Hayward Lakes Sherry
06-11-2012, 11:41 AM
June 11, 2012
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
This next week looks to be a warm one, with forecasts showing high temperatures often in the mid to upper 80s, winds from 10-15 mph, and even a few chances for thunderstorms. It appears summer is arriving just about on schedule.
“Overall, fishing is very good in the Quiet Lakes area,” says Pat at Happy Hooker. “The up and down weather pattern we had for awhile has subsided and fish seem to be more willing to cooperate.
“Muskie anglers report moving fish on small bucktails and crankbaits, and glider style jerkbaits such as Eddie Baits, Warlocks, and others are all producing as well. The new statewide muskie size limit is 40 inches, though with some exceptions on a few designated lakes, so make sure to check the posting at your lake’s launch site.”
Mark at Hayward Bait says walleye action is good on trolled stick and crank baits, but anglers should check regulations for the lake they fish since not all area lakes allow trolling. He notes that with bass harvest season opening in the northern bass zone June 16, anglers should be aware the DNR is encouraging largemouth harvest on some area lakes. Bob adds that with the rising water temperatures, topwater action is heating up for a number of species.
“Chippewa Flowage walleye fishing is getting interesting,” says Randy at Jenk’s. “The best bet is to go deep with leeches and crawlers, but anglers are starting to use Beetle Spins and Twister Tails in shallower water. That makes sense, because we are into our annual mayfly hatch, and when the mayfly hatch starts you might as well go play badminton for about a week.”
Cathy at Minnow Jim’s says Nelson Lake’s largemouth action is good with noisy surface baits, frogs, dressed weedless jigs, and scented worms fished on weed beds and in lily pads.
“Warmer water temperatures are spurring muskie activity on the Chippewa Flowage,” says guide Dave Dorazio at Outdoor Creations. “Fish the thickest green weeds you can find in 4-10 feet of water –black Hirsch’s Ghost Tails with lime green blades are hot – and try surface baits in the evening.”
At Bay Park Resort on the Trego Flowage, Dan says walleye anglers are catching a few nice fish below the dam and on the lake in the evening. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are shallow, hitting surface baits, plastic worms, and fatheads. Crappie fishing is good toward evening and later at night in the shallows on waxies and minnows. Bluegill action is good near shoreline structure in 3-6 feet of water on jigs tipped with waxies. Catfish are below the dam and should provide a good bite for the next few weeks.
Carolyn at Anglers All in Ashland says trout and salmon fishing is best on spoons trolled in the Islands, with most trollers reporting fish at more than 60 feet.
“Smallmouth fishing is great in the shallows on the east end of the Bay (Sand Cut, Brush and Oak points) with jigs and plastics, spinner and crank baits, and live bait. We are seeing small mayflies, so the hex hatch should be near on the White and Brule rivers for nighttime fun.”
The Third Annual Big Chip Fish Fest is this Sunday, June 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at The Landing on County Road CC. The first 125 children receive either a rod/reel combo or a bait-filled tackle box. There are games and contests for the kids, and raffles and drawings for some outstanding prizes, including two separate floatplane trips over the Flowage. A $5 event button includes a shore lunch with all the fixings. The Chippewa Flowage Property Owners Association and Lake Chippewa Flowage Resort Association sponsor the Big Chip Fish Fest, and all proceeds go for the purchase of extended growth walleyes. For more information, contact John Kaiser (715) 462-3450 or Rick Marks (715) 634-2204.
FISHING REPORT
Muskie:
Muskies are near weeds and shallower structure in depths out to about 10 feet. Top producing baits include bucktails, jerk, crank, and glide baits, and topwater lures, especially in the evening hours.
Walleye:
Walleye anglers are catching fish in various locations and depths, depending on the lake or area of a lake. Depths range from shallow to more than 20 feet of water. Look for structure – weeds, cribs, rock humps, bars, and new cabbage. As a rule, fish the deeper water during daytime hours with leeches, crawlers, and minnows on jigs, Lindy Rigs, and under slip bobbers, or cast and troll Beetle Spins and Twister Tails. In the evening, cast stick and minnow baits over the weeds.
