Wisconsin is full of places to paddle, float, fish, or just watch and listen. The state has thousands of miles of rivers and streams that meander their way through tens of thousands of miles of varying terrain. One, the Mississippi River, winds its way through about 200 miles of Wisconsin and drains the third largest area of land in the world. With its 250 tributaries and branches, the river drains 41 percent of the country’s water from all or part of 31 states. Additionally, over 100 varieties of warmwater fish call the upper Mississippi home. Wisconsin also boasts a strong coldwater fishery with nearly 2,700 trout streams in the state that stretch over 10,000 miles.
Wisconsin has one of the longest free-flowing stretches of river, the Baraboo River, in the nation. The removal of four dams in the 1990s has allowed canoeists and other boaters to enjoy a 112-mile free-flowing stretch of this river. Kayakers and other whitewater enthusiasts will find 503 miles of whitewater rivers in the state to challenge them.
Wisconsin has approximately 56,884 miles of river, of which 276 miles are designated as wild and scenic—approximately 1/2 of 1% of the state’s river miles.
