Hayward Lakes Sherry
05-24-2011, 12:24 PM
May 23, 2011
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
The Memorial Day weekend forecast looks promising (for now). If you will be in the Hayward area, please watch for turtles if you are driving in wetland areas – and be aware ticks, mosquitoes, and other biting insects are on the feed.
Revised 2011-2012 Ceded Territory walleye bag limits take effect May 27. In Sawyer County, daily bag limits will increase to two fish on Grindstone and to three fish on Nelson, Barber, Little Round, and Tiger Cat. For lake-specific information, visit the Ceded Territory Bag Limits page on the DNR website for more information.
“Lingering cold water temperatures have delayed seasonal patterns by a week to ten days,” says Pat at Happy Hooker, “but warmer days and milder nights will get fish moving again.”
Nelson Ahrenkiel at Hayward Bait says the water is still unseasonably cold, but fishing action is turning around nicely and success will show some significant improvement with warming water and more stable weather.
At Pastika’s, Steve Genson reminds anglers muskie season opens this Saturday, May 28.
“It appears muskies will be spawning, so fish shallow water near sand and gravel with small twitch and glide baits, as well as jigs and plastics.”
Trolling on Lake Superior is good for coho, browns, steelhead, and even some lake trout, reports Carolyn at Anglers All in Ashland. Anglers are trolling stickbaits, spoons, and bait flies from Houghton Point to Long Island to the Sioux, and the local tributary streams are yielding many legal size steelhead.
Hayward area registration stations (Shooting Star, Hillman’s Store, Hayward Bait) recorded six turkeys for Period F May 18-22, the final period of spring turkey season. Registrations totaled one jake and five adults, including a 24-pound bird with a 10-inch beard.
The stations registered 83 turkeys for the entire 2011 spring turkey season. Youth season hunters harvested 15 birds – four jakes and 11 adults – including a 25-pound tom with an 11-inch beard. Regular season hunters harvested 68 birds – 12 jakes and 56 adults – including three 25-pound birds (one with an 11-inch beard and two with 10-inch beards); a 24-pounder with a 10-inch beard; a 22-pounder with a 10-inch beard and 1 3/8-inch spurs; and many birds weighing more than 20 pounds.
During Free Fishing Weekend in Wisconsin June 4-5, residents and nonresidents of all ages can fish without a license, trout, or salmon stamp. All other regulations apply.
On June 4, the U.S. Forest Service Great Divide Ranger District, Walleyes for Northwest Wisconsin, and Sawyer Country Outdoor Projects Education (SCOPE), is hosting a free Kid’s Fishing Derby. Registration begins at 9 a.m. at the Hayward City Beach Park on Lake Hayward, behind the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame. The event is open to youth to 15 years of age, accompanied by an adult. Kids fish and compete in a casting contest until noon. For more information, call Kathy Moe (715) 634-4821.
FISHING REPORT
Walleye:
Walleye action is challenging, but improving. The best times continue to be the low light hours of early morning and late evening until after dark, though some anglers are doing well during the warmest part of the day. Depths range from 4-25 feet, depending on the lake, water clarity, and weather pattern. Look for weeds, gravel, sand, rock, bars, cribs, points, drop-offs, and brush humps. Top presentations include jigs, split shot and spinner rigs, bottom bouncers, and slip bobbers with fatheads, walleye suckers, leeches, crawlers, plastics, and Gulp! minnows. Work crank, stick, and minnow baits along shallower shorelines and weeds in the evening for some good action, too.
Northern:
Northern are active and providing consistent action during the day. Target new weeds and sand in 4-8 feet of water with jigs tipped with walleye suckers or plastics, Husky Jerks, X-Raps, spinnerbaits, stickbaits, spoons, and soft plastics. Keep mind that many crappie and walleye anglers are also making numerous, though incidental, pike catches on small tube jigs and crappie minnows.
Bass:
In the northern bass zone, fishing for both largemouth and smallmouth is catch and release only until June 18. With the (slowly) warming water, action is picking up for both species. Fish largemouth with plastics, spinners, topwaters, fatheads, and crawlers near weeds, docks, logs, and brush in 3-6 feet of water. For smallmouth, work sand, gravel, docks, and logs in 2-10 feet of water with X-Raps, jigs/plastics, and jerk shads.
Crappie:
Crappie action is fair to excellent as they move to spawning locations. Fish depths from 2-12 feet, depending on the lake and weather conditions, with crappie minnows, waxies, Gulp! minnows, Mini-Mites, Tattle-Tails, and Flu-Flu jigs.
Bluegill:
Water temperatures remain somewhat cool, but bluegill fishing is good as the fish start their move to shallower water spawning areas. Look for them around shallow weeds, brush, and docks out to about 10 feet of water. You will find them in shallow bays, particularly on warm afternoon. Use waxies, worms, crawlers, small plastics, and Gulp! maggots.
Upcoming Events
May 28: Muskie season opens in north zone.
June 4-5: Free Fishing Weekend.
June 4: Free Kid’s Fishing Derby (715-634-4821).
June 5: State Parks Open House Day. Free admission to all state parks, forests, and trails.
June 7: Hayward Lakes Chapter Muskies, Inc. meeting at Dick-Sy Roadhouse (715-634-4543).
June 18: Northern zone bass season goes from catch-and-release to daily bag limits.
June 20: Walleyes for Northwest Wisconsin meeting (715-699-1015).
June 23-26: 62nd Annual Musky Festival (715-634-8662).
June 24-26: Dr. John Ryan Lions Club Musky Fest fishing contest.
Through July 31: Illegal to run dogs on DNR and WPA lands (see regs).
For more information on area events and activities, see the Calendar of Events, visit Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau, or call 1-800-724-2992.
