Steve Suman
What a difference a week makes! Monday afternoon the temperature hit a high of 49 degrees. One week ago, the forecast was for 0 degrees high and a low of -29 degrees! Quite the serious shift! This week brings highs in the low 40s and lows in the 20s, with chances for sunshine, snow, and rain throughout the week ‑ a taste of early spring! Enjoy!
Travelers can check current road conditions at 511wi.gov for Wisconsin and 511mn.org for Minnesota.
“A big warm up is on tap for the North Woods and the Quiet Lakes’ area this week,” says Greg at Happy Hooker. “Temperatures should hit 45 degrees and stay above freezing until next week, with minimal chances for precipitation.
“Most anglers avoided the ice last week with the brutal cold. Ice conditions are great with more than 2 feet on most lakes, and this week looks excellent for getting out and fishing!
“Walleye are on deep weedlines and rock bottoms transitioning to the basins. Set tip-ups with walleye suckers and shiners about one foot off the bottom.
“Northern pike are haunting shallow weed beds and shallow weedy bays. Set tip-ups with walleye suckers and shiners on weed edges and pockets in 4-10 feet.
“Crappie and perch are in main lake basins in 20-25 feet. Waxies and plastics on small jigs are the best options for getting down to the suspending panfish.
“Bluegills should be closer to cover than in the basins. Look for fish in and around shallower weeds and sunken timber. Waxies and plastics on small jigs are great for bluegills right now.”
Jarrett at Hayward Bait says gamefish season ends March 2, so anglers have limited time to catch a few more gamefish. Current fishing licenses expire March 31, and new licenses should be available March 1.
“Ice conditions remain ideal, allowing travel by vehicle, ATVs/UTVs, and snowmobile.
“Walleyes will start gathering on deep flats outside of spawning bays, staging for ice out and later, spawning. Check for any structure outside those bays or rivers where fish migrate for spawning. Low light early morning and dusk are peak points. Spoons, rattlebaits, and aggressive jigging will tempt walleyes cruising near setlines.
“Northern pike fishing is great. Fish will begin scouring lake bottoms for dead/dying fish due to winterkill, and dead bait will really shine. Smelt and ciscoes on/near bottom work for big fish, with shiners and suckers for eater-size pike.
“Crappies are in 15-50 feet, depending on the lake. Deep, depleting oxygen levels will have bottom dwelling fish rising and suspending. Locating these fish might be difficult, but find them and fishing is good. Small spoons, rattlebaits, jigs/plastics, and live bait on tip-ups/deadsticks are all producing big crappies.
“Bluegill fishing is solid, with weed flats the key for larger fish. Waxies and spikes on small jigs work well; upsize to small spoons with live bait for bigger bluegills and to deter smaller fish.”
This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter discusses the annual fish harvest from Hayward area lakes.
“People love a good Wisconsin fish fry! It is an important part of our culture and eating local fish is a sustainable source of healthy food. How many fish do anglers harvest from Hayward area lakes each year? That is an interesting question to try to answer.
“First, we need to know how much water we are discussing. The acreage of Sawyer County lakes greater than 50 acres in size is 51,093 acres. Many lakes are smaller than 50 acres, and many have no public access or winterkill and have no fish, so we will ignore them. Similarly, we have no estimates of people who harvest fish from rivers and streams.
“Next, we need an estimated harvest of each fish species on a per acre basis, available from our creel surveys. From 13 creel surveys, I averaged the harvest of the six most popularly harvested species: black crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, walleye, northern pike, and largemouth bass. This mostly includes creel surveys of larger lakes, but assume that when we standardize on a per acre basis, we can apply the harvest rates to other lakes.
“When we take those harvest rates and multiply them by the total lake acreage, we get our total fish harvest ‑ and the numbers might surprise you! We average around 6.7 crappies harvested per acre of water, making it our most harvested species in the area.
“Across all lakes, we estimate anglers harvest 342,323 crappie annually in Sawyer County. For other species, the numbers are 143,453 bluegill, 15,967 walleye (not including spring tribal harvest, which adds a few thousand more), 13,943 northern pike, 17,293 largemouth bass, and 106,784 yellow perch. Among those species, that generates a total harvest of 639,755 fish from Hayward area lakes.
“To some, those numbers might look big, scary, and maybe even unsustainable, but some context might help.
“In 2022, we estimated there were 72,837 walleye in the Chippewa Flowage, so a harvest of 15,967 walleye across all area lakes is very manageable. There are often hundreds of panfish per acre in a lake, so a harvest of 2-7 per acre, as estimated here, is a small percentage of what is out there.
“We are very blessed to have a lot of water, a lot of fish, and a lot of great opportunities to go out and harvest a meal for yourself and your family!”
