One spot where you can get up close and personal with the St. Croix River is Afton State Park. Located at the edge of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, the river widens in this section of its course and so often is referred in the area as “Lake St. Croix.”
More than 60 fish species call Lake St. Croix home; among them are walleye and muskies (Minnesota’s and Wisconsin’s state fish respectively), northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegill and crappie. White bass is particularly abundant near the park.
A beach stretches for several yards along a section of the park’s shoreline. Amenities include benches to enjoy the view.
Here’s a brief video of the St. Croix River lapping at the shoreline of Afton State Park:
A great trail to enjoy the lake from is the North River Trail. The paved route skirts the river’s western shore for 1.1-miles one-way (2.2-miles round trip).
Read more about day hiking the scenic riverway in my guidebook Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.
