Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
Cool and rainy to start this week, but a warming trend develops by mid-week through the weekend – though a few “chances” continue for showers and thunderstorms.
“This is the time musky anglers get serious,” says Pat at Happy Hooker.
“Depending on the lake, muskies are over weeds in 6-14 feet. Bucktails, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, topwaters, and suckers will all take fish, with early mornings and evenings best. Fish walleyes on rocks in 20-30 feet during the day. In the evening, fish deep weed edges in 6-14 feet. For northern, fish weeds in 6-12 feet with spinnerbaits and spoons.
“Catch largemouth with weedless frogs/topwaters, buzz baits, and plastic worms in weeds, wood, brush, and slop in 2-6 feet. Smallmouth are on rock/gravel in 12-24 feet. Use jigs/minnows or crankbaits.
“Crappies are suspending in 10-25 feet. For bluegills, fish weed edges in 4-10 feet with leeches, waxies, and minnows.”
Guide Dave Dorazio at Outdoor Creations says Chippewa Flowage muskies are still chasing bucktails and jerkbaits will start producing with falling water temperatures.
“Remember to do a good figure 8 after each cast. Pacemakers are good in the evening. Catch walleyes in 14-22 feet with jigs and fatheads. Northern are moving into the weeds.
“Fish crappies on cribs and brush in 15-22 feet with crappie minnows, plastics, and Gulp! baits. The evening bite is good along bogs.”
Jim at Hayward Bait says musky fishing is spotty.
“Work bucktails, Bull Dawgs, tubes, topwaters, gliders, and suckers on mid-lake humps and points in 10-20 feet. Fish walleyes with crawlers, walleye suckers, and fatheads in 15-30 feet, or troll stickbaits. For northern, use spinnerbaits, spoons, stickbaits, and northern suckers on weed beds in 10-20 feet.
“Largemouth action is good on topwaters, buzz baits, plastics, and spinnerbaits in 2-15 feet near weeds, lily pads, and bulrushes. Fish smallmouth on rocks, humps, and points in 10-30 feet with leech and crawler imitations, crankbaits, and walleye suckers.
“Catch crappies suspending over deep water with jigs and crappie minnows, waxies, plastics, and Gulp! baits. For bluegills, fish waxies, leaf worms, crawlers, and plastics on the bottom in 10-20 feet.”
Mike at Jenk’s says Chippewa Flowage muskies should be in and along the weeds.
“Cast subsurface baits during the day and topwaters in the evening. Walleye patterns should return to more normal with cooling water temperatures. Try crawlers, smaller plastics, and crankbaits.
“For largemouth, work the weeds with spinnerbaits. Smallmouth are active on the east end with plastic worms and frogs, spinnerbaits, and crawlers.
“Catch crappies on crappie minnows, Mini-Mites, and Gulp! Minnows around bogs, brush, and cribs, with cribs producing the most action.”
Jim at Minnow Jim’s says anglers should fish a bit deeper until the water cools.
“For walleyes, cast or troll deep divers, snap lures, and crawler/minnow rigs in the river channel, or cast surface baits along rocky shorelines and weed edges. Fish northern and largemouth in and along weed and lily pad beds with spinnerbaits, buzz baits, and swim jigs.
“Catch panfish in 8-12 feet with waxies, worms, and Gulp! baits. Add a spinner for casting.”
This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter discusses chub minnows.
“At some point, trout anglers who fish smaller streams have almost certainly caught a few chubs.
“Chubs (aka redtails, daisies) are large members of the minnow family with big mouths and aggressive demeanors, and are common throughout most of the eastern U.S. In the Hayward area, there are two separate species: creek chubs and hornyhead chubs.
“Hornyhead chubs are fascinating. To build spawning nests, they pick up pebbles one by one with their mouths and stack them in a pile in the creek. You can often see these nests as you canoe the Namekagon or other rivers. During spawning, the male develops bumps on its head (hence the name) called ‘tubercles.’ These bumps not only signal the male is in spawning mode, he uses the bumps to defend his nest by ramming into other fish entering his territory.
“Unlike trout, chubs are very tolerant of warm water and will overtake a trout stream with degraded water quality.”
DNR fisheries biologist Skip Sommerfeldt says musky success tailed off during the hot and humid weather.
