Steve Suman
Cooling temperatures are in the immediate forecast for this week, with highs in the mid to upper 60s and low 70s, and lows in the 30s. Most days should have sunshine, which is great for the weekend’s Hayward Chapter-Muskies Inc. 46th annual fall musky tournament, Stone Lake Cranberry Festival, Bayfield Apple Festival, Youth Deer Hunt, and others. If you are bored this weekend, it is self-inflicted!
“In the Quiet Lakes’ area, late summer weather is holding out as long as it can,” says Greg at Happy Hooker. “Water temperatures are dropping into the mid-60s overnight and near 70 in the afternoon. The weather also looks very dry throughout the forecast, which does not help, and fishing is tough.
“Musky fishing slowed way down and the weather pattern is the main cause. Many anglers are trying, and many fish lazily follow baits, but not hitting. A few catches came at dusk on slowly worked bucktails, and a few fish on live bait. Anglers should work weed beds and edges.
“Walleye anglers are catching smaller fish with minnows and plastic on jigs in weed beds in 4-8 feet. The warm water temperatures should be holding larger fish in 15-20 feet.
“Northern pike fishing is slow and fish are not aggressive, though they should be hitting anything thrown their way, including musky suckers. Look in and around weed beds and edges.
“Largemouth bass are active on spinnerbaits and chatterbaits around weed beds; vary retrieve speeds to trigger fish.
“Smallmouth bass fishing is solid and fish are aggressive on deep weed edges in 10-15 feet. Use Ned rigs, plastics on jigs, and crankbaits.
“Crappies are shallow on some lakes and deep on others, and minnows on jigs under bobbers seem the best choice.
“Bluegill and perch are all over, as the fish seem confused about where they should be in the water column. Water temperatures tell them to be in a certain spot, while light conditions tell them somewhere else.”
Jarrett at Hayward Bait says the musky bite will get better with cooler weather.
“Despite the warm temperatures, musky anglers report success. Fish are inside 15 feet and starting to move with the cooler water. Most anglers drag small to medium suckers on harnesses while throwing Medussas, Bull Dawgs, and other big plastics. Bucktails are also a favorite. This weekend, October 4-6, is the 46th annual Muskies Inc. fall musky tournament. Anglers have until 11 p.m. Thursday, October 3, to register.
“Walleye anglers will find walleye on deep basins and walleye suckers on live bait rigs will shine. Other anglers will troll and cast crankbaits along mid-depth weedlines. Shorter days make prime time bite windows easier to access, with sunset around 7 p.m. rather than 9 p.m. during summer.
“Northern pike, as well as bluegill catches, are now mostly by anglers fishing for other species.
“Largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing is solid, with many fish beginning their migration shallow. There is a healthy bite on live bait, plastics, spinnerbaits, and topwaters around docks, lily pads, and weeds. Fish will soon focus on remaining weeds, as will most panfish and baitfish.
“Crappies are on deep weedlines, emerging during peak feeding times, and fishing is good. Other crappies hold close to main lake structures such as cribs, and anglers can pitch slip bobbers and jigs. Schools of fish should start roaming main lake basins and will suspend at different depths, but they have plenty of oxygen to roam basin bottoms in 20-40 feet. Live bait, jigs, and plastics are the go-to baits.”
Mike at Jenk’s says the Chippewa Flowage is down 2.5 feet and the water temperature 68-73 degrees.
“Musky action is okay, despite the heat, with bucktails (orange is hot) productive in early morning and late evening. During the day, the bite is decent on Medussas in deep weeds. Suckers are putting some fish in the boat, and mid-day trolling with large Grandmas and Mattlocks is producing results. With the slight cool-down, the fall sucker bite could pick up quickly over the next week or two.
“Walleyes are still in their summer patterns. During very early morning hours or later evening hours, work crawlers and minnows on weed edges and drop-offs. During the day, fish deep, and bottom bouncers and trolled crankbaits seem most effective. The slight cool-down could spark walleyes into more of a fall pattern by late this week.
“Northern pike remain active, but most of the fish are small. Tinsel Tails, Shimano World Rush Cranks, and chatterbaits are all in shallow to mid-depth weeds.
“Largemouth bass are a bit quiet, but smallmouth bass are hitting wacky worms and Ned rigs in the rocks and stumps. There are many reports of smallmouth action around Cranberry Lake and the Knucklebuster on the southeast side.
“Crappies are on deeper cribs and brush piles, with good action in cribs at the Tyner Lake entrance to Chief Lake. Crappie minnows, Voodoo flash bang jigs, Garland Mayflies, and Gulp! Minnows are all working well.
“New to our website are the Solunar Tables where you will find all solar and lunar conditions and daily ratings.”
This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter discusses fish that spawn in fall.
“The spring spawn gets a lot of attention in Wisconsin. Spring is when some of our most popular species, including sturgeon, muskellunge, and walleye, go through their reproductive acts. Bass and panfish are also spring spawners, but their time comes a little later in the warmer months.
“We also have a handful of species that are fall spawners, and our fall spawners all have one thing in common: they thrive in cold water.
“Most species in the Salmonid family of fishes in Wisconsin go through their reproductive acts during fall spawning.Brook trout might start spawning in October, but it typically peaks in November. Brown trout spawn from October to December. Lake trout spawn from mid-October to early December. Inland populations of whitefish typically spawn in November. Cisco spawn in November and December.
“One exception for the salmonids is rainbow trout. Rainbow, along with several salmon species that now call Wisconsin home, are native to the west coast of North America. These species still generally follow the same life history and spawning timing as they did in their native areas.
