The forecast shows a relatively nice week ahead, with highs in the mid-70s, though with rain from Monday night thru Tuesday night. Rain chances reappear Friday night and thru the weekend. Enjoy a great week!
“In the Quiet Lakes’ area, water temperatures are upper 60s to 70-degrees,” says Greg at Happy Hooker, “and short bite windows are making catch differences.
“Muskies anglers report tough fishing, though some moved fish with bucktails in cover, but board entries did not increase. Look for fish around shallow weed beds, rocky reefs, and mid-lake humps.
“Walleye bite windows are short and happen towards dusk, with fish moving extremely shallow to sandy banks and shorelines. Small jerkbaits and crankbaits twitched over sandy spots are the key. The midday bite should be just off nearby shallow structure.
“Northern pike are active in and around weeds, hitting live bait on jigs, small crankbaits, and musky baits. Find fish in weed cover in 3-12 feet.
“Largemouth bass anglers report success with sucker minnows and fatheads under floats, and plastic worms. Work baits through weeds or along edges, and a few feet down in the water column.
“Smallmouth bass are active around structure such as weed beds, deep weeds and rocks, and weed to basin transitions. Working live bait and plastics on jigs toward the bottom is the key.
“Crappie and bluegill are in/on weeds and weed beds. Perch are usually on deep rocky areas, but might be in weeds. Crawlers and leaf worms are best for bluegills. Minnows, small plastics, and spin-jigs are great for crappie and perch.”
TJ at Hayward Bait says muskies are active with the cooler water.
“The fish are more aggressive in chasing big baits and committing more frequently. Target weed edges in 10-20 feet.
“Walleyes are moving in about 15 feet. Larger Shad Raps, crankbaits, and drop-shots are pulling both large fish and eaters. Work weeds and ledges to find the schools. Larger fish tend to roam flats solitarily.
“Northern pike are cruising in weeds in 1-20 feet and aggressively eating anything that fits in their mouths. Topwaters such as Whopper Ploppers and buzzbaits work well at this time.
“Bass are in schools, chasing bait. Cover water once you find a school. Usually more largemouth are feeding on frogs near shore out to weeds in 20 feet. Use lipless crankbaits, chatterbaits, and swim jigs in bluegill and perch colors.
“Smallmouth bass are on weed to gravel or gravel to sand transitions. Bounce small crankbaits off bottom for aggressive fish.
“Crappies are on cribs and weed edges taking minnows and soft plastics. Vary depths as larger fish often sit below the smaller ones.
“Bluegills are schooling around shallow stumps and logs in 3-5 feet.”
Mike at Jenk’s says the Chippewa Flowage is down three feet.
“Musky action picked up and fishing weeds and other cover is the best bet. Suicks and bucktails with offset blades are good most of the day, and Hawg Wobblers and creepers are great just before dawn and at dusk.
“Walleye fishing is solid. During the day, troll crankbaits such as jointed Flicker Shads, Flicker Minnows, and Shad Raps. Night fishing is very good with leeches (in stock as of last weekend) and crawlers, in that order. Target 6-12 feet on the outside of weed bars, with those bordering river channels most effective.
“Northern pike action is good in weeds, with Chatter Flash and weedless spoons producing success. Both sides offer action, with the west side best. In recent days, several anglers reported success around Horseshoe Island.
“Bass fishing is somewhat quiet, likely due to anglers not targeting them, so stick with the typical spots. For largemouth, target weeds and lily pads. For smallmouth, target stumps and rocks. Chatterbaits and Ned rigs are good for subsurface, while Whopper Ploppers and frogs offer great topwater action.
“Crappie fishing is good, with many anglers catching limits. Plastics are outperforming live bait, and one-inch Gulp! Minnows and Garland Mayflies are hot. Look for cribs and other deep cover.”
This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter discusses information learned from 1,000 musky PIT-tag captures.
“Readers of this column have heard about PIT (passive integrated transponder) tags placed in muskies and other long-lived fish to learn more about their growth and movement. We have attached the tags into tens of thousands of muskies in the Hayward area ‑ the trick is that we collect useful data only if we are able to ‘recapture’ one of the tagged fish.
