Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
This week’s forecast shows cool temperatures (frost possible Tuesday night in some areas!) early in the week and “chances for showers” nearly every day. It also says mostly sunny for many of those same days. (Really?) Temperatures turn much warmer toward the end of this week and weekend.
“Check the regulations,” says Pat at Happy Hooker. “There are many changes and not all lakes are the same.
“Fish muskies around weeds, rock, and drop-offs in 8-18 feet with bucktails, jerkbaits, and suckers on quick-strike rigs. For walleyes, work rock bars, humps, and weed beds during early morning and evening with jerkbaits and jigs with plastics. During the day, fish weeds and drop-offs in 8-18 feet with fatheads, leeches, and crawlers. Northern are shallow, near panfish. Use spinners, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and sucker minnows along drop-offs and weeds in 8-12 feet.
“Catch largemouth shallow around piers, fallen trees, and weed flats. Use plastics, spinners, crankbaits, topwaters, crawlers, leeches, and fatheads. Fish smallmouth around shallow rock bars, weed/sand areas, and points with plastics, spinners, jerkbaits, leeches, crawlers, or fatheads.
“Crappies are suspending over weeds and along wood in 7-10 feet. Tip jigs with crappie minnows or plastic tails. Fish spawning bluegills on gravel and sand in 2-6 feet with waxies, leaf worms, leeches, and plastics.”
At Hayward Bait, guide Steve Genson says cooler weather last week slowed things a bit.
“Musky action is decent in shallow bays and weeds with twitch baits and gliding jerkbaits. Walleye fishing is improving on most lakes, especially during low light. Fish 5-25 feet, depending on lake and time, with fatheads, leeches, and crawlers on jigs, or drift/troll crawler harnesses.
“Largemouth are near shallow new weeds and under overhead cover out to 10 feet. Use jigs and plastics, Senko worms, jerkbaits, and slow rolled square-billed crankbaits. Crappies are moving deeper. Bluegills are shallow, biting well in sandy, hard bottom areas and shallow weeds.”
Mike at Jenk’s says Chippewa Flowage musky fishing is solid.
“Anglers are catching a fair amount of fish on smaller topwaters, bucktails, and crankbaits in shallow weeds. Walleye anglers report some catches around bogs on leeches, minnows, crankbaits, and Beetle Spins. Northern are active in the weeds on the west side, hitting artificials, northern suckers, and chubs.
“Crappies are transitioning from spawning beds to summer spots. Try bogs, brush, and cribs, particularly those bordering river channels.”
Jim at Minnow Jim’s says Nelson Lake anglers are catching walleye of all sizes on trolled and cast stickbaits and jigs with fatheads and leeches.
“The largemouth bite is sporadic. Try spinnerbaits and chatterbaits along weed beds.
“Catch crappie and bluegill at varied depths with waxies, minnows, and crawler chunks on dressed jigs and small spinners.”
Carolyn at Anglers All in Ashland says trout anglers are catching fish in early morning off the first drops from Long Island out to the Apostles.
“Many anglers use stickbaits shallow, switching to spoons as fish move deeper, and catching brown trout along the first drops from Long Island out to the Islands. There are a few lake trout mixed in for anglers working 60 feet with downriggers, lead core line, and Dipsey Divers.
“Smallmouth fishing is good in Chequamegon Bay’s east end shallows on plastics moved slowly along the bottom. If the water clears, look for color changes and work weed bed edges.
Walleye anglers are trolling/drifting stickbaits and crawler harnesses at the head of the Bay, Brush Point, over humps, and on channel edges. Try the Ashland shoreline during low light.”
Water temperatures holding in the mid-60s on most lakes extended spawning activity for crappie and bass, saysDNR fisheries biologist Skip Sommerfeldt.
“Musky anglers report many sightings, but few hook-ups on small to medium bucktails and jerkbaits. Walleye fishing is erratic. Move to find active fish, working jigs/minnows, and leeches and crawlers on slip bobbers, jigs, and split shot rigs along breaklines and structure in 8-12 feet during evening hours.
“Largemouth are post-spawn, with some fish cruising shallow and mid-depth weed beds and lily pads. Use soft plastics and topwaters. Smallmouth moved deeper, but will soon relate to shallow/mid-depth rock and wood.
“Crappie fishing is tough, with decent catches along shallow weedlines. Bluegill anglers should find spawning fish and use crawler pieces under bobbers.”
This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter discusses Winter area musky reproduction.
“In Sawyer County, the Winter area contains a handful of small natural lakes and some along the Chippewa River’s East Fork. The lakes all have two things in common: darker water and good muskellunge reproduction. Lakes such as Black Dan, Barber, Blaisdell, and Winter continue to have good densities of muskellunge, particularly in comparison to many other northern Wisconsin lakes.