DNR notes:
Cottontail rabbit and squirrel (both gray and fox) seasons close February 28.
Wisconsin’s general inland fishing season closes March 2.
Lakewood’s Resort’s annual World’s Longest Weenie Roast is Friday, February 28, through Sunday, March 2. The three-day event includes racing, music, food, and fun on Lake Namakagon,
For information, visit www.lakewoodsresort.com or call (715) 794-2561.
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 county roads outside the LCO Reservation in Sawyer County are legal for ATV/UTV use. The Trail Treker app shows any changes. The ATV/UTV trail contacts include Sawyer County Forest (715-634-4846), Chequamegon National Forest (715-634-4821), and Flambeau State Forest (715-332-5271).
For trail and road closures and updates, visitHLVCB ATV/UTV trail conditions report and Sawyer County Snowmobile & ATV Alliance.
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 February 24 HLVCB snowmobile trail report says that due to the warm temperatures, crews have ended grooming operations for this season. Stay on the trail, as there are many existing heaves and more can form at any time. This warning applies to all lakes for your safety! Check back for updates.
The February 24 Travel Wisconsin snowmobile trail report for the Clam Lake/Ashland County area says trails are open, groomed, and in fair condition, with a base of 2-3 inches.
Birkie Ski Trail reports are available at www.birkie.com/trail-maps-conditions. Skiing any part of the Birkie Trail System December through March requires a Birkie Trail Ski Pass. Skiing on the snowmaking loop requires an All-Access Snow Pass. For information, call (715-634-5025).
Fishing Report
This should be a comfortable week for getting on the ice, especially compared to one week ago! Most lakes have two feet or more of ice and travel is good, but always use caution. For on-ice travel conditions, visit the HLVCB snowmobile trail report.
Please note that the general inland fishing season closes March 2, and current fishing licenses expire March 31. Any fishing after March 31, such as for panfish or early catch and release trout season, requires a new license.
Check with your favorite bait shop for current fish locations, bite windows, and bait and presentation preferences.
Wisconsin’s boat registrations run for three years, beginning April 1 of the year of registration issue/renewal. Registrations expire March 31 of the third year following issuance/renewal. Are yours current?
Walleye:
Walleye fishing is fair to good, with low light hours in early morning and late afternoon into after dark offering the best bite windows. Fish are deep on flats, weedlines, and rock bottoms adjacent to spawning areas. Walleye suckers and shiners on tip-ups suspending baits near the bottom, and spoons, rattlebaits, and aggressive jigging are all effective.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike action is very good to excellent around shallow weeds in/on beds, edges, pockets, and bays. Northern suckers, walleye suckers, and shiners on tip-ups set in 4-12 feet work very well. Ciscoes and smelt fished on the bottom where pike now search for winterkilled fish are excellent for big fish.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good once you locate the schools that are always on the move in 12 to more than 35 feet. Look for suspending fish and check the entire water column. Crappie minnows, waxies, plastics, and Gulp! baits on small jigs, live bait on tip-ups and deadsticks, and small spoons and rattlebaits are producing.
Bluegill:
Bluegill fishing is good to very good in and close to shallow weeds, weed flats, wood, and brush. Waxies, spikes, plastics, and Gulp! baits on small jigs, teardrops, spoons, and plain hooks work well. Small minnows work for bigger bluegills and discourage small bait robbers.
Upcoming Events
Feb. 15: Seasons closed: Coyote trapping; Fox hunting/trapping; Raccoon hunting/trapping.
Feb. 28-March 2: World’s Longest Weenie Roast at Lakewood’s Resort (715-794-2561).
Feb. 28: Seasons close: Cottontail; Squirrel (gray and fox).
March 1: Remove ice fishing shelters from WI-MN boundary waters.
March 2: General inland fishing season closes.
March 2: Remove ice fishing shelters from waters south of Highway 64.
March 9: Daylight Saving Time begins ‑ turn clocks ahead one hour!
March 13-4: Total lunar eclipse.
March 14: Full Worm Moon.
March 15: Shamrock Shuffle in Downtown Hayward, The Lot, 11:45am-2pm, (715-634-0437).
March 15: Remove ice fishing shelters from WI-MI boundary waters.
March 16: Remove ice fishing shelters from Lake Superior and waters north of Hwy 64.
March 17: Sale of remaining spring turkey harvest permits begins, starting with Zone 1.
March 20: First day of spring – Spring Equinox.
March 26: Crow season closes.
March 29: Partial solar eclipse.
March 31: Some boat registrations expire – is your registration current?
March 31: The 2024-2025 fishing and hunting licenses expire.
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.