Steve Suman
Rain and cool temperatures the first half of this week could be discouraging, but that should change to warm(er) and sunny for Memorial Day weekend. Enjoy the holiday, but please take time to give thought to the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country.
“Memorial Day weekend in the Quiet Lakes’ area should see great weather,” says Greg at Happy Hooker, “with sunshine and 70 degrees for the three-day weekend.
“Fishing is good, with most species shallow, though water temperatures plummeted 10 degrees Friday so they might move deeper.
“Musky season opens this weekend and anglers should look for new vegetation and panfish schools. Small baits help anglers see more fish, but fish eating 10- 12-inch crappies will certainly entertain 9-inch Suicks and big Bull Dawgs and Medussas!
“Walleye fishing is hit or miss and this weather will not help. Walleye suckers and fatheads on jigs work best, with water temperatures still a little cold for leeches. Deep rocky points and reefs hold walleye, but fish work shallow sandy shorelines at dusk.
“Northern pike are eating everything from small minnows on jigs to crawler chunks under floats, with small crankbaits working great as well. Look for fish in 5-15 feet around weed beds and weedy bays.
“Largemouth bass anglers are catching fish on everything, and last week’s warm up really got them going. Look for fish around weeds in 3-12 feet, and plastic worms, live bait, and shallow crankbaits work well.
“Smallmouth bass should be holding to the same deeper rock spots as walleye.
“Panfish fishing is good, but the cold front might push them out and scatter them a bit. Anglers already see lots of beds on shallow sandy bottoms, so start around shallow weeds and use minnows, crawlers, and plastics on jigs.”
Jarrett at Hayward Bait says the cool-off is making for some up and down fishing.
“Walleye anglers are finding fish on shorelines in morning and evening hours with minnows on jigs and hard bait presentations. Fish should be shoreline bound until the water temperatures climb, after which they will move to initial weedlines to feed.
“Northern pike anglers are harvesting limits in shallow water, but no big fish yet. Good numbers of fish are taking live bait offered by crappie anglers.
“Bass will cruise the shallows until spawn, which could be a month or so away with the cool temperatures. Anglers are having success with spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and live bait and plastics on jigs in shallow water. Smallmouth bass are catch and release only until mid-June.
“Crappies are spawning or finished spawning, depending on the lake. Crappie minnows and plastics are doing the trick, with most anglers sight-fishing amongst shallow reeds and weeds. Remember that bigger fish are our future in most lakes, and removing 12-inch and larger fish can stunt a population. Please practice catch and release and selective harvest!
“Bluegills are coming shallow, feeding on minnows and insects while waiting for the water to warm to spawn. Waxies and worms on small jigs under floats can keep kids and adults busy for hours.”
Mike at Jenk’s says the Chippewa Flowage is a half-foot down and the water temperature dropping with the cooling weather.
“Walleye fishing was tougher last week, with some action in 12-18 feet, though anglers caught a few fish around shallow cover. Deeper wood is the key, and minnows are good, but leeches work better than expected at this time of year.
“Northern pike anglers said fishing was tougher than usual; those fishing for walleyes and bass said they caught more pike than ever. If you fish for pike this week, definitely use live bait. Still, while your live bait is sitting under a slip bobber, throw some Tinsel Tails, Chatter Flashes, and Jack Hammers. The west side is a good area this time of year, and home of my favorite spots that include James Slough, and the back bays of Crane Lake, Chief Lake, Chicago Bay, and Minnesota Bay.
“Bass fishing is solid. In the Treeland Challenge last weekend, anglers registered 596 largemouth bass, the biggest 21.25 inches. Fishing weeds with various baits is productive. Ned Rig plastics are one of the more productive offerings, followed by chatterbaits and spinners, and some anglers report success on frogs and Whopper Ploppers.
“Crappie fishing is good, but not all are active. Fish are shallow and spawning, but picky from day to day. One day they hit only crappie minnows and turn up their noses at plastics, and the next day, the exact opposite. Hair jigs, Voodoo Jigs in particular, are very productive.”
This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter scores fishing opportunities in Teal Lake.
“In this series, I rate local fishing opportunities by individual species, on a 0-10 scale, to reflect catchability, size, and other fishing qualities, with notes on why each species received its score.
“This week, we look at Teal Lake. Discussions about Teal Lake often include Lost Land, featured previously.
“Walleye in Teal score a 6. This is a stocked population with above average walleye abundance. However, growth of walleye in Teal is not exceptional and size lags behind other area lakes, including Lost Land. Anglers looking for high walleye catch rates will appreciate the experience they have on Teal, but might find the rarity of larger fish somewhat frustrating, with 28 percent greater than 15 inches in our last survey.
“Muskellunge in Teal score a 6. We have less information on the Teal musky fishery than on Lost Land, but see nice-sized fish and a stronger contribution of natural reproduction compared to many other ‘action’ musky waters. Some Teal muskies immigrated from Lost Land, and vice versa.
