The Namekagon River is a tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the St. Croix River

St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota)

The St. Croix River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The lower of the river form the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The river is a National Scenic Riverway under the protection of the National Park Service. A...

. It is approximately 95 mi (155 km) long and is located in northwestern Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Its course is protected as part of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

According to the Geographic Names Information System

Geographic Names Information System

The Geographic Names Information System is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer...

, the river's name has also been spelled Namakagon and Namekagan. Its name is derived from the Ojibwe language

Ojibwe language

Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...

 Namekaagong-ziibi, meaning "River at the place abundant with Sturgeon

Sturgeon

Sturgeon is the common name used for some 26 species of fish in the family Acipenseridae, including the genera Acipenser, Huso, Scaphirhynchus and Pseudoscaphirhynchus. The term includes over 20 species commonly referred to as sturgeon and several closely related species that have distinct common...

s."

Course

The Namekagon River issues from Lake Namakagon

Lake Namakagon

Lake Namakagon is a large freshwater lake located in the Chequamegon National Forest in northern Wisconsin. The lake derives it's name from the Ojibwe language, and it means "Lake abundant with sturgeons. There are several restaurants and resorts located on Lake Namakagon, including, among several...

 in southeastern Bayfield County and flows southwestwardly through Sawyer

Sawyer County, Wisconsin

Sawyer County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 16,196. Its county seat is Hayward.-History:The county is named for Philetus Sawyer, who represented Wisconsin in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate in the 19th century.-Geography:According to...

 and Washburn

Washburn County, Wisconsin

Washburn County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 16,036. Its county seat is Shell Lake.-Geography:According to the U.S...

 Counties, past Hayward

Hayward, Wisconsin

Hayward is a city in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States, next to the Namekagon River. The population was 2,129 at the 2000 census. The city is surrounded by the Town of Hayward.-Transportation:U.S...

, and northwestwardly into Burnett County, where it joins the St. Croix, 45 mi (72 km) south of the city of Superior

Superior, Wisconsin

Superior is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 26,960 at the 2010 census. Located at the junction of U.S. Highways 2 and 53, it is north of and adjacent to both the Village of Superior and the Town of Superior.Superior is at the western...

. Near its mouth it collects the Totagatic River

Totagatic River

The Totagatic River is a tributary of the Namekagon River in northwestern Wisconsin in the United States. Via the Namekagon and St. Croix Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. According to the Geographic Names Information System, the river's name has also been...

.