Steve Suman
This week’s forecast shows temperature fluctuations from a high of 30 to a low of 1 degree. A couple days of sunshine, flurries common, and no accumulation at this time, and always subject to change… and usually does. Travelers can check current road conditions at 511wi.gov for Wisconsin and 511mn.org for Minnesota.
“Winter in the Quiet Lakes’ area arrived quickly and with force,” says Greg at Happy Hooker, “with temperatures topping out at 15 degrees last Friday. The extended forecast shows no temperatures above the 20s, and lows in single digits or teens. There are few chances for significant snow at this time, which is a good thing for the short term, as it will allow lake ice to build quickly. Some lakes do have ice on them, but it is not safe for travel or fishing.
“Reports from the woods are slow as well. Some hunters harvested a few nice bucks during opening weekend, but overall it was quiet.”
Jarrett at Hayward Bait says most anglers are ready for ice fishing season as soon as the ice is safe for travel.
“When heading out onto early ice this year, make sure you have all necessary safety gear such as float suits and/or PFDs, ice picks, cell phone, throw ropes, and other essentials. Tell someone where you are going, when to expect your return, and stick to the plan.
“Early ice calls for shallow fishing. Back bays and small pockets of shallow water are often the first and safest places for early ice anglers. In addition, these are where walleye, northern pike, and panfish will congregate as they seek the remains of healthy weeds. Anglers should focus on areas along weedlines in 2-10 feet, covering a large area with tip-ups and setlines.
“Early ice is often clear, and until there is snow cover, any movements on the ice are easily visible below the ice and can spook the fish. Once anglers complete their set-up, they should move a reasonable distance away. Any activity on top of the ice amplifies underwater and risks scaring fish further, so use calm and quiet footsteps when approaching flags. This can make all the difference in a trophy walleye taking in the bait further or spitting it up.
“In most lakes, the go-to bait from now until ice-out will be live bait, primarily walleye suckers, with some shiners.”
This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter discusses additional lakes for the 20-inch smallmouth bass club.
“People come from far and wide to fish smallmouth bass in the Hayward lakes area. The beauty of the lakes is a major draw, but the smallmouth populations in our area are elite and have their own magnetic pull for anglers.
“Catch and release is now the overwhelming mode of operation for today’s bass anglers, and most seek big fish, rather than eaters. A common cutoff for ‘trophy’ smallmouth is 20 inches, but what might surprise some anglers is how rare smallmouth bass of that size are in our surveys.
“I pulled the records of all smallmouth captured from Hayward area lakes over all the years of our surveys. The dataset includes more than 16,000 smallmouth captured via netting or electrofishing, and only 72 (0.4%) meet or exceed the 20-inch mark. In other words, while a 20-incher is not a one-in-a-million fish, it is close to a one-in-250 fish!
“It is also interesting to look at which lakes produce these super-size smallmouth. Round, Grindstone, Lac Courte Oreilles, and Whitefish lakes each have a fair number of entries in the 20-inch club. Anglers might be surprised with the trophy smallmouth potential of some other lakes, including Sand, Barker, Blaisdell, Osprey, Mason, and Connors.
“Last year, we added a new lake to the 20-inch club, with a fish captured in Spider Lake, and this fall we added another Spider Lake fish!
“Anglers should understand that these fish are special. A 20-inch smallmouth in this part of the world is almost certainly 10 years old or more, meaning they are not replaced overnight. It takes a rare combination of factors to come together to allow any individual fish to reach this mark. Available prey and growth rate are part of the equation, but so is survival from year to year.
“Anglers have a role to play here by maintaining good catch and release practices that keep a fish swimming long enough to make it to the hallowed 20-inch mark!”
