Steve Suman
Monday started the week with a low of 22 degrees and snow flurries, and Tuesday is on tap for 13 degrees with clear skies. Wednesday and Thursday have chances of rain, but temperatures warming into the 40s and 50s. Look for the weekend into Monday with highs in the 60s, though with chances for showers. Maybe spring DID arrive. Enjoy!
“Though I watched snow flurries in the Quiet Lakes’ area Saturday morning,” says Greg at Happy Hooker, “it appears we might be done with the ‘s’ word for the year.
“Temperatures start in the 40s this week and hit the 60s by the weekend. Nighttime lows look to rise significantly after Monday, which should help get rid of any remaining ice. All lakes are in different stages of ice-out, with some having only a few open shorelines and others have 75 percent or more open water.
“If anglers are still venturing out ‑ I heard a few anglers were on Round Lake this past week ‑ they should use extreme caution as ice conditions can change by the hour.
“We had a good ice season overall. Anglers caught many nice crappie and perch, and many did well on walleye and northern pike.
“Aside from going through tackle and the boat at this time, I enjoy picking up a few magazines, particularly In-Fisherman species-specific guides, learning new tips and tricks, and seeing what is trending for the new season.
“Now, with probably a month of mostly no fishing, open water season should start out hot in less than a month. It is time to gear up ‑ and anglers need to purchase their new licenses for the 2025-26 season, as last year’s licenses expired.”
This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter discusses the sauger, walleye’s less famous cousin.
“Most Wisconsin anglers know about walleye, either by personal experience or by reputation, but far fewer are familiar with the sauger, despite many similarities to their cousin, the walleye.
“Telling the difference between the two can be tricky, as the body design and shape of both species are nearly identical. The key characteristics for identifying a sauger are black dots on the membrane between the spines of the dorsal fin, and the dark saddle-like blotches along the back. Further complicating things, sauger and walleye can easily hybridize to create a ‘saugeye.’
“Sauger do not get as large as walleye, but they have adaptations that make them better suited for certain habitats.
“Walleye have specialized eyes that allow them to hunt effectively in low-light conditions. The eyes of sauger are even more highly specialized for these conditions, and sauger are often the dominant species in waters that are too turbid even for walleye.
“The diet of sauger is similar to walleye, and mostly includes fish. Juvenile freshwater drum, trout-perch, and white bass are common diet items for sauger, reflective of the other species with which they share their habitats.
“Sauger are prevalent throughout much of the lower third of Canada. In the U.S., distribution is patchier and mostly centered around large flowing water, with sauger primarily in the Mississippi, Ohio, and Missouri river drainages.
“In Wisconsin, the best opportunities to find sauger are in the Mississippi, Lower Wisconsin, and Rock rivers, and Lake Winnebago. In addition, in lower abundance, they are in many other smaller rivers connected to the Mississippi.
“Anglers targeting walleye and sauger should make themselves aware of the harvest regulations for the waterbody they are fishing. In some instances, the same regulation manages the two species, but in other instances, the size or bag limit might be different as a result of their different biology, abundance, and size potential.”
The DNR and County Deer Advisory Councils (CDAC) seek public feedback on Wisconsin’s deer management, including harvest quotas, and management zones ahead of the 2025 deer season.
Each county has a County Deer Advisory Council that meets annually to provide input and recommendations to the DNR on local deer management based on deer herd metrics, county management goals, and public feedback. Meetings take place across the state from April 21 through May 1.
This year, County Deer Advisory Councils in the Northern and Central Forest deer management zones will make recommendations on numbered deer management units. The DNR changed boundaries in the Northern Forest Zone to habitat-based deer management units. Some CDACs will make multiple recommendations based on the number of units within a county. A map of the 2025 DMUs is available on the DNR’s Deer Management webpage.
Following the CDAC process, the DNR will take its recommendations for the 2025 season to the Natural Resources Board for review in June.
A Sawyer County CDAC meeting is April 28, starting at 6:30 p.m., at the Hayward DNR Service Center. The DNR encourages the public to attend their local CDAC meeting. If not able to attend the meeting, the online input period is open April 5-13 for anyone interested in helping shape local deer herd management.
Submit questions about the CDAC process to DNRCDACWebMail@wisconsin.gov.
For more information, visit the DNR’s County Deer Advisory Councils webpage.
The 2025 DNR Spring Hearing is April 14, starting at 6 p.m., when the DNR and Wisconsin Conservation Congress offer the public in all counties an in-person opportunity to provide their input on a variety of natural resource-related questions. An online option starting at 7 p.m. is available from April 14-16. The DNR will post the link on the Spring Hearing webpage. Input at the in-person meeting and through the online option carry equal weight.
