January 12, 2026
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman
The forecast indicates a Tuesday high of 38 degrees, and a sunny Wednesday with a 16-degree high and -2 low. It shows numerous chances for snow this week, but no accumulation at this time. Expect a cold weekend!
Check current road conditions at 511wi.gov for Wisconsin and 511mn.org for Minnesota.
“In the Quiet Lakes’ area, there is still some slush on the lake ice if you get off snowmobile trails,” says Greg at Happy Hooker, “so anyone using ATVs and UTVs should be mindful to not get stuck!
“Fishing is slow for most species.
“Walleyes are lethargic and neutral. Jigging anglers work hard to catch fish and tip-up anglers see many false flags. Fish hold tight to bottom in 8-20 feet, depending on the lake. Anglers should jig, deadstick, or set tip-ups in tandem.
“Northern pike action slowed, and anglers should target shallower structure such as weeds, points, and bars in 5-15 feet. Northern suckers and shiners on tip-ups or auto-rigged rod holders are great for pike.
“Largemouth bass relate to weeds and closer to shore, actively tripping tip-up flags when eating suckers and shiners. Smallmouth are on deeper rock and sand spots and responsive to jigging.
“Crappies are in basins in 12-25 feet or deeper, depending on the lake, and bite window are very short. Minnows and plastics on small jigging spoons and jigs are standard fare.
“Bluegills are on shallow weed edges more than deep edges. Look for weed pockets and inside turns. Waxies, spikes, and plastics on small jigs are a staple.
“Perch are on the edges of deep weed transitions, rock transitions, points, and bars adjacent to deep water, and aggressively jigging small spoons work excellent.”
Jarrett at Hayward Bait says we received snow in the last week or two, but slush is not as bad as some might believe.
“Angler should be wary of slush pockets, but sticking close to marked trails will avoid most of them. The 12-15 inches of ice are not quite truck worthy, but smaller machines are out in force.
“Walleye fishing is solid for nice fish, with many on main lake humps and flats in 12-26 feet. Tip-ups still produce fish, but jigging now prevails. Anglers report success with minnowbaits, spoons, and live bait.
“Northern pike action is great, with anglers seeing good numbers of eater size pike, and larger fish as well. Find structure in 8-20 feet holding baitfish and you will find pike. Use northern suckers, shiners, and dead bait on tip-ups.
“Crappies are in basins, schooling in 20-35 feet, and constantly moving. Punch numerous holes before giving up on spots, as camping on spots will not yield fantastic results. Spoons, rattlebaits, jigs, minnows, and waxies all produce.
“Bluegills are in weeds and roam flats. Find an area with abundant cover in 8-15 feet and let fish come through. Use waxies and spikes on small spoons and jigs.”
This week, DNR fisheries biologist Max Wolter discusses the differences in Wisconsin fish teams.
“Readers of this column are familiar with the work of the DNR Hayward Fish Team. Our unit, technicians Scott Braden and Dan Nelson, and me, love the work we do on the lakes and rivers in the Hayward and Winter areas. There are also DNR fish teams all across the state, and the work of each one is unique.
“Most fish teams consist one or two biologists paired with one or two technicians for a total of 3-4 people. The Hayward Fish Team is rare in that we cover only one county ‑ a testament to the amount of water in Sawyer County! Other fish teams commonly cover 2-4 counties, covering wider areas in parts of the state with less water.
“We also have teams that work on our “Great Waters” such as the Mississippi River, Lake Superior, and Lake Michigan. These teams spend virtually all their time on these expansive waterbodies, often working with federal agencies and biologists from other states.
“Field surveys are an important component of all of the fish teams work, but the survey types depend on the resources on which they work. In Hayward, we do a lot of fyke netting and electrofishing on lakes.
“Teams working in the Driftless area do less work on lakes, as they do not have many, but do a lot more electrofishing for trout in streams, as they have a ton.
“Teams on Lake Winnebago rely on trawling for much of their most important fisheries data, while staff on the Great Lakes conducts gill-netting assessments. Teams working on large rivers have their own set of unique methods.
“These variations reflect the incredible diversity of Wisconsin’s aquatic resources, as well as the ingenuity of fisheries crews that have adapted their methods based on decades of experience.”
The DNR Spooner Service Center will host a Career Fair this Saturday, January 17, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. This is not a hiring event, but attendees can talk one-on-one with staff from different DNR programs to learn about upcoming hiring processes. For more information, email Samuel.Eagan@wisconsin.gov or call (715) 635-2101.
The Winter Sno-Xtravaganza is Saturday and Sunday, January 17-18, at Thompson’s Field in Winter. Racing starts at 9 a.m., with competition for all age groups and sled classes. Admission is adults $15/daily or $25/weekend pass, and children 12 and younger free. For more information, visit Winter Huskies or call Dale Beissel (715) 661-1294.
The DNR’s winter Free Fishing Weekend is Saturday and Sunday, January 17-18. Residents and non-residents can fish state waters without a fishing license or and trout or salmon stamp. Open streams are artificials only and anglers must release all trout. Some streams, spring ponds, and lakes are not open to fishing (see exceptions for trout waters).