“The key to their success is good spawning substrate allowing muskellunge to successfully reproduce, and dark water preventing competitors such as northern pike, present in most of these lakes, from taking over. Some musky stocking occurs in Winter area lakes, but these lakes are also doing well on their own.
“The dark water also seems to lead to strong stocked walleye survival. It may not be as nice to look at as the crystal clear water of other northern Wisconsin lakes, but dark-stained water has some major advantages for certain popular fish.”
On Tuscobia State Trail, floodwaters overtopped and washed out a culvert last Tuesday, leading to the closing until further notice of a 1.6-mile segment just east of Winter in Sawyer County.
Adams Publishing Group (APG), the parent company of the Sawyer County Record, is holding its online Species Master fishing contest June 15 through September 7. Participants filling their bags with the most qualifying species points by the end of the week win $100 for First Place, $50 for Second Place, and $25 for Third Place. The first angler with the most points at the end of the contest wins an appearance on John Gillespie’s Waters and Woods TV program with Gillespie and Pete Maina. To register, go to www.SpeciesMaster.com and purchase and download your pass ($20 monthly; $35 seasonal). Then catch, photograph, and upload your catches to the website. For more information, visit www.SpeciesMaster.com or call (715) 718-6438.
Hayward Lakes Chapter Muskies, Inc. welcomes the public to attend its meeting Tuesday, June 7, at Coop’s Pizzain Hayward. At 7 p.m., following a general business meeting starting at 6:30 p.m., featured speaker Max Wolter, DNR fisheries biologist, will discuss a variety of musky-related topics. Admission is free – attend the meeting and purchase your first annual Muskies, Inc. membership for half price. For more information, call Mike Persson (715) 634-4543.
FISHING REPORT
Muskie:
Musky fishing is fair to good, with most anglers at least seeing fish. Concentrate on weeds, rock, bays, baitfish, and drop-offs in 6-20 feet. Baits of choice at this time include small to medium size bucktails, jerkbaits, swim baits, crankbaits, topwaters, and suckers on quick strike rigs.
Walleye:
Walleye fishing is best in early morning and evening hours. Mayfly hatches now starting will make fishing more challenging. Depths range from 5-25 feet, depending on the lake, weather, and time. Target rock bars, weedlines, humps, drop-offs, breaklines, and bogs. The most productive baits include fatheads, leeches, and crawlers on small jigs, harnesses, and split shot rigs fished with/without slip bobbers, or cast/drift/troll crankbaits, minnow baits, and Beetle Spins.
Northern:
The northern bite is good around panfish, along drop-offs, and in the weeds in 4-12 feet. Sucker minnows under bobbers work best, but pike will also hit spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, crankbaits, swim jigs, spinners, and spoons.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth are shallow and at various stages in the spring spawning process. Look for fish around shallow weeds, trees, flats, lily pads, and docks in depths to about 12 feet. Baits to use include jigs and plastics (worms in assorted riggings, grubs, tubes, etc.), crankbaits, jerkbaits, chatterbaits, spinners, and topwaters, as well as crawlers, leeches, and fatheads.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth are also in various stages of spawning (it is catch and release only until June 18 in the northern bass zone). Fish are shallow and moving deeper, holding on rock bars, weeds, wood, sand, and points at various depths. Plastics (tubes, grubs, worms, etc.), swim jigs, spinners, and jerkbaits will all entice the fish.
Crappie:
Crappies seem to be in post-spawn blues and are moving/have moved to deeper water. Look for fish in depths to 12 feet, suspending near weeds, weedlines, wood, brush, cribs, and other structure. Top bait choices include crappie minnows, waxies, crawler pieces, plastics, and Gulp! baits on small jigs under slip bobbers, and small spinners.
Bluegill:
The bite is good in the shallows for spawning bluegills. Look for beds on sand and/or gravel areas in 2-6 feet. Some fish are also in deeper water around weeds, points, and other structure. The fish are vulnerable at this time and will take just about anything invading their territory. Try small hooks or jigs tipped with waxies, leaf worms, crawler chunks, panfish leeches, small plastics, and Gulp! baits with/without bobbers.
Upcoming Events
June 7: Hayward Lakes Chapter Muskies, Inc. meeting at Coop’s Pizza, 6:30 p.m. (715-634-4543).
June 11-17: St. Croix River Association Paddle Namekagon ((715-483-3300).
June 15 through Sept. 7: APG Species Master fishing contest (715-718-6438).
June 16-19: 67th Annual Musky Fest (715-634-8662).
June 17-19: Hayward Lions - Fishing Contest (715-634-6456).
Through June 17: Northern Zone smallmouth bass catch and release only.
Through July 31: Illegal to allow dogs to run on DNR lands and FWPAs (see regs).
For more information on area events and activities, visit the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureauwebsite, view its Calendar of Events, or call 1-800-724-2992.