Hayward is located in northwestern Wisconsin. Its small hometown atmosphere and unique setting make it a great vacation destination for people that enjoy the outdoors. The recreational opportunities are endless with over 55,000 acres of lakes. Fishing, boating and just enjoying the outdoors is popular in this area.
Fishing is good for muskie, northern pike, walleye, bass, crappie, perch and other panfish. Hayward is home to the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, where world record catches are registered. We have a large fishing section to help you learn more about the fishing here.
Panfish
Crappie, bluegill and perch are available on many of the area lakes. There are so many lakes to fish, but the larger lakes will usually give you a better chance to find some of those quality-sized crappie, perch and bluegill. Don’t rule out the many smaller lakes though. On most of the smaller lakes, there won’t be a ton of bigger panfish, but you may be able to sort through enough smaller ones to catch enough to eat.
Largemouth Bass Fishing
The Hayward, WI area has a good number of lakes that have plenty of largemouth bass available. Largemouth bass are definitely not targeted as much as some of the other species of fish in the Hayward area, but these fish are here if you want to fish for them. Some of the lakes that you can target largemouth bass and expect to catch some are Round Lake, Nelson Lake, Hayward Lake, Spring Lake, Whitefish Lake, Lost Land Lake, Spider Lake and the Tiger Cat Flowage. There are plenty of other lakes in this area where you can catch largemouth bass though, so if you see some good areas with lily pads or other types of vegetation, you might want to get out your bass gear and make a few casts.
View our Sawyer County, WI Largemouth Bass Fishing page to learn more about the area waters with largemouth bass available with maps included.
Muskie Fishing
The Hayward, Wisconsin area is known for having a very good muskie fishery. The Chippewa Flowage gets most of the attention in this area among muskie anglers, but there are several other bodies of water that also have muskie in them. Fish in the 40 inch range are fairly common in this area of Wisconsin and some fish in the 50 inch range are also caught. Some of the other lakes that anglers target muskie are the Tiger Cat Flowage, Spider Lake, Sissabagama Lake, Lost Land Lake, Sand Lake, Whitefish Lake, Grindstone Lake and Lac Courte Oreilles.
View our Sawyer County, WI Muskie Fishing page to learn more about the area waters with muskie available with maps included.
Northern Pike Fishing
The Hayward, WI area has plenty of lakes that offer good fishing for northern pike. Many anglers overlook the northern pike fishing in this area because they would rather spend their time fishing for walleye or muskie. Most anglers will catch some northern pike while targeting other species of fish, but if you actually target them, you should be able to consistently catch some pike in the Hayward area. Some of the lakes that anglers target pike on are Lac Courte Oreilles, Grindstone Lake, Hayward Lake, the Chippewa Flowage, Spring Lake, Windigo Lake, Whitefish Lake and Sand Lake, but there are several other lakes where you can also catch some pike. On many of the lakes, most of the pike you’re going to catch will be in that 20 to 25 inch range, but it is not uncommon to catch pike over 30 inches and some fish up to 40 inches are caught in this area every year.
View our Sawyer County, WI Northern Pike Fishing page to learn more about the area waters with northern pike available with maps included.
Smallmouth Bass Fishing
The Hayward, WI area has some pretty good smallmouth bass fishing, although, most anglers don’t target them. Most anglers prefer to fish for walleye and muskie on the area lakes and smallmouth bass are considered a bonus fish. On Round Lake, Whitefish Lake, the Chippewa Flowage, Lac Courte Oreilles and Grindstone Lake, you should be able to target smallmouth bass and catch some. Round Lake and the Chippewa Flowage are probably the best smallmouth bass waters in this area. Anglers that know how to target them will have double digit days on the water and bass in the 4 to 5 pound range are fairly common, although, most of the quality bass will be in the 2 to 3 pound range.
View our Sawyer County, WI Smallmouth Bass Fishing page to learn more about the area waters with smallmouth bass available with maps included.
Walleye Fishing
The Hayward, WI area gives anglers lots of options for catching walleye. Most of the area lakes have walleye in them and some of the lakes have some good fishing for walleye, but it definitely can be hit or miss in this area. Grindstone Lake gets a lot of attention among walleye anglers. This lake has good numbers of walleye to go along with plenty of eater-sized fish and even some trophy fish. Some of the other popular lakes for walleye in this area are Lac Courte Oreilles, Round Lake and the Chippewa Flowage. You can also find walleye in Windigo Lake, Whitefish Lake, Sand Lake, Lost Land Lake, Sissabagama Lake, Spider Lake and Teal Lake.
View our Sawyer County, WI Walleye Fishing page to learn more about the area waters with walleye available with maps included.