The hearing questionnaire and hearing locations are available online. This year, the Sawyer County meeting is at Winter High School in Winter.
For more information, visit the Spring Hearing webpage on the DNR website.
Wisconsin’s Spring Turkey Youth Hunt is this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, April 12-13. The hunt offers youth hunters an opportunity to hunt turkey and gain valuable experience without the competition of adult hunters.
The hunt is open to resident and non-resident hunters under age 16 who possess a valid spring turkey license, stamp, and harvest authorization. Youth hunters 12-15 years old must complete a hunter safety education course, unless hunting under the Mentored Hunt Program.
Youth hunters under age 12 must participate in the Mentored Hunt Program, even if they have completed a hunter safety course. The program allows participants to hunt without completing hunter education.
A harvest authorization issued for any period is valid during the youth hunt within the Turkey Management Zone indicated on the harvest authorization.
Regular spring turkey season, in seven zones, begins Wednesday, April 16, with six, seven-day periods running Wednesday through the following Tuesday.
For more information, visit turkey hunting, on the DNR website.
The Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame opens for the season Tuesday, April 15, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. These hours run through May, changing to 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from June through August, and reverting to 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.in September and October. The Hall is open seven days a week, including Sundays and holidays.
For more information, visit Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame or call (715) 634-4440.
Notes:
It is time for anglers and hunters to renew their licenses ‑ the 2024-25 licenses expired March 31.
Wisconsin boat registrations run for a period of three years, beginning April 1 of the year the registration is issued or renewed, and expiring March 31 of the third year after issuance or renewal. Is your registration is current?
Northern Zone mink and muskrat trapping seasons close April 15.
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. Contacts for forest ATV/UTV trails are as follows: Sawyer County Forest (715-634-4846), Chequamegon National Forest (715-634-4821), and Flambeau State Forest (715-332-5271). Check for trail and road closures and updates atHLVCB ATV/UTV trail conditions report and Sawyer County Snowmobile & ATV Alliance.
Sawyer County Snowmobile & ATV trail maps are available 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).
Fishing Report
Ice conditions are iffy at best, shoreline ice is shrinking, and most reports indicate belief that ice-out could occur very soon. As such, few if any anglers are on the remaining ice.
It is less than one month before the 2025 inland fishing season May 3 opener. Make sure to renew your license ‑ check discounts for first-time buyers ‑ and take care of any boat, motor, trailer, tackle, and other issues so you start the season on a good note!
For those who cannot wait to hit the water, panfish season is open, catch and release trout season is open until May 2, and catch and release bass season is open year-around. In addition, the Brule River fishing season opened downstream from US Hwy 2 on March 29 ‑ review the regulations and fishing hours!
Upcoming Events
March 29: Brule River fishing season opened downstream from US Hwy 2 (see regs and legal fishing hours).
March 31: Some boat registrations expire – is your registration current?
March 31: The 2024-2025 fishing and hunting licenses expire.
April 12: Full Pink Moon.
April 12-13: Spring Turkey Youth Hunt.
April 14: 2025 DNR Spring Hearing in all counties, 6 p.m. start; see hearing questionnaire and hearing locations.
April 14-16: DNR annual Spring Hearing online participation.
April 15: Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame opens for the season 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (715-634-4440).
April 15: Trapping seasons close in Northern Zone: Mink; Muskrat.
April 20: Easter Sunday.
April 22-23: Lyrids meteor shower, 2-4 a.m., east and overhead, swift streaks, 10-20 hr.
April 30: Trapping seasons close: Beaver in Northwest Zone; Otter in Zone A.
May 2: Early catch and release trout season closes.
May 3: General Inland fishing season opens (includes largemouth bass; see regs.)
May 5-6: Eta Aquarids meteor shower 2-4 a.m., southeast, 5-20 hr., very swift, long paths.
May 6: Hayward Chapter-Muskies, Inc., general meeting, 7 p.m., at Flat Creek Lodge (715-634-4543).
May 7-10: 40th Annual Treeland Challenge Bass & Walleye Release Tournament full (715-462-3874).
May 10: North Country Riders ATV Club Spaghetti Feed at the Hayward Veterans Center,
May 12: Full Flower Moon.
May 16-17: 38th Annual Fishing Has No Boundaries Hayward Event (715-634-3185).
Thru May 31: Elk tag application period ($10 fee).
Spring turkey season is six, seven-day periods running Wednesday through the following Tuesday, in seven zones.
Youth Hunt: April 12-13
Period A: April 16-22
Period B: April 23-29
Period C: April 30-May 6
Period D: May 7-13
Period E: May 14-20
Period F: May 21-27
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 (715) 634-4801.