“This year, the Hayward Fish Team recaptured our 1,000th PIT-tagged musky. This is a lot of data points, each yielding a piece of information about these beloved local fish. Some are fish we captured initially in the wild, tagged, and then captured again. These fish, usually tagged as adults, offer us some insights into how they grow and move around.
“Another group we call ‘known age’ fish, we tagged in the hatchery and knew their exact age when stocked into a lake. These fish tell us a lot more about growth because we get to track them through juvenile ages. Since they are stocked fish, we also get a chance to evaluate our stocking effectiveness.
“Now, with the cumulative data we have on PIT-tagged muskies, we can say much more about what is happening within these fish populations.
“For example, we can say that the 2012 musky stocking in Lost Land Lake resulted in 12.4 percent of stocked fish reaching adulthood of 6 years, which is a very good mark. We can also say that a female musky on the Chippewa Flowage grows about 1.5 inches between 6 and 7 years of age.
“We can use these tags to document how fish move about, though it is not real-time movement data. We have documented fish moving from Teal Lake to Chippewa Flowage, Sand Lake to Lac Courte Oreilles, and recently Barber Lake to Lake Winter, with many other examples.
“Many anglers are deeply passionate about muskies, and we are fortunate to have a monitoring and data collection system that is delivering high-quality information we can use to manage muskies.”
Hunters/Trappers
First period bear season opens September 9. See regulations for details.
September 12 is the season opener for Archery/crossbow deer, Turkey, Cottontail rabbit, Squirrel (gray, fox), and Ruffed grouse (Zone A).
Numerous bonus antlerless deer harvest authorizations remain available in Sawyer County and Northern Forest zones thru license sales locations and Go Wild. Opportunities vary based on local population levels and management goals. For more information, visit “deer hunting” on the DNR website.
Anglers
Lake Sturgeon hook-and-line season opened September 5 and runs thru September 30 (check regs).
The free Disabled Veterans Fishing Outing on Nelson Lake is Wednesday, Sept. 16-17, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Event sponsors are Hayward Chapter-Fishing Has No Boundaries and Hayward Veterans Center. There are limited openings, so register early. This event is free of charge for disabled veterans and their caregiver, with guides, gear, pontoons, and boats provided, including lunch each day, and raffle prizes throughout the event. For more information, and to register, email vets.haywardfhnb@gmail.com or call (715) 651-0482.
The 48th Annual Hayward Chapter-Muskies Inc. Annual Musky Tournament is September 25-27, with a new earlier time and Hayward Sports Center the new headquarters location. The entry fee is $110 ($130 after Sept. 14), and $25 for youth 16 years and younger.
The official entry/release stations are Hayward Bait, Jenk’s Bait, Angler’s Haven Resort, Mogasheen Resort, and Bobber Down Bait. All contest winners must be present for the awards ceremony at Hayward Sports Center at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, September 27 ‑ NO exceptions.
For more information, visit www.muskiesinc-hayward.org or call (715) 634-2921 or (715) 558-2835.
ATV/UTV Trail Report
All ATV/UTV operators born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, who are at least 12 years old for ATV and at least 16 years old for UTV, must complete an ATV/UTV safety certification course to operate legally on public ATV/UTV trails and areas in Wisconsin. The DNR requires trail passes for non-residents; Wisconsin residents must display a registration sticker. Riders must run headlights at all times when operating. Visit the DNR ATV website ‑ and make sure to review recent law changes effective June 1 affecting ATV/UTV seatbelt requirements, liability, towing, and window tint restrictions.
Unless posted otherwise, all county roads outside LCO Reservation in Sawyer County are legal for ATV/UTV use. Contact numbers for ATV/UTV trails: Sawyer County Forest (715-634-4846); Chequamegon National Forest (715-634-4821); and Flambeau State Forest (715-332-5271).
For updates and closures, visitHLVCB ATV/UTV trail conditions report.
Sawyer County ATV & Snowmobile trail maps are available from the Hayward Lakes Visitor & Convention Bureau and Trail Treker ($2) for the complete map ($2).
