Waters · United States
Kewaunee River fishing report
Updated Wednesday, October 21, 2026 · refreshed automatically through the day
Home of the state fish facility where Wisconsin collects salmon and steelhead eggs. Fish run up to the facility weir each autumn, so the short lower river concentrates them in a way few Lake Michigan streams do.
Today's report: excellent (82/100)
Coho salmon is the most promising species on Kewaunee River today. Water temperature at the gauge is 51°F (10.5°C) and barometric pressure is stable. Gauge KEWAUNEE RIVER NEAR KEWAUNEE, WI shows the water level steady.
Kewaunee River water temperature and flow
- Water temperature: 51°F (10.5°C)
- Discharge: 35 cfs (1.0 m³/s) — up 10% over 24 hours
- Level trend: steady
Measured at gauge KEWAUNEE RIVER NEAR KEWAUNEE, WI · reading 58 min ago. Published by the national hydrological service, not estimated by us.
Best time to fish today
- 4:00 PM–6:00 PM local time — score 81/100
- 6:00 AM–8:00 AM local time — score 79/100
- 9:00 AM–11:00 AM local time — score 85/100
3-day outlook by species
| Species | Wednesday, Oct 21 | Thursday, Oct 22 | Friday, Oct 23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinook salmon | 81 — excellent | 82 — excellent | 83 — excellent |
| Steelhead | 72 — good | 75 — good | 71 — good |
| Coho salmon | 82 — excellent | 86 — excellent | 81 — excellent |
Why this score
Cast & Scan uses a deterministic, published scoring model — no black box. The strongest influences on today's Kewaunee River rating:
- water temperature: helping (+1)
- pressure trend: helping (+1)
- solunar period: helping (+1)
- season: helping (+1)
- cloud cover: helping (+0.95)
- wind: helping (+0.9)
Forecast computed Wed, 21 Oct 2026 16:57:52 GMT · data: Open-Meteo + gauge KEWAUNEE RIVER NEAR KEWAUNEE, WI · refreshed automatically through the day · see our published accuracy
Winter fishing on Kewaunee River
Once the autumn egg-taking at the fish facility is over, the Kewaunee carries steelhead and some lake-run browns through the winter. The lower river is short, and slow sections freeze in cold spells. Open water in the lower river and the harbour is often the fallback. A mild spell or a small rise on the gauge usually gets fish moving again.
Seasons, closed sections and permits are set by the state and change. Check the current regulations before a winter trip, and never trust shelf ice or a forecast for your safety.
Wondering how this stacks up against the apps you already know? Cast & Scan vs Fishbrain vs BassForecast — an honest comparison, including where they beat us.
Read before you go
- Trout stream tactics, read through the forecast
- How river flow trend changes the bite
- Barometric pressure and fishing, explained
More chinook salmon waters
- Kenai River (Soldotna) — Alaska, USA
- Salmon River (Pulaski) — New York, USA
- American River (Fair Oaks) — California, USA
- Au Sable River (Foote Dam) — Michigan, USA
- Cowlitz River (Castle Rock) — Washington, USA
Nearby waters
- Green Bay — Wisconsin, USA (22 mi away)
- Manitowoc River — Wisconsin, USA (25 mi away)
- Sheboygan River — Wisconsin, USA (50 mi away)
- Lake Winnebago — Wisconsin, USA (52 mi away)
- Pere Marquette River (Scottville) — Michigan, USA (73 mi away)
- Little Manistee River — Michigan, USA (75 mi away)