St Croix Casino Turtle Lake is a tribally owned casino in northwestern Wisconsin, with slots, table gaming, several dining options, and hotel and RV accommodations listed by Travel Wisconsin. Its strongest reason to visit is a gambling-and-dinner outing, especially on weekends when the casino stays open continuously. The main limitation is that casino hours do not guarantee open tables, food service, or every advertised amenity. I see it as a better fit for regional players and short casino getaways than travelers seeking a full resort vacation.
St Croix Casino Turtle Lake at a glance
| Address | 777 US Highway 8/63, Turtle Lake, WI 54889 |
|---|---|
| Casino type | Tribally owned regional casino |
| Owner and operator | St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin |
| Published casino hours | Monday through Wednesday: 7 AM to 3 AM; continuously from Thursday at 7 AM until Monday at 3 AM |
| Slots and video machines | Approximately 1,100 in an undated Travel Wisconsin listing; current inventory needs confirmation |
| Table games | Blackjack, roulette, craps, and poker listed by Travel Wisconsin; current schedules unconfirmed |
| Hotel and RV stays | A 158-room hotel and on-site RV park listed by Travel Wisconsin; confirm availability |
| Dining | Me-Ki-Noc, Prime Rib Stand, and The Book Grill; seasonal seafood buffet advertised |
| Phone | (800) 846-8946 |
| Source research date | October 12, 2026 |
The machine and room figures provide a sense of scale, not a current official inventory or a guarantee of availability.
Property overview
The St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin identify Turtle Lake as a flagship tribal enterprise. Check that reservations, promotions, and directions refer to Turtle Lake, not the St. Croix properties at Danbury or Hertel.
I would approach this as a casino-centered outing with dining and potential overnight accommodations. Gambling is the main attraction. A meal and a room can make the trip more convenient, but their availability deserves separate attention.
For alternatives around the state, see our guide to Wisconsin casinos.
Casino games: slots, video poker, and tables
Travel Wisconsin’s property listing describes reel slots, video machines, blackjack, roulette, craps, poker, and a bingo hall. That suggests more variety than a slots-only stop, but the undated listing does not establish current game schedules.
An open casino does not guarantee that your favorite live table is running. If one game is the reason for the drive, call about that game specifically.
Slots and video poker
Travel Wisconsin lists approximately 1,100 reel slots and video machines combined. Current titles, denominations, progressives, and high-limit offerings are not established by the published information.
Check the total wager before spinning. A penny denomination does not necessarily mean a penny-priced spin, and progressive eligibility can depend on the selected wager.
“Video machines” does not establish a specific video poker inventory. Confirm availability, and inspect the actual pay table before playing. Neither a property-specific return percentage nor guest wins and losses would support a claim that the machines are loose or tight.
Table games
Blackjack, roulette, and craps appear in the tourism listing. Its figure of 24 blackjack tables is not a total table count and does not establish how many tables are operating today.
No current table minimums are supplied. Ask about your intended day and arrival time. For blackjack, I would check the payout and rules before choosing a seat: a smaller minimum is not automatically a better deal.
Poker room
Poker appears in the tourism listing, but current poker-room operations, cash games, and tournaments are not established. Ask specifically about poker against other players, rather than a house-banked game with “poker” in its name.
Before a poker-only trip, confirm the schedule and whether a game is likely to run during your visit.
Sportsbook
The Book Grill advertises sports viewing, but the supplied official dining information does not establish a retail sportsbook operator, betting hours, kiosks, or a wagering app. The name alone is not enough to promise sports betting.
Watching a game over pizza and betting on that game are different activities. Call before planning a sports-wagering trip.
Hotel and RV accommodations
Travel Wisconsin lists a 158-room hotel, an on-site RV park, a fitness center, and a pool/hot tub. Current room inventory, lodging arrangements, amenity access, and rates are not established by an official lodging page in the supplied research.
The official St. Croix Casino homepage provides separate Turtle Lake hotel and RV booking options. Select the correct property, then check availability and terms for your dates.
