This week’s forecast calls for mild temperatures and little to no precipitation (of any type) until chances of rain Friday and thru the weekend. Expect high temperatures from 30-41 degrees, lows 18-30 degrees, and fog/freezing fog possible throughout the week. Check current road conditions at 511wi.gov for Wisconsin and 511mn.org for Minnesota.
The 2025 Hayward Lakes Vacation Guide is now available online or in hard copy. Visit haywardlakes.com/order-vacation-guide to view or order and start making vacation plans now!
Wishing you safe travels and a very Merry Christmas!
“The Quiet Lakes’ area did not receive nearly as much snow as originally forecast,” says Greg at Happy Hooker, “with maybe 2-3 inches on the ground. A warm-up this week shows multiple days in the upper 30s.
“Fishing is mostly easy now, with fish where anglers expect them and biting at twilight/dusk. Reports say Moose Lake has 10 inches of ice and most of the Chippewa Flowage is around 8 inches, but check as you go!
“All ice we checked last Friday was 6-8 inches of solid black ice, and lakes making noise the entire time.
“We were fortunate to get a few smaller walleyes, and a decent northern pike, on sucker minnows on tip-ups set near shallow weeds in 12-20 feet.
“We did not find any crappies, but reports say some anglers are doing well on the Chippewa Flowage and on lakes with deep basins. Target those fish in 15-25 feet with minnows and plastics on jigs.
“A school of small perch we found in 15 feet were fun to catch on small tungsten jigs and soft plastics.”
Jarrett at Hayward Bait says thanks to the cold during the past week or so, anglers can finally get on some solid ice.
“The bigger lakes have 4-8 inches, depending on ‘where’ on the lake, and most smaller lakes have 9-12 inches of good, clear ice. Warm temperatures this week will knock down the snow, making for slippery conditions, so bring cleats!
“After the brief warm-up, temperatures will drop and freeze any water from the melt. This is a great spot to be in at this point in the ice season!
“Walleyes are around shallow weeds out to 12 feet. Walleye suckers and shiners on setlines work best to avoid spooking fish. Thicker ice and little snow cover have anglers starting to jig fish. Medium size spoons jigged aggressively, with a setline nearby for hesitant fish, work well.
“Northern pike roam shallow weedlines picking off small panfish, with setlines the preferred tactic.
“Panfish fishing picked up with the thicker ice and anglers can creep out toward basin areas. Anglers report catching good numbers of panfish in 15-30 feet with live bait and plastics on small jigs. Look for fish suspending over basins, as crappies will move there as shallow bays lose oxygen.”
This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter discusses a ‘photo or it didn’t happen’ fish management philosophy.
“Kids have a saying for when they hear something sounding a bit outrageous: ‘Photo or it didn’t happen.’
This is a decidedly modern phrase, born from the first generations with the ability to capture everything in their lives in high-resolution and easily sharable photos and video. No special event or phenomenon goes uncaptured or undocumented, be it spectacular views of the northern lights, remarkable vistas in remote corners of National Parks, or even strange animal encounters.
“Whether we agree with it or not, ‘photo or it didn’t happen’ is now a driving cultural mindset to verify experiences.
“It also has some real application in fish management. Our fisheries surveys document what fish are in a lake, yet capture just a small subset of what is there, with the potential to miss rare species. Verifiable reports from the public can be very useful to document rare or new invasive species.
“This is where modern camera technology becomes very useful.
“An angler catching something truly rare can easily snap a picture and send it and the GPS location to a fish biologist, oftentimes before leaving the water.
“The flip side is when we get a sensational report from an angler without any kind of photo verification. In our area, the most common form is anglers claiming to have caught muskies in lakes where they are neither native nor documented. For me, this is the ultimate case of ‘photo or it didn’t happen’ for fish management.
“Catching a musky in a lake where they are not known to exist would certainly be an event worth documenting with a quick photo. Since 90 percent of U.S. adults have smart phones, and a higher percentage for younger people, there is a camera in almost every pocket.
“This is a big reason why unverified, no-photo reports receive more skepticism today. A scarring lesson I learned earlier in my career came from the Chippewa Flowage.
“We received a report of ‘hundreds’ of smallmouth bass carcasses in the trash at a state boat landing. This was of interest, because at the time, we had concerns about anglers knowing the difference between the two bass species if they had different seasons and regulations.
“I learned where the trash from that area was taken and went to open the bags to find the carcasses. That stomach-churning hour at the dump produced hundreds of crappie and bluegill carcasses, in various states of decomposition, but not a single bass carcass.
“This was a classic case where I should have asked for a photo from the person who made the report, because we found out the hard way this probably did not happen!”
Fall turkey hunters in Wisconsin registered 4,093 turkeys in the state as of December 17. The fall season in zones 1-5 runs through January 5. Bonus authorizations ($10/residents; $15/nonresidents) are available at one per person, per day, until the zone sells out or season ends. Bonus permits remain available in the following zones:
- Zone 1: 683
- Zone 2: 488
- Zone 3: 387
- Zone 4: 539
For more information, search “turkey hunting” on the DNR website.