“Salmon species lay eggs in the fall, while rainbows might ascend spawning rivers in the fall, but lay eggs in the spring. Fall spawning presents unique challenges to these species, but also affords them a window of time in which the adults and resulting fry do not compete as heavily with other species.
“Fry hatched from fall spawning demonstrate remarkable resiliency needed to survive a Wisconsin winter during their earliest and most vulnerable life stages. Their survival is only possible because of the moderating effects of consistent groundwater inputs to the streams in which they hatch.”
Hunting season news includes the October 5-6 Youth Deer Hunt; October 5-13 Hunters with Disabilities Gun Deer Hunt; and the October 8 closing of bear season.
Hayward Chapter-Muskies Inc. will host its 46th annual fall musky tournament Friday through Sunday, October 4-6, on 17 lakes in the Hayward area, offering more than $30,000 in prizes and trophies.
Each registered angler receives entry for the Grand Prize, a 2024 Lund 1775 Pro Guide boat, 60hp Mercury motor, and ShoreLand’r trailer, drawn during the Sunday awards ceremony. The angler releasing the largest fish receives a graphite replica; anglers releasing a musky greater than 34 inches receive a plaque (all winners must be present).
Anglers can register until 11 p.m. Thursday, October 3. The entry fee is $120 for adults and $25 for youth 16 and younger (eligible for all prizes).
For more information visit Hayward Chapter-Muskies Inc. or call (715) 634-2921 or 558-2835.
ATV/UTV TRAIL REPORT
Visit DNR ATV for rules and regulations.
Unless otherwise posted, all county roads outside the LCO Reservation in Sawyer County are legal for ATV/UTV use. The Trail Treker app shows the changes. Trails 174 and 176 in Spider Lake Township are no longer open to ATV/UTV use. 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. Check the HLVCB ATV/UTV trail conditions report and Sawyer County Snowmobile & ATV Alliance for trail and road updates.
Fishing Report
Fishing is fair to good, with weather affecting success. Cooler temperatures should improve it for most, but not all, species. Fall transition is in progress and bait shop personnel are pleased to provide current fish locations, movements, baits, and presentation preferences.
Musky:
Musky action is fair to decent, and should improve significantly with cooler weather arriving. Anglers report many follows, but fish balking. Target weed beds and edges out to 15 feet. Suckers on quick-strike rigs, bucktails, and big plastics and stickbaits cast and trolled during the day are all producing.
Walleye:
Walleye fishing is fair to good. During early morning and later evening, work shallow weeds, weed edges, and drop-offs with minnows, crawlers, and plastics on jigs and slip bobbers. During the day, use walleye suckers on live bait rigs, cast crankbaits, and troll crankbaits and bottom bouncers on mid-depth weedlines and in basins in 20 feet and deeper.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike action is fair to good, though fish are on the smaller side. Find them around shallow to mid-depth weed beds, weed edges, bays, points, and panfish and baitfish concentrations. Sucker minnows, spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, chatterbaits, and stickbaits all interest pike.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass fishing is fair to very good on shallow to mid-depth weeds, weed beds, and weed edges, docks, lily pads, cribs, breaklines, and brush. Use live bait, spinners, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, plastics, crankbaits, chatterbaits, jerkbaits, and topwaters.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth bass fishing is good to very good on weeds, weed edges, breaklines, rocks, and stumps in 8-18 feet. The most productive baits include sucker minnows, plastics, Ned rigs, jigs, drop shots, wacky worms, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and topwaters.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good on shallow to deep weedlines, cribs, brush, and other structure. Check deep basins out to 35 feet and fish suspending at various depths in the water column. Crappie minnows, plastics, and Gulp! Minnows on jigs under slip bobbers, and Beetle Spins, are all working.
Bluegill:
Bluegill fishing is good for the few anglers who choose to pursue them at this time. Focus on weeds, weed edges, brush, and cribs at various depths. Waxies, worms, crawler chunks, plastics, and Gulp! baits do the job, and try small minnows for bigger bluegills.
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.
Upcoming Events
Sept. 21: Seasons opened: Woodcock; Duck in Northern Zone.
Sept. 30: Hook and line lake sturgeon season closed.
Oct. 4-6: Hayward Chapter-Muskies Inc. 46th annual fall musky tournament (715-634-2921; 558-2835).
Oct. 4-6: Bayfield Apple Festival (715-779-3335).
Oct. 5: Stone Lake Cranberry Festival (715-635-9696).
Oct. 5-6: Youth Deer Hunt.
Oct. 5-13: Hunters with Disabilities Gun Deer Hunt.
Oct. 8: Bear season closes.
Oct. 12: Elk hunting season opens (888-936-7463).
Oct. 12: Northwest Relic Riders vintage snowmobile show/swap, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Flat Creek Lodge (715-482-1026).
Oct. 17: Full Hunter’s Moon (Supermoon).
Oct. 18-20: Ladies musky fishing school (715-462-3328).
Oct. 19: Seasons open: Pheasant; Bobwhite quail; Hungarian Partridge; Coyote trapping; Fox hunting/trapping; Bobcat hunting/trapping Period 1; Fisher trapping; Raccoon hunting/trapping.
Oct. 19: FHNB annual fall fundraiser – all you can eat spaghetti dinner 4:30-8 p.m., Flat Creek Lodge (715-634-3185).
Oct. 19: 10th Annual Fun in the Forest ATV/UTV Benefit Ride, Lakewoods (715-794-2561).
Oct. 21-22: Orionids Meteor Shower; 15-25/hr., swift streaks, south 2-4 a.m.
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.