Marinette County contains 304 rivers and streams with a total length of 920 miles.
There are 191 rivers and streams, (totaling 614 miles) classified as trout waters. These are the highest number of trout streams and miles of trout streams of any county in the state.
Fifty-two streams or stream sections are designated as Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW). An additional 109 streams or stream reaches are designated as Exceptional Resource Waters (ERW). These are also more than any other county the state.
The Peshtigo and Menominee Rivers are the two largest in the county. The Menominee River flows 84 miles and drains 4,055 square miles of Wisconsin, not to mention the drainage from Michigan. The Peshtigo River flows for 66.7 miles, draining 1,077 square miles.
Marinette County's rivers and streams are important to residents and tourists alike for the many types of recreation that can be enjoyed on them. Fishing of all kinds from trout to sturgeon, canoeing, whitewater rafting, and waterfall viewing are the most popular.
All of the navigable rivers and streams in the county have been classified by the county Land Information Office to aid in creating stream management plans and are found in the county Shoreland Zoning Ordinance.