An available room can be more valuable than another hour of late-night driving. Before booking, confirm the hotel’s location relative to the gaming floor and how you get between them. Request the complete price, including taxes and mandatory fees, plus the incidental hold, cancellation deadline, and check-in and check-out times.
If the pool or RV facilities decide the trip, confirm their operation and access rules. An undated amenity listing should not be the sole basis for a reservation.
Restaurants, buffet, and dining costs
The official Turtle Lake dining page provides published hours and meal prices. My preference would be to choose the meal first, then fit the gambling around the kitchen’s schedule. The casino can stay open long after dinner service ends.
Me-Ki-Noc
Me-Ki-Noc lists hours of 8 AM to 10 PM Monday through Saturday and 8 AM to 8 PM Sunday. Advertised specials include:
- Monday: Steak and lobster, $36.99 or 60 points.
- Tuesday: T-bone, $35.99 or 60 points.
- Thursday: Steak and eggs, $19.00 or 25 points.
- Friday: All-you-can-eat fish fry, $13.99.
The fish fry includes beer-battered fried or baked cod, a choice of potato, coleslaw, and a dinner roll. It has the lowest cash price among these four specials, making it a useful budget reference, not proof of food quality or service.
Prime Rib Stand
The Prime Rib Stand advertises a prime rib sandwich and a smashburger menu. Published hours are 11 AM to 11 PM Sunday through Thursday and 11 AM to midnight Friday and Saturday.
It lists later closing times than Me-Ki-Noc, but it is not an all-night kitchen, even during continuous weekend casino operation.
The Book Grill and seafood buffet
The Book Grill advertises starters, pizza, and baskets alongside sports viewing. Regular hours are Friday from 4 PM to 10 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM to 10 PM.
A separate seasonal Thursday seafood buffet is advertised from 4 PM to 10 PM for $39.99, with snow crab, seafood, prime rib, other meats, sides, a salad bar, and desserts. Menus vary weekly. The season-ending notice names October 29 but does not specify a year. Confirm your date rather than expecting a year-round buffet.
Gamboool’s meal-budget and dining-point comparison
This comparison uses supplied public menu information and computed arithmetic, not a restaurant test, survey, or proprietary dataset.
Gamboool original analysis
We assembled the comparison below from published information and our calculations. These are selected examples, rather than measured gambling sessions or a representative survey.
| Detail | Published information |
|---|---|
| Me-Ki-Noc Monday special: Cash price, point alternative, serving window, and inclusions | Steak and lobster costs $36.99 or 60 points on Monday, from 10:30 AM to 10 PM, with a baked potato, soup or salad, and a dinner roll. |
| Me-Ki-Noc Tuesday special: Cash price, point alternative, serving window, and inclusions | The T-bone special costs $35.99 or 60 points on Tuesday, from 10:30 AM to 10 PM. It has the same listed point requirement as Monday’s steak and lobster but a lower cash price. |
| Me-Ki-Noc Thursday special: Cash price, point alternative, serving window, and inclusions | Steak and eggs costs $19.00 or 25 points on Thursday, from 8 AM to 10 PM. Its serving window starts earlier than the Monday, Tuesday, and Friday specials. |
| Me-Ki-Noc Friday special: Cash price, serving window, and inclusions | The all-you-can-eat fish fry costs $13.99 on Friday, from 10:30 AM to 10 PM. It is the lowest cash-priced special among the four weekday specials shown in the opened text; no point alternative is listed for it. |
| Me-Ki-Noc: Weekly restaurant hours | The restaurant opens at 8 AM daily and closes at 10 PM Monday through Saturday, versus 8 PM Sunday. |
| Prime Rib Stand: Weekly food-service hours | The stand opens at 11 AM daily and closes at 11 PM Sunday through Thursday, versus midnight Friday and Saturday. Its listed closing times are later than Me-Ki-Noc’s. |
| The Book Grill: Published weekly service schedule | The grill lists Friday service from 4 PM to 10 PM and Saturday and Sunday service from 11 AM to 10 PM. Unlike the other two dining venues, this schedule lists only weekend service. |
