Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
Following forecast “issues” the past two weeks, it appears this week the prognosticators covered all their bases! Let’s hope they are correct on the good predictions and (again) wrong on the remainder!
“Warmer weather and a full moon improved fishing,” says Pat at Happy Hooker.
“Fish muskies along shallow weeds and drop-offs. For walleyes, fish weed edges, humps, and rock in 8-18 feet with leeches, crawlers, fatheads, and suckers. Catch northern along weedlines and drops in 6-10 feet with spinners and suckers.
“For largemouth, fish plastic worms, crawlers, and leeches near weeds, wood, and piers in 2-8 feet. For smallmouth, work rocks, points, and breaks with tubes and swim baits.
“Catch crappies around mid-depth weeds and wood with crappie minnows, tubes, and Gulp! baits. Hook bluegills around shallow weeds with waxies, worms, and leeches.”
Guide Dave Dorazio at Outdoor Creations says Chippewa Flowage musky action is good despite changing weather.
“Work green weeds in 3-8 feet using black bucktails with orange or green blades. During low light, try surface lures. Walleyes are in 12-22 feet on wood near river channels. Use leeches, crawlers, and fatheads. In the evening, cast Rapalas over shallow water.
“Largemouth bass fishing is decent in thick weeds on the west side with weedless plastics and spinnerbaits. Catch crappies in weeds in 5-10 feet with crappie minnows and Beetle Spins. Bluegills are shallow and bedding. Use small jigs with waxies, worms, or plastics.”
Bob at Hayward Bait says the musky bite is fair.
“Bucktails, gliders, and stickbaits work well on weeds in 8-15 feet. For walleye, fish crawlers, leeches, walleye suckers, and fatheads on gravel bars and structure in 10-20 feet. Fish northerns on weedlines in 5-15 feet with northern suckers, spinners, spoons, and bucktails.
“Largemouth fishing is good with plastics, spinners, and topwaters in 4-10 feet. Smallmouth action is good on crankbaits and plastics.
“For crappies, shallow and deep, use minnows, waxies, and plastics. Catch bluegills with waxies, leaf worms, leeches, and plastics on sand and pebble bottoms in very shallow water.”
Mike at Jenk’s says Chippewa Flowage muskies are turning on before a front and turning off after it passes through.
“Musky anglers are fishing suckers off bars or casting small artificials. Fish walleyes on wood with minnows, leeches, crawlers, crankbaits, stickbaits, and Beetle Spins. Northern pike are active in shallow weed beds on spinnerbaits, spoons, and larger northern suckers.
“Bass are very shallow, especially on shorelines with wood and stumps. Use spinners, spinnerbaits, frogs, and crankbaits. Crappies are in weed beds. Try crappie minnows, Gulp! baits, Mini-Mites, and hair jigs.”
Jim at Minnow Jim’s says walleye fishing is best in late evening.
“Work rock shorelines and points with minnows on jigs, leeches on slip bobbers or floating jigs, and Rapalas. Fish northern along developing weed beds with stickbaits, bucktails, spinnerbaits, and suckers. For bass, throw surface baits, weedless swim jigs with craw tails, and weedless frogs in/along weedlines and edges.
“For crappies and bluegills, jig minnows, waxies, worms, crawlers, plastics, and Gulp! baits, or still-fish them under bobbers.”
Carolyn at Anglers All in Ashland says Chequamegon Bay fishing is excellent for all species.
“Trout anglers are doing well trolling from Houghton Point to the Islands. Flat-line stickbaits or use spoons and bait flies to troll deeper.
“Walleyes anglers are catching fish from the head of the bay to Brush Point, trolling stickbaits and crawler harnesses or jigging leeches and minnows. Smallmouth bass remain shallow in pre- spawn, spawn, and post-spawn stages. Anglers report success on plastics, spinners, crankbaits, and suckers.
“Northern pike, pumpkinseed, and rock bass are mixed in with the walleyes and smallmouth.”
