Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
Forecasts indicate the string of warm days, mild nights – and thunderstorm chances – will continue in the North Woods. Keep an eye out for severe weather, but get out there – it is almost August and summer is quickly waning!
“Fishing is generally good, despite very windy conditions,” says Pat at Happy Hooker.
“Most musky anglers report numerous sightings and follows while fishing weed edges with topwaters, stickbaits, and bucktails. Erratic walleye fishing is best on mid-depth weeds during low light with leeches and crawlers on weedless jigs.
“Fish largemouth near weeds, wood, and docks with soft-plastics and topwaters in mid to late afternoon. For smallmouth, work plastics and crayfish-type baits on mid-depth wood and rock.
“Catch crappies and bluegills along weed edges and mid-depth cover.”
Guide Dave Dorazio at Outdoor Creations says Chippewa Flowage musky action remains great.
“Work around and through cabbage weeds in 3-8 feet using bucktails with green, orange, chartreuse, or copper Colorado blades. Try topwaters during low light. Locate larger walleyes in weeds in 5-10 feet with jigs and leeches or crawler halves, and then switch to slip bobber rigs.
“Bass anglers are catching largemouth in heavy slop on the west side with Texas-rigged worms and topwater frogs. Crappies are near cribs and brush in 15-24 feet, with a good evening bite on floating bogs. Use crappie minnows or jigs with plastics and Gulp! baits.”
At Hayward Bait, Jim says muskies are taking bucktails, gliders, tubes, and topwaters on weedlines, humps, and gravel bars.
“For walleyes, work leeches, crawlers, walleye suckers, and fatheads on gravel bars and weed edges in 10-20 feet. Fish northerns on weed edges in 5-15 feet with spoons, spinners, bucktails, and northern suckers.
“Largemouth fishing is good in 3-10 feet with buzz baits, spinnerbaits, plastic worms, and frogs. Fish smallmouth on rock bars, humps, and weedlines in 8-20 feet with jigs, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits.
“For crappies suspending in 30 feet, use minnows, waxies, and plastics. Fish bluegills with waxies, leaf worms, plastics, and poppers on weedlines and gravel bars.”
Mike at Jenk’s says Chippewa Flowage musky fishing is steady.
“Most action is on subsurface baits such as bucktails, Bull Dawgs, and crankbaits. Walleye fishing is slow, with most success on crankbaits trolled along weed edges and leeches and crawlers fished along weed edges and stump bars along river channels. Pike action is also slow. Try fishing thick weeds with weedless spoons and spinnerbaits.
“Smallmouth are taking frogs, poppers, spinners, and crawlers on the east side. Crappie fishing is very good in deep brush, cribs, and bogs (at dusk) with crappie minnows, Mini-Mites, and Gulp! baits.”
This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter discusses stream trout production.
“Trout can be very vulnerable to ice and extended cold and the back to back extreme winters of 2012/13 and 2013/14 did some real damage to area stream trout populations. However, it appears the short, mild 2014/15 winter gave trout populations a break and a chance to start bouncing back.
“Recent surveys on the upper Namekagon River and Cap Creek found near-record numbers of young-of-year brook and brown trout. Trout hatch during winter and benefit greatly from short winters and warm springs. By midsummer, young fish are already between three and four inches long and through their most vulnerable stage.
“Here’s hoping for continued good luck for this banner 2015 trout class that will be key to repopulating some of our most popular trout streams.”
DNR fisheries biologist Skip Sommerfeldt says fishing interest declined somewhat with the warm, humid weather and windy conditions.
“Musky action is generally good, with bucktails, Bull Dawgs, and topwaters producing the best success. Walleye fishing is erratic, with variable success at all different times of the day. Fish weed edges and mid-depth breaklines in 8-10 feet with leeches or crawler halves on weedless jigs.
“Largemouth are near logs, stumps, reed beds, and bog edges, with jigs and soft plastics getting most of the action. Smallmouth are close to mid-depth wood, with the best action on small plastics and spinnerbaits on larger flowages.
“Panfish anglers are catching some nice bluegills and crappies suspending near mid-depth cover.”
