Hayward Lakes Sherry
07-09-2013, 01:22 PM
FISHING REPORT
Muskie:
Muskie fishing is fair, though improving, and mornings and evenings offer the best chances for success. You can find muskies in/on/over/along green weeds and weedlines in/adjacent to deeper water, as well as near shallower water panfish spawning areas. Anglers are catching fish on bucktails, Bull Dawgs, gliders, plastics, topwaters, and crankbaits.
Walleye:
Walleye action is fair and inconsistent, with mayfly hatches affecting the bite (and not in a good way!) The best fishing is in early morning and late evening until after dark. Fish are scattered and suspending in a various depths (6-25 feet and deeper) and locations. Look for deep weeds, rock, sand, brush, bogs, bars, breaklines, cribs, stumps, humps, and points. It is primarily a leech and crawler bite (on jigs, live bait rigs, slip bobbers), but plastics and trolled crankbaits and stickbaits are producing fish.
Northern:
Anglers are catching northerns along weeds and weedlines from shallow to mid-depths. For trophy pike, work larger baits in deeper water. Northern suckers work best, but they can be difficult to keep alive in this current heat. Artificials can be very effective, however, so try working on/over/along weeds and weed lines with spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, and stick, surface, crank, and buzz baits.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth action is good to very good on most waters, with fish holding near thick weeds and weed edges, rocks, points, brush, and stumps in depths out to 10 feet. Pick a bait and throw it! The most productive baits include jigs with trailers, topwaters, scented plastics worms rigged in various combinations, weedless plastics such as frogs and crawfish, spinnerbaits, and live bait such as leeches, crawlers, and minnows.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth anglers report good success in various depths, from 10 feet out to 30 feet in some lakes. Docks, weeds, brush, and stumps can all hold smallies. Top baits include plastics, tubes, crankbaits, topwaters, crawlers, and leeches.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is fair to good, with best action in late afternoon. Finding the fish is the challenge, and they are mostly scattered in various depths and locations out to more than 20 feet. Look for them near weeds, wood, bogs, brush, humps, and cribs, and suspending over deeper water. Baits of choice include jigs tipped with minnows, plastics, waxies, worms, and Gulp! baits. Use a slip bobber to hang your bait offering right in front of their noses.
Bluegill:
Bluegills continue to provide excellent action, though spawning is finished or winding down on most waters. Fish are near weeds and brush at varied depths, from very shallow to deeper water. Waxies, worms, leaf worms, crawlers, plastics, and Gulp! baits on jigs or plain hooks, fished with or without a bobber, will catch bluegills. Look for bigger fish in deeper water.
Upcoming Events
July 19-21: Birchwood Bluegill Festival (800-236-2252).
July 19-21: LCO Honor the Earth PowWow (715-634-8934).
July 25-27: Lumberjack World Championships (715-634-2484).
July 28: Hayward Bass Club Open Tournament on Chippewa Flowage (405-227-1789).
Through July 31: Illegal to allow dogs to run on DNR lands and Federal WPA (see regs for exceptions).
Aug. 1: Application deadline: Wolf; Fall turkey; Sharptail grouse; Bobcat, Fisher, Otter.
Aug. 3-4: Project Appleseed at Hayward Rod & Gun Club (715-466-5145).
Aug. 15-18: Sawyer County Fair (715-934-2721).
For more information on area events and activities, visit the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau website, view its Calendar of Events, or call 1-800-724-2992.
Muskie:
Muskie fishing is fair, though improving, and mornings and evenings offer the best chances for success. You can find muskies in/on/over/along green weeds and weedlines in/adjacent to deeper water, as well as near shallower water panfish spawning areas. Anglers are catching fish on bucktails, Bull Dawgs, gliders, plastics, topwaters, and crankbaits.
Walleye:
Walleye action is fair and inconsistent, with mayfly hatches affecting the bite (and not in a good way!) The best fishing is in early morning and late evening until after dark. Fish are scattered and suspending in a various depths (6-25 feet and deeper) and locations. Look for deep weeds, rock, sand, brush, bogs, bars, breaklines, cribs, stumps, humps, and points. It is primarily a leech and crawler bite (on jigs, live bait rigs, slip bobbers), but plastics and trolled crankbaits and stickbaits are producing fish.
Northern:
Anglers are catching northerns along weeds and weedlines from shallow to mid-depths. For trophy pike, work larger baits in deeper water. Northern suckers work best, but they can be difficult to keep alive in this current heat. Artificials can be very effective, however, so try working on/over/along weeds and weed lines with spinners, spinnerbaits, spoons, and stick, surface, crank, and buzz baits.
Largemouth Bass:
Largemouth action is good to very good on most waters, with fish holding near thick weeds and weed edges, rocks, points, brush, and stumps in depths out to 10 feet. Pick a bait and throw it! The most productive baits include jigs with trailers, topwaters, scented plastics worms rigged in various combinations, weedless plastics such as frogs and crawfish, spinnerbaits, and live bait such as leeches, crawlers, and minnows.
Smallmouth Bass:
Smallmouth anglers report good success in various depths, from 10 feet out to 30 feet in some lakes. Docks, weeds, brush, and stumps can all hold smallies. Top baits include plastics, tubes, crankbaits, topwaters, crawlers, and leeches.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is fair to good, with best action in late afternoon. Finding the fish is the challenge, and they are mostly scattered in various depths and locations out to more than 20 feet. Look for them near weeds, wood, bogs, brush, humps, and cribs, and suspending over deeper water. Baits of choice include jigs tipped with minnows, plastics, waxies, worms, and Gulp! baits. Use a slip bobber to hang your bait offering right in front of their noses.
Bluegill:
Bluegills continue to provide excellent action, though spawning is finished or winding down on most waters. Fish are near weeds and brush at varied depths, from very shallow to deeper water. Waxies, worms, leaf worms, crawlers, plastics, and Gulp! baits on jigs or plain hooks, fished with or without a bobber, will catch bluegills. Look for bigger fish in deeper water.
Upcoming Events
July 19-21: Birchwood Bluegill Festival (800-236-2252).
July 19-21: LCO Honor the Earth PowWow (715-634-8934).
July 25-27: Lumberjack World Championships (715-634-2484).
July 28: Hayward Bass Club Open Tournament on Chippewa Flowage (405-227-1789).
Through July 31: Illegal to allow dogs to run on DNR lands and Federal WPA (see regs for exceptions).
Aug. 1: Application deadline: Wolf; Fall turkey; Sharptail grouse; Bobcat, Fisher, Otter.
Aug. 3-4: Project Appleseed at Hayward Rod & Gun Club (715-466-5145).
Aug. 15-18: Sawyer County Fair (715-934-2721).
For more information on area events and activities, visit the Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau website, view its Calendar of Events, or call 1-800-724-2992.