Fishing Report
Fishing is fair to good and improving with water temperatures now in the upper 60s to 70-degree range, but short bite windows affect success. It is transition time, so check with your favorite bait shop for the most current information.
Musky:
Musky action is tough, but improving. Target shallow to mid-depth weeds, weed edges, rocky reefs, and mid-lake humps with bucktails and Suicks. In early morning and evening hours, try Hawg Wobblers, creepers, and other topwaters.
Walleye:
Walleye fishing is good, though short bite windows. During daylight, hit weed edges, ledges, and structure out to about 18 feet. In evening hours, work shallow sand and shorelines. Leeches, crawlers, drop-shots, Shad Raps, and trolled crankbaits, jointed Flicker Shads, and Shad Raps are effective.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike action is very good around weeds out to 20 feet, and near panfish and baitfish concentrations. Sucker minnows, crankbaits, spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, Chatter Flash, buzzbaits, and assorted topwaters all work.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass are on weeds, weed edges, lily pads, and slop out to18 feet. Use sucker minnows and fatheads under floats, plastic worms, chatterbaits, Ned rigs, swim jigs, and Whopper Ploppers, frogs, and other topwaters.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth bass fishing is good on deep weeds, rocks, stumps, weeds to basins/gravel, and gravel to sand transitions. Sucker minnows, plastics, Ned rigs, crayfish crankbaits, Whopper Ploppers, frogs, and other topwaters work well.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good, with some anglers catching limits on weeds, weed edges, cribs, and other cover. Crappie minnows, plastics, one-inch Gulp! Minnows, and Garland Mayflies on small jigs, and spin-jigs are all producing.
Bluegill/Perch:
Bluegill and perch fishing is good. Bluegills are in weeds and schooled near stumps in 2-8 feet, taking waxies, crawler chunks, and leaf worms on small jigs. Perch on deep rock or in weeds are hitting minnows, small plastics, and spin-jigs.
Upcoming Events
Sept. 1: Seasons opened: Early teal; Early goose; Mourning dove (see closing dates).
Sept. 5: Hook and Line Lake Sturgeon season opened (check the regs).
Sept. 8: Hayward Lakes Chapter-Muskies Inc. meeting at Hayward Rod & Gun Club, 6:30 p.m. (715-558-2835).
Sept. 9: Bear season opens with aid of bait (see regulations).
Sept. 9-12: Lake Chippewa Flowage Resort Association Musky Hunt (roster full).
Sept. 12: Seasons open: Archery/crossbow deer; Turkey; Cottontail rabbit; Squirrel (gray, fox); Ruffed grouse (Zone A).
Sept. 15: Deadline to apply for hunters with disabilities gun deer hunt.
Sept. 16: Northern Zone goose season opens.
Sept. 16-17: Disabled Veterans Fishing Outing on Nelson Lake, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., email or call (715-651-0482).
Sept. 19-20: Youth Waterfowl Hunt.
Sept. 19: Woodcock season opens.
Sept. 19: Hayward Lions Oktoberfest at Sawyer County Fairgrounds, 12-7 p.m.
Sept. 19: Chequamegon MTB Festival in Cable, 6:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (cheqmtb@ltevents.zendesk.com).
Sept. 19: WI/MN Concealed Carry Class at Hayward Rod & Gun Club, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (715-558-8312).
Sept. 22: First day of fall (autumnal equinox).
Sept. 24-26: Annual Treeland Premiere Musky Fly Fishing Championship (715-462-3874).
Sept. 25-27 (New): Hayward Lakes Chapter-Muskies Inc. Musky Tournament (715-634-2921; 558-2835).
Sept. 25-26: Cable Fall Festival (715-798-3833).
Sept. 26: Hayward Fall Festival – event schedule, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (715-634-8662).
Sept. 26: Full Harvest Moon.
Sept. 26: Northern Zone duck season opens.
For more information on area events and activities, visit the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau and Hayward Area Chamber of Commerce websites, view the Calendar of Events, or call (715) 634-8662 or (715) 634-4801.