Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
According to current forecasts, this week starts out wet and cool (lows in the low 30s), with mild temperatures and a few rain showers to follow. In general, somewhat typical spring weather.
“Fishing slowed with the cold front,” says Pat at Happy Hooker, but find warm water, green weeds, and baitfish and gamefish will be there.
“For walleyes, fish weeds in 5-10 feet with small crankbaits or jigs and fatheads under slip bobbers. Northern are in the same locations, hitting suckers under slip bobbers, spinnerbaits, and Husky Jerks.
“Fish largemouth around shallow structure and weeds with crankbaits, spinners, plastics, and live bait. Catch smallmouth along breaks, points, and shallow rocks with plastics and live bait.
“Crappies are shallow, in weeds, trees, and brush. Use crappie minnows, waxies, and plastics on jigs or slip bobbers.”
Guide Dave Dorazio at Outdoor Creations says Chippewa Flowage muskies have mostly finished spawning and are moving to deep water.
“For the muskie opener, fish green weeds with 6-inch twitch baits and small bucktails. Walleye action is best with jigs and fatheads in wood in 12-20 feet. In the evening, crankbaits over weeds and wood produce larger fish.
“Northern action is best in the natural lakes on the west side. Fish spinner and crank baits around fresh weeds. Catch largemouth in these areas with spinnerbaits and weedless plastics.
“Crappies are in 6-10 feet, outside spawning areas, taking crappie minnows, feather jigs, and jigs/plastics.”
Bob at Hayward Bait says fishing is improving after the short cold snap.
“The walleye bite is still shallow, in 6-15 feet, with fatheads, walleye suckers, and leeches on jigs or under slip bobbers. During low light periods, cast and troll crankbaits. For good northern action, work spinnerbaits, spoons, or crankbaits around new weeds.
“Crappie fishing is improving in the shallows, 3-8 feet, with Mini-Mites and Tattle-Tails working well around any cover you can find. If the action is slow, try small minnows.”
Jim at Minnow Jim’s says fishing is improving on Nelson Lake.
“For walleyes during the day, jig minnows or leeches around drop offs. In the evening, work stickbaits along shorelines or float leeches or minnows off points, bars, and weed edges. Northern action is good with larger minnows under bobbers or large plugs cast near weedy points and shorelines.
“Crappies and bluegills are still trying to spawn. Work bays and shorelines with small dressed jigs, jigs and minnows, small spinnerbaits, or bobber fish leeches and worms.”
Mike at Jenk’s says Chippewa Flowage fishing will only get better with warming water.
“Walleyes are in wood in 14-22 feet near river channels, hitting jigs and minnows and leeches. Catch northern around weeds and panfish with jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and live bait.
“Largemouth are around wood in bays in 3-10 feet. Use wacky worms and crawfish imitations. For smallmouth, use the same presentations on gravel and rock shorelines with wood.
“Crappies are in channels close to spawning areas. Many large fish are high in the water column on bogs. Use jigs or bobbers with Mini-Mites, Gulp! Minnows, Crappie Nibbles, and tubes.”
Carolyn at Anglers All in Ashland says Chequamegon Bay smallmouth in Sand Cut, Oak Point, and Brush Point are hitting jigs with plastics and suckers over wood and weeds. Clouser minnows and Bay Bugs work for fly anglers.
“Walleyes anglers are catching post-spawn fish at the head of the bay and mouth of Kakagon Slough on crawler harnesses and trolled stickbaits. Northern action is good at the head of the bay and in slough areas.
“Trout and salmon anglers are flatlining the first breaks with stickbaits and spoons on Dipsey Divers, with trollers from Houghton Point out to the Islands.”
This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter discusses radio tagged muskies.
“More than 12,000 Hayward area muskies are implanted with Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) radio tags that enable researchers to track growth, survival, and movement, leading to better muskie management and more effective stocking.
“The tags led to several interesting discoveries this spring. In Tiger Cat Flowage, we captured a small male muskie last seen in Spider Lake two years ago. It had made a three-mile journey down tiny, bog-choked, Spider Creek to its new Tiger Cat home. A muskie fingerling stocked into LCO this past fall had already moved into Grindstone Lake by spring.