This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter discusses electrofishing myths.
“Electrofishing to survey fish really captures anglers’ imaginations, but the realities are less exciting than the myths.
“The electrified area is a very small radius of 10-20 foot around the front of the boats where booms deliver electricity into the water, temporarily stunning the fish. Rather than floating to the surface, as people imagine, the fish usually stay at the same depth where the electricity hit them.
“The most popular myth is that electrofishing ‘turns off fishing’ for a few days. Only a tiny fraction of fish experience the electrical current and researchers in Illinois found fish started feeding 15 minutes after receiving a shock.
“Anglers who are not catching fish after an electrofishing survey may need to start looking for a new excuse!”
DNR fisheries biologist Skip Sommerfeldt says musky action is fair on bucktails, gliders, and suckers.
“The mayfly hatch upset the walleye bite on some lakes and the best action is with leeches and crawlers. Largemouth action is good on soft plastics fished slowly on weed flats and breaklines. Smallmouth fishing is hit or miss, with many fish still tending nests.
“For crappies, fish shallow weed edges in early morning and late afternoon with small fatheads under bobbers. Look for bluegills around breaklines and weed edges in 6-8 feet.”
The DNR will host a public meeting Thursday, June 11, from 5-7 p.m., at Hayward Veteran’s Community Center, to hear comments concerning the new walleye bag and slot limit regulations. Unable to attend the meeting? Submit your comments to Joe Hennessy at Joseph.Hennessy@wisconsin.gov.
FISHING REPORT
Musky:
Musky action is fair to good. Concentrate on green weeds, gravel, drop-offs, and shorelines in depths from shallow to 15 feet. Baits of choice include small bucktails, gliders, stickbaits, surface baits, twitch baits, and Bull Dawgs.
Walleye:
Walleye fishing is good, especially in late evening, though mayfly hatches will start affecting action. Look for fish in 6-25 feet around weeds, wood, rock, gravel, humps, and points. Leeches, crawlers, walleye suckers, and fatheads fished on jigs, Lindy Rigs, or under slip bobbers are all productive, as are Rapalas, stickbaits, crankbaits, and Beetle Spins.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike fishing is excellent around weeds, weedlines, drop-offs, and spawning panfish in depths to 15 feet. Use spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, swim baits, stickbaits, bucktails, chatterbaits, and northern suckers under bobbers.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth action is good to very good around weeds, wood, docks, stumps, and breaklines in depths to 10 feet. Top baits include weedless plastics (worms, frogs, tubes, craws), poppers, twitch baits, buzz baits, crankbaits, spinners, and topwaters. Live bait includes crawlers, leeches, or small suckers fished on live bait rigs or under slip bobbers.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth are still in the shallows and fishing is fair to very good (and remains catch and release in the northern zone until June 20). Work shallow weeds, wood, rock, points, breaks, stumps, and shorelines with crankbaits, stickbaits, tubes, plastics, spinners, surface baits, and live bait on jigs or under slip bobbers.
Crappie:
Crappie action is best in early morning and late afternoon. Fish dark bottom bays and shorelines and on weeds, weedlines, and wood out to 20 feet. Bait preferences include crappie minnows; jigs with waxies, plastics, Twister Tails, and Gulp! Minnows; tube jigs, Mini-Mites, Tattle-Tails, and Beetle Spins.
Bluegill:
Bluegills are nearing spawning and fishing is very good to excellent. Fish from very shallow out to 20 feet on sand and gravel bottoms, near green weeds, and breaklines. Productive baits include waxies, worms, leaf worms, crawlers, leeches, plastics, and Gulp! baits, on plain hooks or small jigs, with/without bobbers, and poppers/topwaters.
Upcoming Events
June 11: DNR public comment meeting on walleye regulations, Veteran’s Community Center, 5-7 p.m.
June 11: Fishing Has No Boundaries monthly meeting, Fish Hatchery Park, 6 p.m. (715-634-3185).
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.