Northern:
Northern pike action is good near weeds, both shallow and deep. Fish shallow for the best action, but go deeper for bigger fish. Spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, plastics, and northern suckers will all work for pike.
Largemouth Bass:
Bass fishing in the northern bass zone is catch-and-release only until June 16.
Most largemouth have completed spawning and you will find them, particularly some bigger fish from shallow weeds and lily pad beds out to deeper weed lines. Baits of choice include spinners, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, weedless plastics and jigs, scented worms, and surface baits.
Smallmouth Bass:
Bass fishing in the northern bass zone is catch-and-release only until June 16.
Fish for post-spawn smallmouth in deeper water near rock, structure, and along break lines with plastics, tubes, stickbaits, crankbaits, wacky worms, and Gulp! leeches.
Crappie:
Crappie action remains good on most lakes, but fish are scattered in various locations, from shallow water out to 12 feet or deeper, near weeds, cribs, brush, and bogs, and suspending over deeper water. Crappie minnows, waxies, worms, leeches, and plastics on jigs and/or under bobbers, and Beetle Spins are all catching crappies.
Bluegill:
Bluegills are still spawning in the shallows on some lakes and in the weeds out to the first break on others, providing plenty of good action and tasty meals. The standard fare of waxies, worms, leaf worms, crawler pieces, Gulp! baits, and plastics are all producing nice catches.
Upcoming Events
June 16: Northern zone bass season goes from catch-and-release to daily bag limits. (See regs.)
June 17: CFAPOA 3rd Annual Big Chip Fish Fest at The Landing on County Road CC.
June 21-24: Musky Festival (715-634-8662).
June 22-24: Hayward Lions Club 63rd Annual Musky Festival Fishing Contest.
July 3-4: Winter July Jubilee (715-266-7233).
July 20-22: Birchwood Bluegill Festival (800-236-2252).
July 27-29: Lumberjack World Championships (715-634-2484).
For more information on area events and activities, visit the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau website, view its Calendar of Events, or call 1-800-724-2992.
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
This next week looks to be a warm one, with forecasts showing high temperatures often in the mid to upper 80s, winds from 10-15 mph, and even a few chances for thunderstorms. It appears summer is arriving just about on schedule.
“Overall, fishing is very good in the Quiet Lakes area,” says Pat at Happy Hooker. “The up and down weather pattern we had for awhile has subsided and fish seem to be more willing to cooperate.
“Muskie anglers report moving fish on small bucktails and crankbaits, and glider style jerkbaits such as Eddie Baits, Warlocks, and others are all producing as well. The new statewide muskie size limit is 40 inches, though with some exceptions on a few designated lakes, so make sure to check the posting at your lake’s launch site.”
Mark at Hayward Bait says walleye action is good on trolled stick and crank baits, but anglers should check regulations for the lake they fish since not all area lakes allow trolling. He notes that with bass harvest season opening in the northern bass zone June 16, anglers should be aware the DNR is encouraging largemouth harvest on some area lakes. Bob adds that with the rising water temperatures, topwater action is heating up for a number of species.
“Chippewa Flowage walleye fishing is getting interesting,” says Randy at Jenk’s. “The best bet is to go deep with leeches and crawlers, but anglers are starting to use Beetle Spins and Twister Tails in shallower water. That makes sense, because we are into our annual mayfly hatch, and when the mayfly hatch starts you might as well go play badminton for about a week.”
Cathy at Minnow Jim’s says Nelson Lake’s largemouth action is good with noisy surface baits, frogs, dressed weedless jigs, and scented worms fished on weed beds and in lily pads.
“Warmer water temperatures are spurring muskie activity on the Chippewa Flowage,” says guide Dave Dorazio at Outdoor Creations. “Fish the thickest green weeds you can find in 4-10 feet of water –black Hirsch’s Ghost Tails with lime green blades are hot – and try surface baits in the evening.”