Fall turkey hunters in Wisconsin registered 3,649 turkeys in the state as of November 26, with harvest in zones 4, 6, and 7 as follows:
- Zone 4: 595
- Zone 6: 393
- Zone 7: 209
The fall season in zones 6 and 7 closed November 22. The 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 as follows:
- Zone 1: 713
- Zone 2: 579
- Zone 3: 442
- Zone 4: 573
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 November 26, is 1,359 deer, including 931 antlered and 428 antlerless. The totals (subject to correction) include:
- Archery: 204 deer (154 antlered, 50 antlerless)
- Crossbow: 483 deer (331 antlered, 152 antlerless)
- 9-Day Gun Season (preliminary): 519 deer (349 antlered, 170 antlerless)
- Youth Hunt (Oct. 5-6): 46 deer (30 antlered, 16 antlerless)
For more information, search “deer harvest summary” on the DNR website.
The DNR encourages hunters to donate Wisconsin-harvested deer through the Deer Donation Program that supports Wisconsin residents in need by helping stock ground venison made from donated deer to food pantry shelves. There remains a high demand for the venison this program provides.
Since the program began in 2000, hunters have donated more than 98,000 deer, totaling nearly 4 million pounds of venison, to help Wisconsinites in need.
For more information, search “deer donation program” on the DNR website.
Hunters and trappers who harvested their first deer, bear, turkey, bobcat, fisher, or otter this year can commemorate the event with a first harvest certificate. Certificates are free, and easy to receive. Just check out the online form, fill in all the necessary information, and upload a photo. The DNR will send a printable certificate to the email address supplied.
The DNR will host a public Lake Superior fisheries management meeting Wednesday, December 11, starting at 6 p.m., to discuss recent evaluations of brown trout and splake stocking programs and future Lake Superior stocking plans. The DNR will hold the meeting at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland.
The meeting will include a short presentation about Lake Superior stocking strategies, followed by an open forum for questions or comments related to the stocking plans or any other Lake Superior fisheries topic. The DNR Fisheries Management staff will also introduce a new proposed walleye regulation that will be a question during the Wisconsin Conservation Congress spring hearings.
For more information, search “Lake Superior fisheries management meeting” on the DNR website.
Lake Superior’s lake trout season opened December 1 and runs through Sept. 30, 2025, or until harvest meets the cap. The lake’s Wisconsin waters are divided into two management units: WI-1, which encompasses all waters from Superior to Bark Point (considered the Western Arm), and WI-2, which includes waters from Bark Point to the Michigan border (considered the Apostle Islands region). Harvest is a bag limit of three lake trout from the Western Arm waters, and only two lake trout from the Apostle Islands region. In both management units, lake trout must be a minimum of 15 inches long and harvest of only one fish greater than 25 inches.
For more information, search “fishing for lake trout on Lake Superior” on the DNR website.
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.
Check now for trail and road updates, closures, and upcoming closures atHLVCB ATV/UTV trail conditions report and Sawyer County Snowmobile & ATV Alliance
Fishing Report
Order a Sawyer County Snowmobile & ATV Trail Map from the Hayward Lakes Visitor & Convention Bureau 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. Put 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.”
Temperatures in the North Woods turned much colder almost overnight, and nighttime lows are now nudging zero. This change is producing ice quickly, but it is still early ice. IF you choose to try your luck (i.e., tempt fate), do so with great caution and with all proper safety equipment at hand. It is a long season ‑ make sure you stick around for all of it!
Anglers should be aware that walleye season closed on the Chippewa Flowage November 30; and musky season closes statewide December 31. Check the regulations for the waters you are fishing.
Upcoming Events
Nov. 23: Seasons opened: Fall turkey in zones 1-5; Crow.
Nov. 29: Mourning dove season closed.
Nov. 30: Walleye season closed on the Chippewa Flowage.
Dec. 1: Traditional nine-day gun deer season closed.
Dec. 2-11: Muzzleloader deer season.
Dec. 2-31: Hayward Holiday Raffle Drawings; tickets $10 each (715-634-8662).
Dec. 10: Application deadline for spring turkey, fall bear permits.
Dec. 11: Bobwhite quail season closes statewide.
Dec. 12-15: Statewide antlerless-only deer season (see regs).
Dec. 12-20: Elk season second period open.
Dec. 13-14: Geminids Meteor Shower; 60-120/hr., medium speed, overhead, 1-3 a.m.
Dec. 15: Full Cold Moon.
Dec. 16: Goose season closes in Northern Zone.
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: 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. 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. 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.