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Fishing Hayward Lake: what the data says
191-acre reservoir near Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 17 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Hayward Lake
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 4 to 17 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 5 to 17 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 17 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 3 to 17 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Walleye fishing at Hayward Lake
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 5 to 17 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 17 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Hayward Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 5 to 17 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 17 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Hayward Lake
Spring northern pike on Hayward Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 17 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Muskellunge fishing at Hayward Lake
Start shallow in spring: muskellunge sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 17 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 17 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 8 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dusk & dawn | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday & dusk | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Hayward Lake
Spring smallmouth bass on Hayward Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 5 to 17 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 17 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 17 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 17 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 17 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Hayward Lake also holds largemouth bass (5 to 17 ft in summer), crappie (5 to 17 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 14 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Hayward Lake?
Hayward Lake is about 17 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Hayward Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, rainbow trout, muskellunge, yellow perch, pumpkinseed on Hayward Lake. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.
Where is the best fishing spot on Hayward Lake?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Hayward Lake?
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Indian School Lake · Little Spring Lake · Little Round Lake · Phipps Lake · Smith Lake · Adina Lake
See how Hayward Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best smallmouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best walleye lakes in Wisconsin · best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin
Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.