At Bay Park Resort on the Trego Flowage, Dan says walleye anglers are catching a few nice fish below the dam and on the lake in the evening. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are shallow, hitting surface baits, plastic worms, and fatheads. Crappie fishing is good toward evening and later at night in the shallows on waxies and minnows. Bluegill action is good near shoreline structure in 3-6 feet of water on jigs tipped with waxies. Catfish are below the dam and should provide a good bite for the next few weeks.
Carolyn at Anglers All in Ashland says trout and salmon fishing is best on spoons trolled in the Islands, with most trollers reporting fish at more than 60 feet.
“Smallmouth fishing is great in the shallows on the east end of the Bay (Sand Cut, Brush and Oak points) with jigs and plastics, spinner and crank baits, and live bait. We are seeing small mayflies, so the hex hatch should be near on the White and Brule rivers for nighttime fun.”
The Third Annual Big Chip Fish Fest is this Sunday, June 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at The Landing on County Road CC. The first 125 children receive either a rod/reel combo or a bait-filled tackle box. There are games and contests for the kids, and raffles and drawings for some outstanding prizes, including two separate floatplane trips over the Flowage. A $5 event button includes a shore lunch with all the fixings. The Chippewa Flowage Property Owners Association and Lake Chippewa Flowage Resort Association sponsor the Big Chip Fish Fest, and all proceeds go for the purchase of extended growth walleyes. For more information, contact John Kaiser (715) 462-3450 or Rick Marks (715) 634-2204.
FISHING REPORT
Muskie:
Muskies are near weeds and shallower structure in depths out to about 10 feet. Top producing baits include bucktails, jerk, crank, and glide baits, and topwater lures, especially in the evening hours.
Walleye:
Walleye anglers are catching fish in various locations and depths, depending on the lake or area of a lake. Depths range from shallow to more than 20 feet of water. Look for structure – weeds, cribs, rock humps, bars, and new cabbage. As a rule, fish the deeper water during daytime hours with leeches, crawlers, and minnows on jigs, Lindy Rigs, and under slip bobbers, or cast and troll Beetle Spins and Twister Tails. In the evening, cast stick and minnow baits over the weeds.
Northern:
Northern pike action is good near weeds, both shallow and deep. Fish shallow for the best action, but go deeper for bigger fish. Spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, plastics, and northern suckers will all work for pike.
Largemouth Bass:
Bass fishing in the northern bass zone is catch-and-release only until June 16.
Most largemouth have completed spawning and you will find them, particularly some bigger fish from shallow weeds and lily pad beds out to deeper weed lines. Baits of choice include spinners, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, weedless plastics and jigs, scented worms, and surface baits.
Smallmouth Bass:
Bass fishing in the northern bass zone is catch-and-release only until June 16.
Fish for post-spawn smallmouth in deeper water near rock, structure, and along break lines with plastics, tubes, stickbaits, crankbaits, wacky worms, and Gulp! leeches.
Crappie:
Crappie action remains good on most lakes, but fish are scattered in various locations, from shallow water out to 12 feet or deeper, near weeds, cribs, brush, and bogs, and suspending over deeper water. Crappie minnows, waxies, worms, leeches, and plastics on jigs and/or under bobbers, and Beetle Spins are all catching crappies.
Bluegill:
Bluegills are still spawning in the shallows on some lakes and in the weeds out to the first break on others, providing plenty of good action and tasty meals. The standard fare of waxies, worms, leaf worms, crawler pieces, Gulp! baits, and plastics are all producing nice catches.
Upcoming Events
June 16: Northern zone bass season goes from catch-and-release to daily bag limits. (See regs.)
June 17: CFAPOA 3rd Annual Big Chip Fish Fest at The Landing on County Road CC.
June 21-24: Musky Festival (715-634-8662).
June 22-24: Hayward Lions Club 63rd Annual Musky Festival Fishing Contest.
July 3-4: Winter July Jubilee (715-266-7233).
July 20-22: Birchwood Bluegill Festival (800-236-2252).
July 27-29: Lumberjack World Championships (715-634-2484).
For more information on area events and activities, visit the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau website, view its Calendar of Events, or call 1-800-724-2992.