It has its headwaters west of Goodhue and empties into the Mississippi River just to the north of Red Wing.

[5] Historically, Hay Creek was home to Brook trout and other species, which were depopulated due to farming practices in the late 18th and 19th centuries.

In the mid-1970s, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources started focusing on restoring Hay Creek.

[6] By 1976, over half of the length of Hay Creek is a Minnesota designated trout stream.

[7] Like the Vermillion River, Hay Creek receives extensive fishing pressure due to its proximity to Minneapolis–St.