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Posts: 83
Location: minnesota | Ok, I admittedly know very little about muskie lakes in WI which I'd like to change. I'm looking to go on an early season trip taking along some newcomers so I'd prefer a numbers lake to a trophy lake. Any good suggestions on waters that have a lot of those 30-40" fish and a few bigger ones mixed in? Bonus if it has a good smallmouth population. I'm hoping to stick toward the north westernish part of the state - I'm in the Twin Cities. |
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Posts: 639
Location: Hudson, WI | There are a ton of those lakes in the Hayward area. Teal, Lost Land, Spider, Sand, and Sissabagama are just a few of the better ones. All are good numbers lakes with some great bass fishing possibilities. Round has low muskie numbers, but is one of the best smallie fisheries in the state. You could also try the super high density lakes like Callahan, Barker and Tiger Cat, but they only have largies as a bonus.
Polk County has some good ones, but it has fallen off in recent years. Bone and Deer aren't what they used to be, but there are still fish to be had. Wapogassett and Cedar are good fisheries but they bloom up heavy, even early. Pretty ugly bodies of water, to be honest. Apple river is weedy but is a good fishery. No smallies in there.
Personally, I would hit the Hayward Lakes area. There is fishable water everywhere and some great bars and restaurants in the area as well.
Edited by Moltisanti 1/22/2013 8:51 AM
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Posts: 580
| Agree that if you are looking for action muskie waters with good smallies in NW WI your best bet will be the Hayward area. Depending upon traffic and where you are in the TC, it's about a 2 to 2.5 hour drive to Hayward. Lots of options for lakes but Moose Lake and Teal Lake are two that quickly come to mind. Both have excellent numbers of muskies in the 30-40" range, and although not very common, there are some bigger muskies in the mid to upper 40" range as well. |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | I've lived in Hayward a few years now and have experience on some of the lakes mentioned. I fish Sand a lot, and have spent a decent amount of time on Siss. Both are ok lakes with fair numbers of decent fish. Personally, I wouldn't quite call either of those lakes action lakes. While multiple fish days are certainly a possibility, I'm not sure I would count on it. I've had plenty of days on both lakes without seeing a fish. Most fish I catch on those lakes are mid 30's to low 40's. I used to live 3 miles from Sand and fished it a lot. I've caught a number of fish from it with action from only a couple mid 40's class fish. There are some decent fish in it though. I would rate Siss as similar.
I've also fished Spider a few times. I think I've always caught something and seen others. Seems to primarily be low to mid 30's fish though I think there are a few decent fish there. Lots of nice weedlines, islands, and bars. Clear water. Limited to 10MPH certain times of the day.
The quiet lakes - Lost Land and Teal. They are supposed to have pretty good numbers of fish with some bigger ones. 10 MPH speed limit at all times. Plan a fairly full day if you fish here as it will take a while to navigate all over the lake(s). Stained flowage type water. I only fished it once and didn't raise any fish but it was just one day.
Moose is supposed to have a lot of smaller fish too. Never been on it. Heard it's pretty shallow, stained, and full of stumps so be careful if you try that one.
With my experience I would probably send you to Spider if you just wanted to catch a musky. With that said others that have spent more time on Lost Land and Teal might send you there. They are supposed to be pretty good lakes.
If your trip is a long one and you've caught and seen enough small fish to get your fill, Grindstone, LCO, and the Chip are all nearby if you want a shot at something big.
Feel free to send me a PM before you come up and I can fill you in on what's been happening in the area.
Tucker |
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Posts: 620
Location: Seymour, WI | Tucker that is a great summary of the lakes in the Hayward area. I only get a handfull of trips there each yr, but my observations are similar to yours.
Grass, |
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Posts: 83
Location: minnesota | Thanks for the info guys, some really good advice! Any recommendations on places to stay in the Hayward area? I see there's a ton of options in the area. |
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Posts: 1089
Location: Hayward, WI | Not as far north as the lake mentioned you have Wissota, and a bunch of lakes in the Hwy 8/40 area. A little further east is Holcombe and Dairland Flowages too. |
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Posts: 253
Location: Birchwood, WI. | ALSO REAL GOOD SMALLIES IN BIG SISS-SAND & WHITE FISH. NOBODY FISHING THESE WATERS FOR THEM INCLUDING ME! BUT I HAVE CAUGHT MANY 3 TO 5 LB FISH WHILE LUNGEN ESPECIALLY THREW THE NIGHT. GOOD LUCK!!! |
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Posts: 99
| Try Indian Trail resort on the Chippewa Flowage. Atmosphere is great. John has a map he sells for $5.00 I think that will put you on fish and show you the hazards. |
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school me on Wisconsin lakes