Increased camping fees for state parks, forests, trails, and recreation areas go into effect July 28. The increase, based on a three-level rate structure, depends on demand, uniqueness, location, and other factors. Increases for admission fees and trail passes begin when 2016 annual stickers and passes go on sale in December.
Hayward Lakes Chapter Muskies, Inc. is holding its annual free Kid’s Fishing Day on Tiger Cat Flowage Sunday, Aug. 2, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Beer Bellies, 10 miles east of Hayward on Hwy 77. Young anglers 10-16 years of age fish until noon with knowledgeable muskie anglers on Upper Twin and nearby lakes, followed by a shore lunch and prize distribution. Pre-register (required) at Hayward Bait and a parent/guardian MUST be present to sign the registration form. For more information, call Hayward Bait (715) 634-2921. Interested in guiding or assisting with shore lunch? Contact Mike Persson (715) 634-4543.
August 1 is the application deadline for fall turkey, sharp-tailed grouse (Unit 8), bobcat, fisher, and otter tags, and tags or preference points for the 2016 upriver lake sturgeon spearing season. For information, search the DNR website using turkey, sharp-tailed grouse, or furbearers.
FISHING REPORT
Musky:
Musky fishing is good to great and nearly all anglers report many sightings and follows. Concentrate on weed edges and deep weedlines, over/along/through cabbage, mid-lake humps, and gravel bars in 2-10 feet. The most productive baits include bucktails, Bull Dawgs, stickbaits, crankbaits, gliders, plastics, tubes, and topwaters.
Walleye:
Walleye action is inconsistent (surprise, surprise!), but anglers are catching fish at all hours, though late evening into dark seems the best bet. Target mid-depth weeds and weed edges, wood, stump bars, gravel bars, and breaklines in 6-25 feet. Top baits include leeches and crawler pieces on jigs, Lindy Rigs, and slip bobbers, fatheads and walleye suckers on jigs, and trolled crankbaits and stickbaits.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike fishing is slow to fair, as is often the case in mid-summer. Try fishing weeds/weed edges and wherever you find panfish out to about 15 feet with spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, bucktails, crankbaits, and northern suckers. Fish deeper water with bigger baits for trophy pike.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth action is good to very good, with best success in the afternoon. Fish reeds, weeds, wood, cribs, brush, bulrushes, bogs, logs, stumps, and slop out to about 12 feet. Top baits include soft plastics, pre-rigged worms, jigs, spinnerbaits, buzz baits, twitch baits, poppers, frogs, and other topwaters.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth fishing is fair to good on mid-depth wood, weedlines, rock bars, and humps in 7-22 feet. Use crayfish type baits, finesse plastics, spinners, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, topwaters/frogs, leeches, and crawlers.
Crappie:
Crappie action is good to very good. Fish are scattered and/or suspending in 12-30 feet around weeds and weed edges, cribs, mid-depth brush, and bogs (especially in the evening). Use crappie minnows, waxies, plastics, Mini-Mites, and Gulp! baits on jigs or plain hooks, with/without slip bobbers.
Bluegill:
Bluegill fishing is good for fish suspending on the edges of shallow and mid-depth weedlines, wood, brush, and cribs. Standard bluegill fare is working well – small jigs or plain hooks with waxies, leaf worms, crawler pieces, leeches, and plastics, and poppers/topwaters. Bigger ‘gills are in deeper water.
Upcoming Events
Through July 31: Illegal to allow dogs to run on DNR lands and Federal WPA (see regs for exceptions).
Aug. 1: Application deadline: Fall turkey; Sharp-tailed grouse; Bobcat; Fisher; Otter.
Aug. 2: Hayward Lakes Chapter Muskies, Inc. Annual Kids Fishing Day 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (715-634-4543).
Aug. 8: Smokey Bear’s birthday party Flambeau River State Forest (715-332-5271).
Aug. 17-20: Bonus unit-specific antlerless deer tags go on sale at noon.
Aug. 22: Remaining fall turkey permits on sale at 10 a.m.
Aug. 25: Deadline to transfer Class A bear licenses to youth hunters.
Aug. 31: Bear dog training by pursuing bear closes.
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.