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
The Memorial Day weekend forecast looks promising (for now). If you will be in the Hayward area, please watch for turtles if you are driving in wetland areas – and be aware ticks, mosquitoes, and other biting insects are on the feed.
Revised 2011-2012 Ceded Territory walleye bag limits take effect May 27. In Sawyer County, daily bag limits will increase to two fish on Grindstone and to three fish on Nelson, Barber, Little Round, and Tiger Cat. For lake-specific information, visit the Ceded Territory Bag Limits page on the DNR website for more information.
“Lingering cold water temperatures have delayed seasonal patterns by a week to ten days,” says Pat at Happy Hooker, “but warmer days and milder nights will get fish moving again.”
Nelson Ahrenkiel at Hayward Bait says the water is still unseasonably cold, but fishing action is turning around nicely and success will show some significant improvement with warming water and more stable weather.
At Pastika’s, Steve Genson reminds anglers muskie season opens this Saturday, May 28.
“It appears muskies will be spawning, so fish shallow water near sand and gravel with small twitch and glide baits, as well as jigs and plastics.”
Trolling on Lake Superior is good for coho, browns, steelhead, and even some lake trout, reports Carolyn at Anglers All in Ashland. Anglers are trolling stickbaits, spoons, and bait flies from Houghton Point to Long Island to the Sioux, and the local tributary streams are yielding many legal size steelhead.
Hayward area registration stations (Shooting Star, Hillman’s Store, Hayward Bait) recorded six turkeys for Period F May 18-22, the final period of spring turkey season. Registrations totaled one jake and five adults, including a 24-pound bird with a 10-inch beard.
The stations registered 83 turkeys for the entire 2011 spring turkey season. Youth season hunters harvested 15 birds – four jakes and 11 adults – including a 25-pound tom with an 11-inch beard. Regular season hunters harvested 68 birds – 12 jakes and 56 adults – including three 25-pound birds (one with an 11-inch beard and two with 10-inch beards); a 24-pounder with a 10-inch beard; a 22-pounder with a 10-inch beard and 1 3/8-inch spurs; and many birds weighing more than 20 pounds.
During Free Fishing Weekend in Wisconsin June 4-5, residents and nonresidents of all ages can fish without a license, trout, or salmon stamp. All other regulations apply.
On June 4, the U.S. Forest Service Great Divide Ranger District, Walleyes for Northwest Wisconsin, and Sawyer Country Outdoor Projects Education (SCOPE), is hosting a free Kid’s Fishing Derby. Registration begins at 9 a.m. at the Hayward City Beach Park on Lake Hayward, behind the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame. The event is open to youth to 15 years of age, accompanied by an adult. Kids fish and compete in a casting contest until noon. For more information, call Kathy Moe (715) 634-4821.
FISHING REPORT
Walleye:
Walleye action is challenging, but improving. The best times continue to be the low light hours of early morning and late evening until after dark, though some anglers are doing well during the warmest part of the day. Depths range from 4-25 feet, depending on the lake, water clarity, and weather pattern. Look for weeds, gravel, sand, rock, bars, cribs, points, drop-offs, and brush humps. Top presentations include jigs, split shot and spinner rigs, bottom bouncers, and slip bobbers with fatheads, walleye suckers, leeches, crawlers, plastics, and Gulp! minnows. Work crank, stick, and minnow baits along shallower shorelines and weeds in the evening for some good action, too.
Northern:
Northern are active and providing consistent action during the day. Target new weeds and sand in 4-8 feet of water with jigs tipped with walleye suckers or plastics, Husky Jerks, X-Raps, spinnerbaits, stickbaits, spoons, and soft plastics. Keep mind that many crappie and walleye anglers are also making numerous, though incidental, pike catches on small tube jigs and crappie minnows.
Bass:
In the northern bass zone, fishing for both largemouth and smallmouth is catch and release only until June 18. With the (slowly) warming water, action is picking up for both species. Fish largemouth with plastics, spinners, topwaters, fatheads, and crawlers near weeds, docks, logs, and brush in 3-6 feet of water. For smallmouth, work sand, gravel, docks, and logs in 2-10 feet of water with X-Raps, jigs/plastics, and jerk shads.
Crappie:
Crappie action is fair to excellent as they move to spawning locations. Fish depths from 2-12 feet, depending on the lake and weather conditions, with crappie minnows, waxies, Gulp! minnows, Mini-Mites, Tattle-Tails, and Flu-Flu jigs.
Bluegill:
Water temperatures remain somewhat cool, but bluegill fishing is good as the fish start their move to shallower water spawning areas. Look for them around shallow weeds, brush, and docks out to about 10 feet of water. You will find them in shallow bays, particularly on warm afternoon. Use waxies, worms, crawlers, small plastics, and Gulp! maggots.
Upcoming Events
May 28: Muskie season opens in north zone.
June 4-5: Free Fishing Weekend.
June 4: Free Kid’s Fishing Derby (715-634-4821).
June 5: State Parks Open House Day. Free admission to all state parks, forests, and trails.
June 7: Hayward Lakes Chapter Muskies, Inc. meeting at Dick-Sy Roadhouse (715-634-4543).
June 18: Northern zone bass season goes from catch-and-release to daily bag limits.
June 20: Walleyes for Northwest Wisconsin meeting (715-699-1015).
June 23-26: 62nd Annual Musky Festival (715-634-8662).
June 24-26: Dr. John Ryan Lions Club Musky Fest fishing contest.
Through July 31: Illegal to run dogs on DNR and WPA lands (see regs).
For more information on area events and activities, see the Calendar of Events, visit Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau, or call 1-800-724-2992.