Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report

December 29, 2025

Steve Suman

Following this past weekend’s foot of wet, heavy snow, cold temperatures return to the North Woods. Highs this week run from 6 to 23 degrees, lows from -10 to 6 degrees, and up to 2 inches of snow possible Tuesday.

It is now game on for snow sports enthusiasts! Have a safe, sane, and Happy New Year!

For current road conditions, visit 511wi.gov for Wisconsin and 511mn.org for Minnesota.

January 2-4: Quadrantids Meteor Shower peak (only 6 hours!); 10-25/hr., medium speed, north, midnight to dawn

January 3: Full Super Wolf Moon

“It looks like wild weather in the Quiet Lakes’ area this week to close out the year,” says Greg at Happy Hooker, “but that is fitting, as our weather for the entire year was very unpredictable and all over the place! Forecasts indicate cold in the North Woods, with highs in the teens and lows in the single digits all week.

“Ice conditions are favorable, and it appears crews staked all but the big lakes for snowmobiles. This past Friday on Clear Lake on the Spider chain, we saw 11 inches of ice everywhere we drilled. We used tip-ups on a deep edge that dropped into more than 20 feet, but were unsuccessful. Some folks close to us had a few flags in shallow water and it sounded like they had small pike on their set-ups.

“A friend caught a few eater walleyes right at dark, and think his set-up was on a steep breaking shoreline adjacent to deep water. For walleyes, set walleye suckers and shiners on tip-ups in 10-15 feet.

“For northern pike, set northern suckers and shiners on tip-ups over shallower weeds and reefs. We looked for panfish in and around weed edges, but had no luck. Better anglers would have checked the basin for schools of crappie and perch.

“Looking back, it is likely crappie and perch are in basins, and waxies and plastics on bigger spoons are good choices. Some anglers are switching from live bait and plastics to small bladed spoons for extra flash.”

Jarrett at Hayward Bait says ice thickness still varies throughout the area.

“For lakes with early snow, that insulation prevented fast-paced ice growth. For bigger lakes that did not see much accumulation, the ice is solid and adding on steadily with each cold night. Depending on where you are, most area lakes have 10-12 inches. Anglers should keep an eye on the recent snowfall, as any additional snow will slow ice production and could make for slushy travel.

“Walleyes are shallow and anglers are using tip-ups, with most unable to reach off-shore structure, especially on the big lakes. As such, bays and small backwater areas are the key to finding fish. Suckers and shiners are the ticket. Distance yourself from tip-ups, as sound travels a long way under the ice and fish are spooky in shallow water.

“Northern pike, also shallow, often look for structure during daylight to hunt for crappie, bluegill, and perch. Suckers and large shiners work well, which should continue through the winter. Later in winter, anglers will try dead bait. It is high in smell, offers an easy meal, and is often the best bait for big pike.

“Panfish roam shallow weeds, but many pushed to breaklines and main lake basins. Fish suspend throughout the winter, so keep in mind that targeting fish a foot off bottom excludes fish above that. Use your electronics to find where fish hold. Small jigs, rattlebaits, spoons, and setlines with just a hook can be the key for catching panfish.”

This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter requests Christmas tree donations for trout projects.

“As the holiday season winds down, Christmas trees will start to hit the curb, and this year, the DNR Hayward Fish Team is looking for donations of Christmas trees of any size to use for 2026 habitat projects.

Please remove any tinsel, ornaments, and lights. We set up an area adjacent to the DNR Ranger Station parking lot at 10220 N State Hwy 27S, just south of The Steakhouse. Feel free to drop off trees at any time over the coming weeks.

“We want Christmas trees only, so please do not drop other trees or yard waste. We will use the trees in an upcoming habitat projects on two trout streams in southern Sawyer County that contain a lot of loose, mucky streambed.

“Using the trees to stabilize these mucky areas will allow shoreline plants to take root, which will further establish a firm streambank. This will enable anglers to better fish the streams, but the more important function is concentrating the stream flow, which will carve a deeper channel and create better spaces for trout.

“For a few reasons, Christmas trees (balsams) are not usually our tree of choice for fish habitat projects, but in this case, the light, branchy trees will work well for a project area with somewhat difficult access.

“Please consider extending your holiday cheer to the trout by donating your tree!”

Anglers:

Musky season closes statewide Dec. 31

Early inland catch-and-release only trout season opens at 5 a.m. January 3 ‑ check the regs!

