. There are also 4,668 acres of adjacent St. Croix River open to motorboat use. Less than 1 percent of Wisconsin’s lakes are non-motorized, and most of those are in state parks and state forests.

For more information, ask:

Willow River State Park
1034 County Highway A
Hudson WI 54016
(715)386-5931 Office
(715)386-0431 Fax
(715)386-9340 Nature Center