| Turtle Lake seafood buffet: Published price, weekly hours, and seasonal qualification | The page advertises a $39.99 Thursday buffet from 4 PM to 10 PM and identifies October 29 as the season’s final buffet, without specifying a year in the passage. Treat this as seasonal rather than a year-round dining promise. |
| St. Croix casino locations: Comparison of published operating schedules | Turtle Lake lists continuous operation from Thursday morning through early Monday, while Hertel’s continuous-operation period begins Friday morning. Danbury lists daily opening and closing times rather than a continuous weekend period. |
| Prime Rib Stand: Published quick-service food selection | The stand advertises both a prime rib sandwich and a smashburger menu, providing a quick-service alternative to the sit-down restaurant. |
| Calculation | Result | Takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Illustrative Friday fish-fry food budget for two adults, before tax, drinks, and tips | $27.98 | The Friday special provides a published food-budget option for a couple; keep tax, drinks, and tips separate from the gambling budget. |
| Illustrative Monday steak-and-lobster food budget for two adults, before tax, drinks, and tips | $73.98 | A couple choosing the Monday special should reserve more of the trip budget for food than a couple choosing the Friday fish fry. |
| Per-person menu-price difference: Monday steak and lobster versus Friday fish fry | $23.00 per person, before tax, drinks, and tips | Friday is the less expensive published special, but these are different meals offered on different days, not interchangeable same-day choices. |
| Monday steak-and-lobster menu-price equivalent per dining redemption point | $0.62 of menu-price equivalent per redemption point | Use this as a meal-specific redemption comparison, not a universal point value or an estimate of the gambling needed to earn points. |
| Thursday steak-and-eggs menu-price equivalent per dining redemption point | $0.76 of menu-price equivalent per redemption point | The Thursday special offers more menu-price equivalent per point than the Monday special, although meal preferences, travel dates, and redemption eligibility still matter. |
Research references: stcroixcasino.com.
Method: Published inputs collected 2026-10-12. Illustrative assumptions are labeled, and the full calculation inputs remain in the saved research record. These examples support planning; they do not predict a particular session.
For an illustrative couple ordering one special each, the calculations put Friday’s fish-fry food cost at $27.98, compared with $73.98 for Monday’s steak and lobster. Both exclude tax, drinks, and tips. Monday costs $23.00 more per person, but these are different meals on different days, not competing choices on the same evening.
The point comparison is more interesting than I expected. Thursday’s steak and eggs provides $0.76 of menu-price equivalent per redemption point, versus approximately $0.62 for Monday’s steak and lobster. Thursday offers the better redemption value on that narrow measure; meal preference, travel dates, and eligibility still matter.
These are meal-specific comparisons, not a universal cash value for casino points or an estimate of the gambling needed to earn them. I would compare meals using points already available, not gamble more to obtain a dinner offer.
Entertainment and amenities
Travel Wisconsin lists live entertainment, while The Book Grill advertises sports viewing. No current performer calendar, ticket prices, or admission policies were supplied. Confirm the event, seating, age restrictions, and ticket terms before booking an entertainment-centered trip.
For organized gatherings, the official meetings and groups page advertises Turtle Lake catering for groups of 50 to 300. That supports making an inquiry, not assuming every room or seating arrangement accommodates that range.
Directions, parking, and practical visit information
Use the published address, 777 US Highway 8/63, Turtle Lake, WI 54889, rather than searching only for “St. Croix Casino.” For winter visits, road conditions deserve as much attention as the route.
Smoke-sensitive visitors: Wanderlog’s review summary identifies heavy smoke as a recurring complaint. The supplied summary does not establish complaint dates or the current smoking policy. Treat it as a reason to ask about smoke exposure, not confirmation of today’s conditions.