Free Fishing Weekend January 17-18 (see regs)

Hunters:

Bobcat hunting/trapping season period 2 opened Dec. 26

Antlerless-only holiday hunt – in select farmland zone closes Jan. 1 (see regs, page 11)

Fall turkey season in zones 1-5 only is open thru Jan. 4, with many bonus tags still available in zones 1-4

Archery and crossbow deer season is open thru Jan. 4, 2026

Seasons close Jan. 4 for Ruffed grouse Zone A; Turkey zones 1-5; Pheasant; Hungarian partridge; Fisher trapping

Deer Management Units in the Northern Forest Management zones were converted to habitat-based units by number, rather than county-based units. Review the map of the new DMUs so you know in which DMU you are hunting, and view a breakdown of the season structure by county and DMU. Units in Sawyer County extend into other counties. The 2025 weekly DMU deer harvest numbers, as of December 26, are available by referencing the DMU map and deer harvest summary. In a number of units, bonus antlerless licenses remain available.

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.

Contacts for ATV/UTV forest trails include 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 Hayward Lakes Visitor & Convention Bureau.

For trail openings, closures, restrictions, and more, visit HLVCB ATV/UTV trail conditions report.

The HLVCB says most Sawyer County ATV/UTV trails are open and many remain open throughout winter. Some specific areas have closures for a short time or until spring. These trails include:

Tuscobia Trail 10 from Birchwood to the Price County line closes Nov. 15 thru Dec 15 during deer season.
Forest Road 203 in Spider Lake Township has closed until May 1.
Trail 31 north of Tuscobia to north of Edgewater has closed until Memorial Day weekend.
Flambeau River Forest Trails closed to ATV/UTV until May 15.

All other ATV/UTV trails are open all fall including the County Forest and the Chequamegon National Forest. When the county receives enough snow accumulation to allow snowmobile trail grooming, the County Forest (dark green on map) closes to UTVs over 900lbs. All other trails remain open during winter. For legal roads and routes such as county roads (lettered roads) and town roads allowing ATV/UTV, see map and town signage showing town borders. Visit township websites to confirm. Not all county roads within LCO reservation are open; the map indicates the open sections.

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 December 29 HLVCB snowmobile trail report says the area received 8-12 inches of snow from Sunday into early Monday morning. Groomers will be out Monday afternoon and evening, so check back for grooming updates. Crews staked most lakes trails (except Lake Hayward and Lake Chetac) and they are ready to ride. Check back for updates. One area of caution is Trail 18 getting on/off the Chippewa Flowage.

FISHING REPORT

Wet, heavy snow fell Sunday afternoon and overnight, and how the snow and incoming cold temperatures will affect conditions and access is unknown at this time. Reports indicate an accumulation of approximately 8-12 inches in this area, a few more inches on the way, and winds around 20+ mph.

Ice thickness varies across the area, with most lakes reporting 10-12 inches, depending on location. Crews have staked most (not all) lake trails. Check the snowmobile trail report above for specific trail openings, and as always, talk with your favorite bait shop personnel for the most current information on ice conditions and fish locations and favored baits.

Walleye:

Walleye fishing is fair to good, with best success in early morning and evening into dark. Fish shallow to mid-depths in bays, backwaters, and steep breaking shorelines adjacent to deep water. Walleye suckers and shiners on tip-ups are the standard and working well.

Northern Pike:

Northern pike action is good to very good during the day around shallow to mid-depth weeds, reefs, and panfish and baitfish concentrations. Basins holding panfish can also be productive. Northern suckers and large shiners on tip-ups are the baits and presentations of choice.

Crappie/Bluegill/Perch:

Panfish action is fair to good around shallow weeds, breaklines, and basins. Fish are holding near bottom and suspending at various depths, so check the entire water column. Waxies, spikes, and plastics on small jigs and spoons work well, but if action is slow, try jigs with small blades and rattlebaits.

Upcoming Events

Dec. 25: Bobcat hunting/trapping season period 1 closes.

Dec. 26: Bobcat hunting/trapping season period 2 opens.

Dec. 31: Musky season closes statewide.

Jan. 1: Happy New Year!

Jan. 1: Antlerless-only holiday hunt – open in select farmland zone closes (see regs).

Jan. 2-4: Quadrantids Meteor Shower peak (only about 6 hours!); 10-25/hr., medium speed, north, midnight to dawn.

Jan. 3: Full Super Wolf Moon.

Jan. 3: Early inland trout season ‑ catch-and-release only ‑ opens at 5 a.m. (see regs).

Jan. 4: Seasons close: Ruffed grouse Zone A; Turkey in zones 1-5; Pheasant; Hungarian partridge; Fisher trapping.

Jan. 10: Pat’s Landing Tipper Tourney, $25/angler entry fee, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. (715-945-2511).

Jan. 10: Seeley Hills Classic (715-634-5025).