“Northern pike in Teal score a 2 due to very poor size. Only one-third of the pike in our last survey were greater than 21 inches, a problem difficult to address.
“Smallmouth bass score a 6, as the larger and more abundant of the two bass species. Teal’s rocky shorelines and islands are better suited for smallmouth than largemouth. Largemouth bass score a 3 and occupy more of the available shallow, weedy habitats.
“Panfish score a 5, with slightly better size than we observed in Lost Land, though large crappie, bluegill, and perch are relatively rare in Teal. Crappie and perch abundance is fairly high, with bluegill abundance closer to average.”
The Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum in Spooner is hosting its annual Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Day May 24 at the museum. For more information, visit the website or call (715) 635-5002.
Winter is hosting its 40th Annual Winter Spring Fling arts and crafts fair Saturday, May 24, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Main Street in Winter. For more information, visit the website or call (715) 415-1966.
An ATV/UTV safety education class is available in Winter May 23-24. For more information, visit the DNR Go Wild safety education website or call (402) 630-0300.
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.
Check for trail openings, closures, and more atHLVCB ATV/UTV trail conditions report. 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).
Sawyer County snowmobile and 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
Fishing is good for most species, though could be challenging with rain and cool temperatures early this week, but a warm-up should help for the weekend. While it is always a good idea to check in with your favorite bait shop, fluctuating weather makes it even more so!
Musky:
Musky season in the Northern Zone opens this weekend. Anglers should review the regulations, and those unfamiliar with muskies should know how to identify the species, too. Look for fish around new weeds and panfish concentrations. Cast Suicks, Bull Dawgs, Medussas, bucktails, spinnerbaits, twitchbaits, crankbaits, jerkbaits, and plastics.
Walleye:
Walleyes are post-spawn and action is unpredictable. Work shallow shorelines and weedlines in early morning and late evening hours, or on deeper reefs, points, and wood out to 20 feet during the day. Walleye suckers, fatheads, and leeches on jigs, and crankbaits and stickbaits, are productive.
Northern Pike:
Northern pike action varies, depending on the day and water. Fish are from very shallow to 16 feet around weeds, weed beds, back bays, and near panfish and baitfish concentrations. Northern suckers, jigs and minnows, crankbaits, spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, chatterbaits, and crankbaits are all catching fish.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth bass fishing is very good and anglers report success on just about anything. Fish are in and around shallow weeds, baitfish, and panfish in 3-12 feet. Minnows, spinners, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, chatterbaits, Ned rigs, and even some frogs and Whopper Ploppers are working!
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth bass fishing is good in the shallows as well as on deeper rocks and around walleyes. Sucker minnows, spinners, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and plastics work well. Reminder: Smallmouth fishing in the Northern Bass Zone is catch and release only until June 19.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is good, with fish anywhere from pre- to post-spawn, depending on the lake. Find them around shallow weeds, reeds, and sand bottoms. Top baits include crappie minnows, fatheads, crawlers, hair jigs, plastics, and Gulp! baits on small jigs and plain hooks under slip bobbers.
Bluegill:
Bluegill fishing is good to very good, though the cooler temperatures might slow activity. Look for fish on shallow to slightly deeper weeds and sandy bottom. Waxies, worms, crawler chunks, minnows, plastics, and Gulp! baits on small jigs, teardrops, and plain hooks under slip bobbers are working well.
Upcoming Events
May 23-24: ATV/UTV safety education class in Winter (402-630-0300).
May 24: Musky season opens in Northern Zone.
May 24: Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Day – Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum in Spooner (715-635-5002).
May 24: 40th Annual Winter Spring Fling, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. (715-415-1966).
May 26: Memorial Day ‑‑ memorializing the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country.
May 27: Spring turkey season Period F ends, finishing the 2025 spring season.
May 31: Deadline to apply for elk tag ($10 fee).
June 3: Hayward Lakes Chapter-Muskies Inc. business, 6:30 p.m., general 7 p.m., Flat Creek Lodge (715-634-4543).
June 7-8: Free Fishing Weekend. Fish without a fishing license, trout stamp or salmon stamp!
June 7: Free Kids Fishing Derby, 8am-Noon, Lake Hayward Park, youth 1-15 yrs., fish from shore. (715-699-1015).
June 19-21: Hayward Bass Club/Hayward Lakes Chapter-Muskies Inc. – Musky Fest fishing contest (715-558-2835).
June 19-22: 75th Annual Musky Fest (715-634-8662).
June 20: Summer Solstice ‑ first day of summer!
June 21: Smallmouth bass harvest season opens in the Northern Bass Zone.
June 21: Full Strawberry Moon.
June 21: Sawyer County Dairy Breakfast at Sawyer County Fairgrounds,·6:30-11 a.m. (715-699-2022).
June 29: Hayward Bass Club – Round Lake Open, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., (405-227-1789).
Spring turkey season is six, seven-day periods running Wednesday through the following Tuesday, in seven zones.
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.