FISHING GUIDE · HAYWARD, WISCONSIN

Hayward, Wisconsin Muskie Waters Fishing Guide

Hayward is known for big muskie and for the 1949 record fish from the Chippewa Flowage and Lac Courte Oreilles. The Flowage has abundant walleye and common muskie, Lac Courte Oreilles is a very clear lake with abundant northern pike, and Grindstone has abundant walleye. Most of these waters carry a 50-inch muskie minimum, so nearly all muskie are released.

📍 Hayward, Sawyer County, northwest Wisconsin. The main muskie waters are Lac Courte Oreilles (5,139 acres, 90 feet deep), the Chippewa Flowage (listed by the DNR as Lake Chippewa, 14,593 acres, 92 feet deep) and Grindstone Lake (3,176 acres, 60 feet deep), all in Sawyer County.

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Upper Midwest Lakes map →

Quick facts

Wisconsin's state record muskie, 69 lb 11 oz, came from the Chippewa Flowage, Sawyer County, on Oct. 20, 1949 (Wisconsin DNR).
That fish, Louie Spray's, is recognized as the all-tackle record by the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, which is in Hayward.
The IGFA instead lists Cal Johnson's 67.5-pound muskie, caught in July 1949 on Lac Courte Oreilles near Hayward, as the world record.
Muskie must be at least 50 inches to keep on Lac Courte Oreilles, the Chippewa Flowage and Grindstone Lake; the statewide minimum is 40 inches.
Sawyer County is in the Ceded Territory, land ceded by the Lake Superior Chippewa in 1837 and 1842, so special walleye rules apply.

What you can catch

Muskellunge (muskie)
Main target. 50-inch minimum on LCO, Chippewa Flowage and Grindstone; 1 per day.
Walleye
Abundant in the Chippewa Flowage and Grindstone. Flowage limit 3 per day, season May 2 - Nov 30 (2026).
Northern pike
Abundant on Lac Courte Oreilles; 10 of any length may be kept on LCO chain and the Flowage.
Smallmouth bass
Only 1 may be kept on LCO and Grindstone, 18-inch minimum; 14-inch minimum on the Flowage.
Largemouth bass
Any length may be kept on LCO, Grindstone and the Flowage.
Panfish (bluegill, crappie, perch)
Common on the Flowage and LCO; only 10 panfish may be kept on the Flowage.
Lake sturgeon and catfish
Listed by the DNR as present in the Chippewa Flowage.

Month by month

January	General inland season open through March 7 (2027) for ice fishing; muskie closed (muskie open water only).
February	Ice fishing continues where open; muskie closed.
March	General inland season ends March 7 (2027); most game fish closed after that on general inland waters.
April	Most game fish closed on general inland waters until the May opener.
May	Opening day May 2 (2026) for walleye, pike, largemouth and muskie harvest.
June	Free fishing weekend June 6-7 (2026). Northern zone smallmouth harvest opens June 20 (2026).
July	Summer muskie, walleye and bass fishing.
August	Summer muskie, walleye and bass fishing.
September	Muskie and walleye seasons open.
October	The 1949 state record muskie was caught Oct. 20 on the Chippewa Flowage.
November	Chippewa Flowage walleye season closes Nov 30.
December	Muskie season ends Dec 31 (open water only).

Tips

Measure carefully: Hayward's top muskie lakes have a 50-inch minimum, not the statewide 40 inches.
Motor trolling is allowed in all of Sawyer County, with up to three hooks, baits or lures per person.
Check the walleye rule for each lake; the Chippewa Flowage allows only 3 per day and closes Nov 30.
Look up each lake in the DNR's searchable hook-and-line regulations before you go; rules differ lake to lake.
Visit the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame museum in Hayward to see the record-fish history.

Rules and license

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources · Official rules page ↗

Fishing license required except kids 15 and under. Annual fishing license: $20 resident, $55 nonresident; resident senior (65+) $7; nonresident 4-day $29, 15-day $33.
Muskie, statewide inland: first Saturday in May to Dec. 31 (May 2 - Dec. 31, 2026), open water only; 1 fish, 40-inch minimum. There is no longer a separate later northern zone muskie opener listed for inland waters.
Muskie 50-inch minimum on Lac Courte Oreilles chain, Chippewa Flowage, Grindstone Lake and the Chippewa River below Winter Dam.
Chippewa Flowage: walleye season May 2 - Nov 30 (2026), 3 per day (combined with the Chippewa River to Arpin Dam); 10 northern pike any length; smallmouth 14-inch minimum; 10 panfish.
Grindstone Lake: only walleye under 14 inches kept, except one may be over 18 inches; 1 smallmouth, 18-inch minimum.
Ceded Territory waters: walleye daily limit 3; standard rule keeps 15 to under 20 inches, except one over 24 inches, unless the lake has its own rule.
Smallmouth bass harvest in the Northern Bass Zone opens June 20 (2026); catch and release at other times.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 5 boat ramps and 0 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Hay Creek Boat Launch

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.