Turtle Lake’s published continuous weekend operation begins Thursday morning, compared with Friday morning at Hertel. Danbury lists daily opening and closing times. This is a useful Thursday-night scheduling distinction, not a guarantee of open games or restaurants.
- Casino hours: Monday through Wednesday, 7 AM to 3 AM; continuously from Thursday at 7 AM until Monday at 3 AM.
- Age and identification: Confirm current gambling-age and entry requirements, and bring valid government-issued photo identification.
- Parking: Charges, valet service, and EV charging are not established. Ask about accessible parking and the best entrance if needed.
- Transportation: Arrange any shuttle or late-night ride rather than assuming availability.
- Accessibility: Request specific details about step-free routes, accessible rooms, and transportation assistance.
Rewards program
The meal specials establish point redemption for certain dishes, but the published information does not establish the current program name, earning rates, or full rules.
Ask at the players club which activity earns points, how dining redemptions work, and whether offers expire or have account restrictions. Keep rewards in the bonus category, not the gambling-budget category.
Strengths, drawbacks, and guest-feedback limitations
Strengths: A tourism-listed range of gambling, officially published sit-down and quick-service dining, extended weekend casino hours, and meal specials with concrete budgeting references.
Drawbacks: Food service is not round-the-clock, The Book Grill’s regular schedule is weekend-only, and several gaming and lodging details come from an undated listing. Poker, sports wagering, table minimums, smoking rules, and complete overnight costs need confirmation if they determine your plans.
Beyond the limited smoke-related review summary above, no usable recent guest-review sample or firsthand account was supplied. This guide does not claim an aggregate rating or guest consensus about room condition, food quality, or service. The strengths and limitations are editorial planning observations.
Who St Croix Casino Turtle Lake is best for
I see the strongest fit as regional players who want gambling and a meal, especially those with flexible game preferences and weekend plans. A short overnight outing may also make sense if the lodging arrangement and total cost work for you.
It is a less certain choice for someone traveling specifically for poker, sports betting, a pool, or a show. If one feature carries the whole trip, confirm it first. A quick call is cheaper than discovering your main attraction is unavailable after the drive.
Frequently asked questions
Is St Croix Casino Turtle Lake open 24 hours?
Not all week. Published hours are continuous from Thursday at 7 AM until Monday at 3 AM, with 7 AM to 3 AM hours Monday through Wednesday. Restaurants and individual games have separate schedules.
Does St Croix Casino Turtle Lake have a hotel?
Travel Wisconsin lists a 158-room hotel and an on-site RV park. Confirm current availability, prices, access arrangements, and amenities before booking.
Does it have a buffet?
A seasonal Thursday seafood buffet is advertised for $39.99. It is not established as daily or year-round, and the season-ending notice does not specify a year.
Does it have a poker room or sportsbook?
Poker appears in the tourism listing, but current room operations are unconfirmed. The Book Grill advertises sports viewing, which does not establish sports wagering. Call before planning a trip around either activity.
What should I budget for dinner?
Published specials include Friday fish fry at $13.99 and Monday steak and lobster at $36.99 per person. Allow additional money for tax, drinks, and tips, separate from gambling funds.
Sources and research note
Sources were collected October 12, 2026, and each distinct external source is linked once at its relevant use. Official dining information supports the published casino schedule and meal offers; the undated tourism listing supplies broader gaming and lodging descriptions. Booking, group-event, and review-summary links retain their specific qualifications above.
Legacy property link: St. Croix Casinos’ Turtle Lake hotel page. Retained from the original article; it was not opened in the supplied research.
Editorial note: This is an independent editorial synthesis, not a documented personal visit or an independently fact-checked article. The dining analysis uses supplied observations and calculations; couple meal budgets are illustrative. Prices, hours, eligibility, and facilities can change. The existing property image is retained, with no new license, attribution, or generated hero claimed. Ready for the owner’s factual and editorial review. Publishing is a separate action.
Poker room and sportsbook
There is no dedicated poker room or on-site sportsbook.