According to the DNR deer harvest report for Sawyer County, total harvest for this season, as of December 17, is 2,176 deer, including 1,355 antlered and 821 antlerless. Sawyer County totals (preliminary, subject to correction) include:
- 9-Day Gun Season: 1,303 deer (775 antlered, 528 antlerless)
- Archery: 211 deer (158 antlered, 53 antlerless)
- Crossbow: 507 deer (345 antlered, 162 antlerless)
- Muzzleloader season: 61 deer (37 antlered, 24 antlerless)
- Youth Hunt (Oct. 5-6): 46 deer (30 antlered, 16 antlerless)
- December antlerless-only hunt: 29 deer (29 antlerless)
For more information, search “deer harvest summary” on the DNR website.
The Antlerless-only Holiday Deer Hunt is open December 24-January 1. This is NOT a statewide season and is open only in select farm counties. See the regulations and season map for details.
ATV/UTV TRAIL REPORT
All ATV and 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 and Wisconsin residents must display a registration sticker. Riders must run headlights at all times when operating. Visit the DNR ATV website for rules and regulations.
Unless otherwise posted, all Sawyer County roads outside the LCO Reservation are legal for ATV/UTV use. The Trail Treker app shows the changes. The ATV/UTV trails in Sawyer County Forest (715-634-4846), Chequamegon National Forest (715-634-4821), and Flambeau State Forest (715-332-5271) are open. However, check for trail and road updates and closures atHLVCB ATV/UTV trail conditions report and Sawyer County Snowmobile & ATV Alliance.
Order a Sawyer County Snowmobile & ATV Trail Map from the HLVCB or download the Trail Treker app ($2) on your smartphone and get the complete Sawyer County Trail Map ($2). Once loaded, you never need mobile coverage. Place the phone in Airplane Mode to conserve the battery, and your GPS still shows your location and all map business sponsors in “Points of Interest.”
SNOWMOBILE/SKI TRAIL REPORT
Snowmobiles must have a current registration and display a valid snowmobile trail pass to operate on public snowmobile trails. You can renew registrations and order trail passes online or purchase trail passes from sales agents. Members of the Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs (AWSC) can purchase trail passes at a discounted rate directly from www.awsc.org. You do not need to be a Wisconsin resident to be an AWSC member.
The December 23 HLVCB snowmobile trail report says the lakes are freezing and light snow is falling, but grooming has not started. Ice conditions can be inconsistent across waterbodies, and for your safety and that of those who might follow, do not ride on lakes not staked. Check back for updates.
For current Birkie Trail conditions, visit www.birkie.com/trail-maps-conditions. Skiing any part of the Birkie Trail System December through March requires a Birkie Trail Ski Pass.
Fishing Report
Cold temperatures with minimal snow formed decent ice (thickness varies, check as you go!) and anglers are doing well. Check with bait shop personnel for the current fish locations, favored baits and presentations, and bite windows.
Walleye season on the Chippewa Flowage closed November 30.
Musky season closes December 31. Check regulations ‑ that do not allow anglers to target muskies through the ice.
Walleye:
Walleye fishing is fair to good on weeds and weedlines out to 20 feet. Walleye suckers and shiners on tip-ups, Jigging Raps, and medium jigging spoons are producing, with the best bite window late afternoon into dark.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike action is good to very good in and around shallow weeds, weedlines, and concentrations of baitfish and panfish in 10-25 feet. Northern suckers, walleye suckers, and shiners on tip-ups, and jigging baits, are working well.
Crappie:
Crappie activity is increasing, with fish suspending over deep basins in 15-30 feet. Baits of choice include crappie minnows, plastics, and Gulp! baits on small jigs, and small jigging baits. Check the entire water column!
Bluegill/Perch:
Bluegill and perch fishing is improving, with anglers catching good numbers of fish around weeds and deep basins in 15-30 feet. Live bait and plastics on small jigs and teardrops work well.
Upcoming Events
Dec. 2-31: Hayward Holiday Raffle Drawings; tickets $10 each (715-634-8662).
Dec. 20: Elk season second period closed.
Dec. 21: Winter Solstice – first day of winter.
Dec. 22-23: Ursids Meteor Shower; 5-15/hr., medium speed, north, all night.
Dec. 24-Jan. 1: Antlerless-only holiday deer season (not statewide; see regs); open only in select farm counties.
Dec. 25: Christmas Day.
Dec. 25: Bobcat Period 1 hunting and trapping season closes.
Dec. 26-Jan. 31: Bobcat Period 2 hunting and trapping season opens.
Dec. 31: Musky season closes (see regs).
Jan. 1: New Year’s Day 2025!
Jan. 2-4: Quadrantids Meteor Shower; 60-120/hr. medium speed, northeast, 4-6 a.m.
Jan. 4: 13th Annual Pat’s Landing Tipper Tourney, 8am-3pm, $25 entry fee (715-945-2511).
Jan. 5: Seasons close: Archery and crossbow deer; Grouse Zone A; Turkey zones 1-5; Pheasant; Hungarian partridge; Fisher trapping.
Jan. 7: Big Sissabagama Lake fishery planning Zoom meeting, 5:30-7 p.m. (715-634-7429).
Jan. 11: Seeley Hill Classic.
Jan. 18-19: Free Fishing Weekend.
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 800-724-2992.