Hayward Lakes Outdoor Report 12-22-25

Steve Suman

The second day of winter forecast calls for a relatively mild week ahead, but the prognosticators continue to waver on the high for Christmas day. What was once 40 degrees is now 33 degrees, and of course subject to change at any time! Weather conditions are good through Christmas day Thursday, but with mixed precipitation that night into Friday, and through the weekend.

Wishing you safe travels and a very Merry Christmas!

Travelers can check current road conditions at 511wi.gov for Wisconsin and 511mn.org for Minnesota.

The Ursids Meteor Shower peaks December 21-22 with 5-15 meteors per hour, all night. Look to the north.

“Above freezing temperatures and rain in the Quiet Lakes’ area last Thursday might have helped the ice a bit,” says Greg at Happy Hooker. “It knocked down some insulating snow, overnight subzero temperatures froze lakes hard, and lakes with decent ice gained a couple inches.

“Crews staked Lost Land Lake and Tiger Cat Flowage Friday where they found 8 inches of ice. Reports say the Spider Lake Chain has 5-8 inches. A warm-up and potential rain around Christmas should not significantly affect the ice.

“Anglers venturing onto bigger water and even smaller lakes that seem safe should use common sense and check the ice as they go, as we have had some temperature swings and rain. No fish is worth falling through the ice!

“Most anglers are staying fairly close to shorelines and finding fish on shallower structure such as weed beds, rocky points, and reefs, and shorelines with steep breaks in 6-15 feet. Walleye suckers and shiners on tip-ups around these structures are good for walleye, pike, and bass.

“Panfish might be in basins, where waxies and minnows on jigs and spoons are great choices. This works for fish in weeds as well, and working edges is the key.”

Jarrett at Hayward Bait says area ice conditions vary.

“Lakes that received early snow in December had accumulations and its insulation prevented fast ice growth. Bigger lakes without much snow have solid ice that increases each cold night. Most lakes have 4-8 inches, depending on location. This warm-up should knock down snow on small and medium size lakes, refreeze it, and speed ice making.

“Walleyes are shallow and anglers use suckers and shiners on tip-ups. For anglers not yet able to reach offshore structure, bays and small backwaters are the key to finding fish. Move away from tip ups in shallow water ‑ fish are spooky and sound travels a long way under ice.

“Northern pike are shallow and during daylight look for structure holding small crappie, bluegill, and perch. Large shiners and suckers work well. Later in winter, try dead bait ‑ high in smell and an easy meal for pike.

“Panfish are on shallow weeds and breaklines, and in main lake basins. Fish begin winter near basin bottoms and suspend throughout winter. Targeting a foot off bottom excludes fish higher in the water column. Use electronics to find fish. Small jigs, rattlebaits, spoons, and setlines with just a hook can be the key to fussy panfish.”

This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter scores fishing opportunities on Moose Lake.

“In this series, I rate local fishing opportunities by individual species on a 0-10 scale reflecting catchability, size, and other fishing qualities, and note why each species received its score.

“This week, we look at Moose Lake, a 1,559-acre impoundment of the West Fork of the Chippewa River. Moose has some very prominent characteristics that affect the fishery, including dark stained water and an annual overwinter drawdown that is part of the larger hydropower generation plan.

“Walleyes rate a 7 in Moose. The population has been resilient, and walleye are fairly abundant. Size is often on the smaller end, but relatively new regulations aim to address this while also allowing a lot of angler harvest.

“Muskellunge are another featured species, and one I also rate as a 7. Abundance is fairly good, and anglers can expect some action. However, size is somewhat modest, with most fish in the 30- to 42-inch range.

“Crappies are the featured panfish in Moose, and the population rates an 8, with room to go higher. Size is very good, but they can at times be difficult to locate in this habitat-rich waterbody. A new, recently applied experimental harvest regulation will protect and further enhance this special crappie population. Other Moose Lake panfish species receive a 4 rating. Bluegill size is very good, but abundance is low, and perch are present, with size okay.

“Smallmouth bass rate a 6, with good size and lots of fun fishing opportunities. Largemouth bass receive a 3, simply because catches are not common.

“Northern pike are just starting to appear in the system, which is of concern for the musky population. We encourage anglers to harvest pike when they catch one.

“Moose Lake is a very different kind of fishery compared to other area lakes, but one with much to offer anglers.”