All other 2025-2026 Hook and Line regulations including bag limits, size limits and species restrictions are in effect.
The DNR offers loaner ice fishing equipment at 19 tackle loaner sites around the state. For Sawyer County, contact Scott Braden at the DNR Service Center (715) 634-7428 ext. 3508.
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. Forest contact numbers for ATV/UTV trails include Sawyer County Forest (715-634-4846); Chequamegon National Forest (715-634-4821); and Flambeau State Forest (715-332-5271).
For trail and road updates and closures, visit HLVCB ATV/UTV trail conditions report.
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 January 12 HLVCB snowmobile trail report says Sawyer County trails are open, groomed, and in good condition, with a base of 6-8 inches. Groomers were out all weekend keeping trails smooth. There is a slight warm-up early this week, but a chance of snow as the weekend approaches. Check for an update later this week.
The January 12 Travel Wisconsin snowmobile trail report for Washburn County says trails are open, groomed, and in fair condition, with a base of 4-6 inches.
The January 11 Travel Wisconsin snowmobile trail report for the Clam Lake/Ashland County area says trails are open groomed, and in excellent condition, with a base of 5-6 inches.
American Birkebeiner week is Feb. 18-22, with other events in January and early February.
Check here for Birkie trail maps and conditions. Skiing the Birkie Trail System December through March requires a Birkie Trail Ski Pass. An All-Access Snow Pass is required to ski on the snowmaking loop.
For more information, call (715) 634-5025.
FISHING REPORT
Fishing is fair to good for most species if you hit the bite windows. Lake access is primarily walking, ATV/UTV, and snowmobile. Considerable slush and slush pockets makes travel “interesting,” so be aware. Ice depths vary up to 15 inches, but not inviting for vehicle travel. Your favorite bait shop has the latest on ice/travel conditions, fish locations, bite windows, and baits and presentations.
Walleye:
Walleye fishing is fair to good (room for improvement!), with fish in 8-25 feet and deeper, tight to bottom, and on humps and deep flats. Walleye suckers and shiners on tip-ups, jigging minnowbaits and spoons, and dead-sticking all work at the right time and place. If one does not produce, change tactics or ‑ try them all!
Northern Pike:
Northern pike action is fair to very good for pike of assorted sizes. Focus on weeds, points, and bars in 5-20 feet, and wherever you find concentrations of baitfish and panfish. Northern suckers, shiners, and dead bait on tip-ups and auto-rigged rod holders are all working well.
Bass:
The few reports on bass say largemouth are around mid-depth weeds and weed beds close to shore, hitting suckers and shiners on tip-ups. Smallmouth are on deeper rock and sand bottoms, with jigging effective.
Crappie:
Crappie fishing is fair to good, with very short bite windows, and plan to drill many holes to stay on moving fish. Find them schooling in basins in 12-35 feet, depending on the lake. Crappie minnows, waxies, plastics, and Gulp! baits on small jigs and jigging spoons work well, as do rattlebaits.
Bluegill:
Bluegill anglers are working shallow weed edges, weed pockets, and inside turns, and deeper flats with cover in 8-15 feet. Set up and wait for them to come to you. Baits of choice include waxies, spikes, small minnows, and plastics on small spoons, teardrops, and jigs.
Perch:
Perch anglers are finding fish on the edges of deep weed and rock transitions, and points, and bars adjacent to and leading to deeper water. Minnows, minnow heads, and plastics on small jig and spoons jigged aggressively do the job.
Jan. 3: Early inland trout season opened (catch-and-release only) (see regs).
Jan. 17: DNR Career Fair at DNR Service Center in Spooner 10 a.m.-30 p.m. (715-635-2101).
Jan. 17-18: Free Fishing Weekend (see regs).
Jan. 17-18: Winter Sno-Xtravaganza snowmobile races, racing starts at 9 a.m. (715-661-1294).
Jan. 31: 16th Annual NABA Family Ice Fishing event, Nelson Lake Boat Landing, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. (715-558-2097).
Jan. 31: Deerfoot Lodge – 14th Annual “Freeze Your Buns Off” crappie ice fishing tournament (715-462-3328).
Jan. 31: Bobcat hunting/trapping season period 2 closes.
Jan. 31: Brule River State Forest Afterhours Ski and Hike 5-8 pm. (715-815-7047).
Feb. 1: Full Snow Moon.
Feb. 7: 42nd Annual Hayward Lions Pre-Birkie in Cable, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (715-558-6251).
Feb. 7: Flambeau River State Forest Candlelight Ski & Hike (715-890-0856).
Feb. 15: Seasons close: Coyote trapping; Fox hunting/trapping; Raccoon hunting/trapping.
Feb. 18-22: American Birkebeiner Week (715-634-5025).
Feb. 21: Concealed carry class (WI/MN) – Hayward Rod & Gun Club 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (715-558-8312).
Feb. 28: Seasons close: Cottontail rabbit; Squirrel (gray, fox).
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.