“Fish weed edges and mid-depth weed beds with topwaters, soft-bodied baits, and smaller bucktails. Walleye fishing is erratic, with leeches and crawlers fished on weed edges, weed pockets, and deeper gravel and rock bars producing most of the fish.
“For largemouth, fish weed pockets, wood, and bog/marsh edges with weedless topwaters and soft plastics. Smallmouth action is best on the rivers and flowages. Work soft plastics and finesse baits around wood near deeper water. Panfish anglers report a few decent catches of crappie and rock bass.”
The DNR eliminated the Class B bear license and increased the Class A license application fee to $4.50. Both residents and non-residents may now participate in specific bear baiting, hunting, and training activities without a Class B bear license. Use the online regulations pages for the most current information.
A number of hunting seasons open in September (see the Upcoming Events Calendar below). Bird hunters should check the Fields & Forest Lands Interactive Gamebird Hunting Tool (FFLIGHT) to locate ruffed grouse and woodcock cover, fields managed for mourning doves, and properties the DNR stocks with pheasants.
FISHING REPORT
Musky:
Musky action is fair, with best success in early morning and evening hours. Target the edges of weedlines and weed beds, mid-lake points, and humps in 5-22 feet. Bucktails, topwaters, jerkbaits, gliders, spinnerbaits, tubes, Bull Dawgs, and northern suckers all produce action.
Walleye:
Walleyes are scattered in 5-30 feet on weeds and weed edges, wood, river channels, gravel/rock bars, and shorelines, with some near suspending baitfish (lunch!). Live baits include leeches, crawlers, walleye suckers, and fatheads on jigs, live bait rigs, and slip bobbers. Artificials include cast and trolled stickbaits, crankbaits, and plastics.
Northern Pike:
Northern fishing is fair to good on weeds and lily pads in 4-22 feet. Bucktails, buzz baits, spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, stickbaits, swim jigs, and northern suckers under bobbers are all catching pike.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth action is good in thick, heavy cover – weeds, wood, lily pads, slop, brush, bogs, and docks in 2-18 feet. Work these areas with weedless topwaters, spinnerbaits, buzz baits, soft plastics (worms, frogs, etc.), and swim jigs.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth fishing is fair, but improving, on rocks, gravel, wood, humps, bars, and points in 8-28 feet. Artificials include crankbaits, soft plastics (worms, frogs, tubes), spinnerbaits, imitation leeches/crawlers. For live bait, try leeches, worms, and walleye suckers on jigs, slip bobbers, and drop shot rigs.
Crappie:
Crappie action is fair to good, with fish suspending in depths from 6-25 feet near brush, bogs, and cribs. Top baits include crappie minnows, waxies, worms, plastics, Mini-Mites, Tattle-Tails, and Gulp! baits on jigs and plain hooks, with or without bobbers.
Bluegill:
Bluegill fishing is also fair to good. Look for fish in weeds and on weed edges in 3-22 feet. Best baits include waxies, leaf worms, leeches, crawlers, minnows, plastics, and Gulp! baits on jigs or plain hooks.
Upcoming Events
Aug. 25: Deadline to transfer Class A bear licenses to youth hunters.
Aug. 29: Listen to the elk with DNR biologist Laine Stowell; 6:30 p.m., Flambeau River State Forest (715-332-5271).
Aug. 31: Bear dog training by pursuing bear closes.
Sept. 1: Seasons open: Early teal; Canada goose; mourning dove.
Sept. 3-5: 17th Annual Chippewa Flowage Musky Hunt (715-462-3276).
Sept. 4-6: 21st Annual Exeland Trout Festival (715-266-4181).
Sept. 5-30: Lake sturgeon season (hook and line) on local waters.
Sept. 6: Cable Rod & Gun Club Annual Pig Roast and Chicken Shoot; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (715-798-4459).
Sept. 9: Bear season opens.
Sept. 12: Seasons open: Deer (archery, crossbow); Ruffed grouse (northern zone); Cottontail rabbit; Squirrel (gray/fox); Turkey; Crow.
Sept. 17-20: Youth Muskie Hunt at Mystic Moose Resort (715-462-3014).
Sept. 18-19: Lucky Lunker Bass Tournament on Lake Chippewa Flowage; Treeland Resort (715-471-0325).
Sept. 18-19: Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival (715-798-3594).
Sept. 19-20: Youth Waterfowl Hunt.
Sept. 26: 31st Annual Hayward Fall Festival (715-634-8662).
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.