Anglers:

Musky season closes statewide Dec. 31

Early inland catch-and-release only trout season opens at 5 a.m. January 3 ‑ check the regs!

Hunters:

Fall turkey season in zones 1-5 only is open thru Jan. 4, with many bonus tags still available in zones 1-4

Second period elk season closed December 19 (see regs)

An antlerless-only holiday hunt is open only in select farmland zones Dec. 24- Jan. 1 (see regs, page 11)

Archery and crossbow deer season is open thru Jan. 4, 2026

Deer Management Units in the Northern Forest Management zones were converted to habitat-based units by number, rather than county-based units. Review the map of the new DMUs so you know in which DMU you are hunting, and view a breakdown of the season structure by county and DMU. Units in Sawyer County extend into other counties. The 2025 weekly DMU deer harvest numbers for these units, as of December 16, are available by referencing the DMU map and deer harvest summary. In a number of units, bonus antlerless licenses remain available.

Wisconsin’s Deer Donation Program that began in 2000 helps stock food pantries and supports residents in need, with hunters donating more than 4 million pounds of ground venison, providing nutritious, hearty meals.

Donating is easy and free. Hunters donate the entire deer, processors sign an intent-to-donate sheet, and charitable organizations distribute the processed venison.

Hunters and non-hunters can support the program through monetary donations at  license sales locations or online through  Go Wild. For more information, visit “Deer Donation Program.”

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 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.

Contacts for ATV/UTV forest trails include Sawyer County Forest (715-634-4846), Chequamegon National Forest (715-634-4821), and Flambeau State Forest (715-332-5271).

Sawyer County snowmobile and ATV trail maps are available from Hayward Lakes Visitor & Convention Bureau.

For trail openings, closures, and more, visit HLVCB ATV/UTV trail conditions report.

Most Sawyer County ATV/UTV trails are open, and many stay open throughout the winter. Some specific areas have closures for a short time or until later spring. These trails include

Tuscobia Trail/#10 from Birchwood to the Price County line closes Nov. 15 thru Dec 15 during deer season.
Forest Road 203 in Spider Lake Township has closed until May 1.
Trail 31 north of Tuscobia to north of Edgewater has closed until Memorial Day weekend.
Flambeau River Forest Trails closed to ATV/UTV until May 15.

All other ATV/UTV trails are open all fall including the County Forest and the Chequamegon National Forest. When the county gets enough snow accumulation to enable snowmobile trail grooming, the County Forest (dark green on map) close to UTVs over 900lbs. All other trails (except those previously mentioned) remain open during winter. Legal roads and routes such as county roads (lettered roads) and town roads that allow ATV/UTV (see town signage and map showing town borders). Visit township websites to confirm. Not all county roads within the LCO reservation are open; the map indicates the open sections.

Snowmobile/Ski Trail Report

Snowmobiles must have a current registration and display a valid snowmobile trail pass to operate on public snowmobile trails. 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 (need not be a Wisconsin resident to be an AWSC member).

The December 22 HLVCB snowmobile trail report says crews staked some area lakes this past weekend. Lakes currently staked for riding include Moose, Callahan, Spider, Lost Land, Tiger Cat Flowage, and both sides of Chippewa Flowage. As always, use caution while riding on lakes and stay on the staked trail.

Check back for updates as trail captains report overall conditions early this week.

Fishing Report

Though the ice is getting thicker ‑ reports indicate 4-8 inches on most lakes ‑ thickness varies from lake to lake and spot to spot on each lake. Always check the ice as you go. Fish are still mostly shallow, so at this time there is no sense in tempting fate and trying to access deeper water ‑ there is plenty of ice season remaining to target those areas! Be safe!

Walleye:

Walleyes are still around shallow to mid-depth weeds, rock reefs and points, bays, and shallow shorelines with steep breaks. These areas are also good for bass and northern pike. Set walleye suckers and shiners on tip-ups and quietly move away from them.

Northern Pike:

Northern pike action is good to very good during daylight hours. Focus on shallow to mid-depth weeds and structure holding baitfish and panfish. Northern suckers and shiners on tip-ups set over those areas work well.

Panfish (Crappie/Bluegill/Perch):

Panfish anglers are finding fair to good success for panfish holding in shallow weeds, on weed edges, breaklines, and in main lake basins ‑ check the entire water column! Waxies, spikes, minnows, and plastics on small jigs, plain hooks, and spoons, and rattlebaits, all produce.