“These tags will help us understand how much intermingling of muskies happens between lakes. Expect to hear many more interesting muskie stories!”
DNR fisheries biologist Skip Sommerfeldt says warming water spurred fish activity.
“Walleyes show no real pattern, though anglers report success with leeches, minnows, and crankbaits on breaklines in 8-15 feet. For northern, fish new weeds. Some largemouth and smallmouth bass are making spawning beds. Smallmouth fishing is catch-and-release in the northern zone until June 20.
“Warming water pulled panfish into shallow bays. There is some crappie spawning and this will increase in the coming weeks. Catch perch in 6-10 feet around structure on mud flats.”
The Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum in Spooner is hosting a free Wooden Boat and Canoe Show Saturday May 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event features canoes, boats, and canoe related materials of all types, some of the Midwest’s finest canoe builders, museum tours, a new annual exhibit, live music by The Porch Dogs, and food and beverages in the beer garden. For more information, call 715-635-2479.
FISHING REPORT
Walleye:
Walleye action is fair, with best success during low light hours. Fish are scattered in 5-25 feet, near bottom, around new weeds, wood, breaks, drop-offs, points, gravel and sand bars, and river channels. Walleye suckers, fatheads, and leeches on jigs or under slip bobbers work well. In the evening, cast or troll crankbaits and stickbaits over and along shallower weedlines, bars, points, and shorelines.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike are active around new weeds on points, shorelines, and in and near shallow bays holding panfish. Pike will hit spinnerbaits, stickbaits, spoons, crankbaits, and jerkbaits, but in the end, it is difficult to beat a northern sucker under a bobber.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth action is good and getting better with the warming water, especially in and near shallow spawning areas. Fish are around weeds, wood, structure, drop-offs, and points out to 12 feet or so. Use pre-rigged plastic worms and crawfish, swim jigs, spinners, chatterbaits, crankbaits, jerkbaits, crawlers, and minnows with slow retrieves.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth action is improving, but is catch and release only until June 20. You will find them on and near rock, wood, breaks, points, and shorelines in 3-10 feet. The most productive baits include tubes, swim baits, jerkbaits, various riggings of plastic worms and crawfish, and live bait.
Crappie:
Crappie action is fair to good, with fish in spawn/pre-spawn mode. Look for them in 3-10 feet, though considerably deeper on some lakes, around weeds, wood, brush, bogs, cribs, and other cover. Top bait choices include crappie minnows, waxies, Mini-Mites, Tattle-Tails, tube jigs, dressed/hair jigs, Gulp! baits, and plastics, with or without bobbers.
Bluegill:
Bluegill fishing is fair, but warming water temperatures will quickly improve action. Fish are in or just outside shallow bays and flats. The usual baits work – waxies, worms, leaf worms, crawlers, panfish leeches, plastics, and Gulp! baits fished on jigs or plain hooks, with/without bobbers.
Upcoming Events
May 13-19: Spring turkey hunting Period E.
May 20-26: Spring turkey hunting Period F.
May 23: Muskie season opens north of Highway 10.
May 23: Canoe and Wooden Boat Show, Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum, Spooner (715-635-2479).
June 6-7: Free Fishing and Fun Weekend. Free fishing, free admission to all state parks, forests, and trails.
June 6: Kid’s Fishing Derby, 9 a.m.-noon, Lake Hayward Park (715-634-4821).
June 20: Northern zone smallmouth bass season opens to daily bag limits (see regs).
June 25-28: Hayward 66th Annual Musky Festival (715-634-8662).
June 28: Hayward Bass Club Open Tourney, Round Lake (715-699-1015).
Through July 31: Illegal to allow dogs to run on DNR lands and Federal WPA (see regs for exceptions).
Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau and Sawyer County Record co-sponsor this report. For more information on area events and activities, visit the HLVCB’s Calendar of Events or call 800-724-2992.